Australian bartenders have been urged to get their entries in for PATRÓN Perfectionists 2023, with the competition closing on October 7.

PATRÓN Perfectionists 2023 has brought a new bartender education and engagement program to the heart of this year’s edition.

As the cocktail competition has broadened its reach in the bar world, PATRÓN tequila has extended its long-standing commitment to support bartenders in growing their skills with the launch of Academia PATRÓN Perfectionists Education Program.

This year, 19 countries and cruise liners will take part in the cocktail competition, with additional countries signing up for the global training modules and workshops.

The 2023 entry challenge, called Hometown Hero, requires entrants to develop a cocktail that blends PATRÓN Silver tequila with the bartender’s local culture, using ingredients from a prescribed list, the Pantry.

The initial entry submissions will be judged on appeal, appearance, inspiration, and originality.

Between September 1 and October 7, bartenders have attended Academia PATRÓN Perfectionists state roadshows hosted by Joey Chisolm (PATRÓN Tequila Execution Manager), Alex Godfrey (PATRÓN Brand Ambassador) and Harrison Kenney (Global PATRÓN Perfectionist Winner 2022).

Kenney, global winner of 2022 Perfectionists, said: “It was a privilege to win the prestigious Global Patrón Perfectionists title for a cocktail that I created, to represent Australia, a country that has one of the greatest bar scenes in the world. I can’t wait to see the caliber of entries for this year and how the talented bartenders of Australia showcase their hero ingredients. Bartenders – if you are thinking about taking part, do it.”

The roadshows have showcasde educational module “Discovering Deliciousness”. Focusing on flavours, ingredients, techniques, and topical trends in the tequila category and in mixology, the Academia PATRÓN Perfectionists modules support
professional growth as well as the preparation for the PATRÓN Perfectionists competition entry.

Following the education and entry stages, each participating country will judge the cocktail creations to shortlist up to 10 bartenders, who will compete in the national final due to take place in November in Sydney.

This year’s national finals will engage bartenders across a variety of topics and challenges. The bartenders’ cumulative scores
across the challenges will determine the national winner in each market.

A special Wild Card Entry will also be selected by a global judge from the contestants of the national finals. All national winners and the Wild Card winner will go on to the much-coveted global finals experience taking place at Hacienda PATRÓN, Mexico, in March 2023.

Lauren Mote, Global Manager of Program Excellence for PATRÓN tequila, said: “We are incredibly excited for the upcoming 2023 PATRÓN Perfectionists program. Over the years, this program has brought an invaluable contribution to the category thanks to the advocacy of bartenders creating and sharing outstanding PATRÓN recipes around the globe.

“These are the bartenders that we are lucky enough to call our PATRÓN Familia and we cannot wait to welcome many more. The evolution of the PATRÓN Perfectionists competition brand to a bartending program, with dedicated education, goes hand in hand with the rise of the bar scene globally.

“It has become evident to all our teams that education should become the central pillar of our program, with investment into the growth and professional development of bartenders everywhere. The bartenders who enter the Perfectionists have a common thirst for knowledge, growth, and connections. With this enhanced format and the invaluable support of local teams
and Brand Ambassadors, we are going to support them throughout their journey as they strive for their personal
vision of “perfection” and of their PATRÓN tequila serves and rituals.”

For support and queries about your entries for PATRÓN Perfectionists 2023, contact your local PATRÓN team:

Joseph Chisholm – PATRÓN Tequila Execution Manager – jchisholm@bacardi.com

Alex Godfrey – PATRÓN Brand Ambassador – agodfrey@spiritspecialist.com.au