Jameson Irish whiskey has announced the Top 10 Finalists of the annual Jameson Black Barrel Bartender Series 2025 competition.
This year’s competition saw a 20% increase on entries from 2024, with regional winners coming from countries including Argentina, Nigeria, China and even cruise ships.
Winning an all-expenses-paid trip to Ireland to join the Jameson family at the Jameson HOSTS Global Summit, the 24 regional winners – including Auckland bartender Cal Ross – were judged on their ability to create a cocktail that champions their own local culture and communities.
Each entry showcased regionally inspired ingredients, blending local tradition with Jameson Black Barrel’s smooth notes of toasted oak, caramel and vanilla spice.
Ross, from Panacea Cocktail Kitchen in Auckland Central, created a cocktail named “Whenua” – designed to showcase Māori culture.
It included hāngi kūmara-infused Jameson Orange, Mānuka honey, hāngi smoke tea and charred Pōhutukawa.
Other cocktail entries featured Queensland’s native cinnamon myrtle and macadamia wood smoke, Hull’s beetroot and roasted dandelion roots and Bali’s jackfruit and pandan.
“I’m always blown away by the creativity and skill of bartenders worldwide, but this year has been the most diverse and vibrant series yet,” says Tony O’Brien, Jameson Global Advocacy Manager.
“We received entries from more countries than ever before with bartenders creating really interesting and truly distinctive drinks, that showcase their passion for their locality and culture.”
The Top 10, were hand-selected from the regional winners by global judges Danil Nevsky (Indie Bartender, Barcelona), Millie Tang (De Vie, Paris), and Claudia Cabrera (Kaito Del Valle, Mexico City), and comprised of bartenders from all four corners of the globe.
Top 10 Finalists:
Stefan Codrea – Galileo Barcelona, Spain.
Kadek Puspa – After Rock, Bali, Indonesia.
Assel Abdimavlenova – Agora cocktail bar, Kazakhstan.
Akın Özcan – Cheerz Caddebostan, Istanbul, Turkey.
Arthur Jeršov – Stalker Rotermanni, Estonia.
Yu Kajitani – DARUMA, Dublin, Ireland.
Matt Smith – The Brain Jar – Old Town, Hull, UK.
Shreya Basu – Banng, Gurugram, India.
Tiger Liang – BAR CMYK, Changsha, China.
Georgia Gresham – Before + After, Brisbane, Australia.
Each of the Top 10 winners will compete in the Grand Final at the Jameson HOSTS Global Summit on September 1, 2025, where they will present their cocktails in a blind taste test to two separate panels of industry judges and mentors.
The top three highest scores will be crowned Global Champions on September 2, 2025, receiving €5,000 each, along with access to Jameson’s Mentorship Sessions, hosted by industry legends.
How to catch up with The Shout NZ…
Online, updated daily with its own unique content and breaking news.
Our weekly newsletter – free to your inbox! Subscribe here.
We are also on Facebook and Instagram!
