Diageo World Class has announced its top 100 Australian Bartenders for 2022 in the lead up to the globally renowned bartending competition taking place in Sydney for the first time ever this September. 

Following an overwhelming number of applications from Sydney hotspots will’s, Maybe Sammy and Cantina OK to Gold Coast’s Rosella’s, Rude Boy in Hobart, Perth’s Foxtrot Unicorn and Melbourne’s NOMAD, the competition will see the industry’s leading bartenders battle it out for the chance to be crowned the nation’s best. 

During the next phase of the competition, the top 100 bartenders find inspiration from aperitivo hour and deli culture as they participate in ‘The Singleton Deli Plus Two’ challenge, to create a cocktail using The Singleton single malt Scotch whisky plus two additional components only. Australia’s winner will then represent the nation at the World Class Global Final.

Sydney will finally welcome the Diageo World Class global finals from 12-15 September 2022, after being initially announced as host city in 2019.

However, the event was postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic and last year’s competition was held in a digital format as a result of COVID-19 restrictions.

Sydney hosting the event is a huge coup and testament to the quality of the Australian bar industry. The Australian final of the competition recognised as one of the best in the world, having produced two global winners – Tim Philips (2012) and Orlando Marzo (2018) – in the past decade.

The 2022 global finals will feature a week-long World Class Cocktail Festival for the first time, celebrating the best of Sydney’s cocktail culture from 9-18 September.

Last year’s Australian World Class champion, Evan Stroeve (pictured main) of Re – Sydney’s no-waste bar recently named in The World’s 50 Best Bars – wowed the global judges with his skill, creativity and commitment to sustainability and innovation. Following in Stroeve’s footsteps, Matthew Dale and Siôn Roberts from Re are among the top 100 and will be battling it out to be named Australia’s best bartender in 2022.

Stroeve said: “Being part of the World Class competition last year was such a momentous moment in my career, and is a potentially life changing opportunity for this year’s top 100 bartenders. The competition demands that you think creatively about flavours, process and technique. It’s an opportunity to bring an idea to life, and showcase not only your skills but the personality behind it”.

Krystal Hart, Australia’s Diageo World Class Ambassador, added: “The level of competition in Australia gets higher every year; we’ve been blown away by the quality and skill of this year’s entrants to date. As we enter the competition’s second phase, we’re looking for the top five bartenders to stand out by demonstrating imaginative and show-stopping creations. Our work is cut out for us as the calibre has been so impressive. We look forward to see what’s coming up”. 

The 2022 competition will celebrate Diageo’s award-winning portfolio of reserve brands and hero whisky, with Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Johnnie Walker Black Label, The Singleton and Talisker taking centre stage. 

Australia’s top five will be announced on June 13, before the finals are held in July to determine the Diageo World Class Australian Bartender of the Year for 2022. 

For more information, visit Diageo Bar Academy.