Bartending competitions are incredibly fun to watch, as the most creative mixologists working today execute drinks with poise and flair. But they’re not just entertainment; for bar operators, they’re educational. That’s because the competitors are on the 
forefront of global cocktail trends.
We examined the winners of a few competitions to see what we could learn about up-and-coming drinks. And if you have a winning cocktail of your own, why not compete next year? There are dozens of notable competitions all over the world – we’ll tell you about a few.
Highballs take the spotlight.
This year, Tales of the Cocktail Foundation asked the global hospitality community to vote for the cocktail featured in their big competition: Spritz, Mai Tai, Swizzle, Negroni, or Highball. The Highball won handily.
Highballs are defined as a “base spirit topped with a larger proportion of a carbonated mixer in a large glass with ice -- however, the rules are few but the possibilities are endless.” Competitors were limited to five ingredients. The winner was Robin Wolf of The Hatch Rotisserie & Bar in Paso Robles, Calif., whose “Night Gardens” highball is made with Suntory Toki Whisky, jasmine tea syrup and Q Club soda, then garnished with lemon. We predict increasing interest in highballs in 2020, as customers crave drinks with simple ingredients and complex flavors.
Shared cocktails are big.
Communal cocktails are fun, elegant, and oh-so-Instagrammable. From two-person drinks to elaborately garnished punch bowls, they’re showing up in high-end bars and cocktail competitions.
To celebrate “friendship, conviviality and the human spirit,” the Vero Bartender 2019 contest (sponsored by Amaro Montenegro) challenged competitors to create a drink for a table to share. Cristiana Pirinu, from the Donovan Bar in London, won the UK final with a concoction of Amaro, sherry, blackcurrant and hibiscus tea, and cherry ratafia brandy. The first-place winner was Zachary Sapato from St. Paul, Minn., whose Bella FIGura was made with carbonated lavender tea, grenadine, brandy, Amaro and fig fennel bitters. His suggested serving vessel: a chilled, one-gallon pressurized keg.
Tiki hasn’t lost its magic.
The resurgence of tiki culture a few years ago was no passing trend. Bartenders have continued to find inspiration in classic Polynesian drinks, tweaking and reinventing them for modern palates. Just look at Tiki Oasis’s annual Bartender Battle in San Diego, where experts not only compete to make eye-catching drinks but also meet for seminars in the fine art of tiki mixology. (In one workshop, Garret Richard from ZZ’s Clam Bar taught “techniques like brix adjusting, acid manipulation, and clarification used to craft perfect tiki classics.” This is some serious stuff.)
One tip for modernizing tiki cocktails: dial down the sugar and increase the complexity. Dannika Underhill won acclaim for The Neon Blazer, a sophisticated take on a Miami Vice: half frozen strawberry daiquiri (with fassinola syrup made from red dragon fruit) and half frozen piña colada (with Boy Drinks World walnut bitters and Armada Oloroso Sherry). For the ultimate creamy consistency in a frozen cocktail, add a Hamilton Beach Commercial high-performance blender to your bar lineup.
Hello, tomato!
The “Pink Me Up” sounds like a sweet, flowery, fizzy kind of drink. Actually, this cocktail — the creation of Thai bartender Ronnaporn Kanivichaporn, which won him the 2019 Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Competition — is closer to a Bloody Mary. The “Pink Me Up” is made with Bacardi Carta Blanca, muddled tomato, orgeat syrup, lemon juice, olive brine and fresh basil. “It’s a daytime drink and it can also be an evening drink,” said judge Julie Reiner, noting that “it was just so well balanced and really tasty.”
The judges’ enthusiasm proves that tomato-based drinks aren’t just for brunch. Consider adding other produce-driven cocktails to the menu. For inspiration, look to LA cocktail chef Matthew Biancaniello, who relies on farmer’s markets and foraging for his inventive drinks. (Here are Biancaniello’s five secrets for running a successful pop-up bar.)
Every drink needs a backstory.
The industry has been so focused on the craft of assembling complex cocktails that we’ve forgotten about bartenders’ other famed talent: storytelling. Interest seems to be resurging in the art of telling tales from behind the bar.
Take the 2019 “Talk Story” competition hosted by Ocean Organic Vodka. (“Talk Story” is the Hawaiian art and tradition of small talk and storytelling.) This competition challenged bartenders to create an Ocean Vodka cocktail inspired by a personal story. Competitor Clyde Perkins made the flaming “Fighting Spirit,” with aloe and green chile liqueur, to honor his physical transformation through mixed martial arts. Jessie Yoskin’s Ka La Hiki Ola, with passion fruit liqueur, was inspired by the time she destroyed her wedding dress to heal from her divorce. It’s garnished with ripped sugar lace, of course.
Ready to enter a bartending competition yourself? Find a list of upcoming global contests here.
