MUMBAI, June 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
Rohan Rege from Paasha - JW Marriott, Pune wins the Diageo Reserve World Class India Finals 2017 and gears up for the Global Finals in Mexico
In its 9th edition, Diageo Reserve World Class continues to transform fine drinking experiences and cocktail culture around the world. A unique platform, which aims to nurture the potential talent of local bartenders and enable them with the right knowledge. Bringing together 12 mixologists from India's leading hotels and bars to compete for the title at the St. Regis Hotel, Rohan Rege, from Paasha - JW Marriott, Pune was conferred the title of the India Bartender of the Year at Diageo Reserve World Class 2017.
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The industry's biggest and most prestigious bartending competition offers a gamut of luxury spirits from the Diageo Reserve portfolio namely Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve, Johnnie Walker Platinum Label 18, Talisker 10YO, the Singleton of Glen Ord 12YO, Tanqueray 10, CÎROC and Ketel One. The contestants were judged on the basis of three rounds - The Blind Tasting Round, The Speed Round and The Mystery Box Round. Each bartender went through a rigorous training procedure to survive till the end and had their eyes firmly set on the global finals in Mexico!
Rohan edged his competitors and swayed the judges with his speed, meticulous execution and balanced cocktails at the Indian final. Runners up Jitender Singh Rana from Perch, Delhi and Kevin Dias from Hakkasan, Mumbai too impressed the judges and the attendees with their creativity and craftsmanship, thus earning them the second and third position respectively.
Over the last six months, the contenders from the most prominent bars in India competed in multiple regional levels before descending in Bangalore for the national finals. Top 12 bartenders were judged by an expert panel consisting of Donald Colville, Diageo Global Scotch Ambassador - Malts, Nicholas Ord, Diageo Reserve Brand Ambassador and Nikhil Agarwal, Sommelier & CEO, All Things Nice. The selected bartenders exhibited originality and all the right skills throughout the competition that they were judged on to test their ingenuity. Of the 12 talented challengers, Rohan emerged as the winner for mastering these pre-requites and displaying unparalleled skills with utmost passion.
Announcing the winner, Nitesh Chhapru, Head of Marketing - Premium Core & Luxury Portfolio, Diageo India said, "Diageo Reserve World Class is a celebration of flair and creativity in the craft of bartending. The competition is a unique platform, which aims to nurture the potential talent of local bartenders and enable them with the right knowledge, craft and skill to perform at a global stage. Diageo Reserve World Class aims at transforming fine drinking experiences and cocktail culture which encourages people to drink better and responsibly."
Donald Colville, Global Ambassador for Diageo Malts and judge for the competition added, "Being my first visit to India, I was pleasantly surprised by all the emerging local bartending talent we were able to witness. Now in its 9th edition, our endeavor with World Class continues to be encouraging and supporting bartending as a career. We hope to continue on this journey of education and discovery for many more years to come."
Brought on board as external jury, Nikhil Agarwal, Sommelier & CEO, All Things Nice said, "It was a pleasure being part of the jury for the Diageo Reserve World Class Finals. All the finalists exhibited tremendous passion, craft and skill in showcasing their creations and I applaud Diageo for taking on this initiative of providing local talent with a global platform to hone their skills further."
Sharing his big win, Rohan Rege added, "The entire experience has been so surreal and overwhelming. It feels fantastic to know that all the sleepless nights and hard work has paid off. I'm tremendously thankful to Diageo Reserve World Class for providing me with this platform and I'm now eagerly looking forward to competing at the Global Finals in Mexico."
Rohan will now take on the world's best bartenders at Diageo's ninth annual Global Diageo World Class Competition that will be held in Mexico in August, 2017.
About Diageo Reserve World Class
Diageo Reserve World Class is transforming fine drinking experiences and cocktail culture around the world and in the home. The industry's largest, most credible investment in the luxury on trade, it discovers the next generation of bartending talent who set the latest mixology trends and bring these to the best bars worldwide. At the core is an outstanding, global training program and internationally recognized platform that elevates the craft of the bartender and builds careers in the industry culminating in an annual luxury landmark week where the Diageo Reserve World Class Bartender of the Year is announced. Launched in 2009, bartenders have been inspired and educated in the craft of mixology using the finest spirits in the Diageo Reserve collection. A partnership and collaboration with gurus, media, partners and owners, Diageo Reserve World Class is widely recognized as a mark of sophistication and distinction of international fine drinking culture by bartenders and customers alike.
The Diageo Bar Academy Program reinforces the company's commitment to the bartending community. Since launching the program in 2006, more than 5,500 training sessions have been hosted with over 55,000 bartenders trained. The acclaimed program takes an innovative and fresh approach to training, offering interactive and informative sessions led by the industry's best.
Diageo Reserve World Class - India Competition
A unique platform, which aims to nurture the potential talent of local bartenders and enable them with the right knowledge. In the past, Diageo Reserve World Class India, has successfully helped local talent emerge as influencers and creators of fine drinking experiences the world over. It is the industry's biggest and most prestigious bartending competition that offers the competitors a gamut of luxury spirits from the Diageo Reserve portfolio to work with. These include Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve, Johnnie Walker Platinum Label 18, Talisker 10YO, Tanqueray 10, CÎROC, Ketel One and the Singleton of Glen Ord 12YO.
Over the last 6 months, our international brand ambassadors have trained and mentored almost 300 bartenders across the top luxury accounts in India, on our Reserve Portfolio as well as modules on global cocktail trends such as the History of Bartending Techniques, Sustainability in Cocktail Making, and the Art of Storytelling. The contenders have competed in multiple regional levels before descending in Mumbai for the national finals. Each bartender went through a rigorous training procedure to survive till the end of the competition and only the top 12 made it to the Finale.
The contestants were judged on the basis of three rounds - The Blind Tasting Round, The Speed Round and The Mystery Box Round. The winner will head to Mexico to represent India at the Global finals.
About United Spirits Limited
United Spirits Limited (USL) is a subsidiary of Diageo plc which is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits, beer and wine categories. In 2013-14, Diageo plc acquired a 54.8% shareholding in United Spirits making India one of its largest markets.
The organization prides itself on innovative products that have made a mark on the world stage by regularly winning accolades and awards from international juries. USL exports its products to over 37 countries across the globe.
Headquartered in Bengaluru, USL has a strong global footprint supported by a committed team of 5000+ employees dedicated to fulfilling the company's mission of becoming the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer goods company in India. The company has a strong distribution network and point of sale coverage and is represented in 81000 outlets across India. It has over 74 manufacturing facilities across 23 states and 3 union territories in India.
The company is listed on the BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange) and NSE (National Stock Exchange). For more information about United Spirits Limited, our people, vision, brands, and performance visit us at http://www.unitedspirits.in.
Visit Diageo's global responsible drinking resource, http://www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice.
Celebrating Life, Every Day, Everywhere
'Drink Responsibly'
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