BARTENDER Journal is grateful to be part of the Starback 2024 Competitors sponsored by Don Julio. This was our second yr being part of the competitors and it was large success!
This yr, we did eight whole stops across the nation the place one winner would bartend Hollywood’s Greatest evening with International Bartending Champion, Charles Joly! One finalist from New York, Chicago, Tampa, Phoenix, Columbus, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Austin would compete within the finals in NYC!
This yr’s competitors was not solely greater but in addition had new enjoyable and interesting rounds for every competitor to showcase their creativity with Don Julio Tequilas.
For the primary spherical within the regionals, the opponents needed to make a “Daytime fashion” cocktail utilizing Don Julio Rosado, which was a good way to kick off the competitors. Subsequent, they had been requested to make a cocktail with the latest member of the Don Julio Household, Don Julio Alma Miel! Lastly, their final drink needed to be a “high-energy” cocktail that includes Don Julio 1942! After these three cocktails had been made our superb judges at every location tallied up the scores and named a winner.
These winners had been:
Ivan Toxqui, NYC
Santiago Cobar, Chicago
Ki Choe, Tampa
Brenda Juarez, Phoenix
Michael Ching, Columbus
Orestes Cruz, Atlanta
Dakota Davis, San Francisco
Bridget Kimbell, Austin
Every of those superb finalists was flown to NYC to compete on the World Well-known, Useless Rabbit!
For the finals, our superb finalists had been tasked with three remaining rounds and judged by an unbelievable crew. BARTENDER Journal’s personal, Jackie Foley, Charles Joly and the 2023 Starback Winner, Tia Barrett!
The stage was set and spherical one challenged every competitor on their velocity and effectivity as they needed to make a Don Julio Blanco Marg, Don Julio Repo Paloma, and a Don Julio Anejo Outdated Normal. For spherical two, the finalists had been in a position to showcase themselves within the glass as they had been allowed to make use of the total Don Julio Portfolio to make their very own unique cocktail. Lastly, to prep them for the grand prize, they had been requested to make an award-worthy cocktail utilizing Don Julio 1942. The judges tasted some unbelievable cocktails all through the finals however there might solely be on winner and Orestes Cruz from Atlanta was topped the Starback 2024 Winner!
Thanks to everybody who helped carry this to life and to all who competed and judges across the nation. We at BARTENDER are so grateful to have met so many superb folks throughout this competitors and hope to see all of them once more very quickly. Particular because of Adrienne Smith, Lisa Petrella, Charles Joly, Tia Barrett, The Hunter PR Crew and Don Julio Model Crew at Diageo.
