Zu Beginn des Jahres rief die Irish Whiskey Marke Jameson ihre weltweite Barkeeper-Community dazu auf, an ihrer Jameson Black Barrel Bartender Series teilzunehmen. Und 432 Personen aus 60 Ländern reichten ihre Cocktailkreationen ein. Neu vertretene Länder waren Taiwan, Singapur, Puerto Rico, Nepal, Moldawien, Macau, Jamaika, Hongkong, Honduras, Kuba und Bahrain.
Heute gibt Jameson die Top 10 Finalisten sowie die regionalen Gewinner bekannt. Die zehn Finalisten treten im großen Finale des Jameson HOSTS Global Summit an und präsentieren ihre Cocktails in einer Blindverkostung vor zwei unabhängigen Jurys aus Branchenexperten und Mentoren. Die regionalen Gewinner haben eine einmalige Reise nach Irland gewonnen, um gemeinsam mit der Jameson Family am Jameson HOSTS Global Summit teilzunehmen.
Mehr Details und Einzelheiten zur Jameson Black Barrel Bartender Series sowie die Top 10 Finalisten und die 26 Regional Champions in der englischsprachigen Jameson-Pressemitteilung:
| Presseartikel | Für den Inhalt ist das Unternehmen verantwortlich |
JAMESON BLACK BARREL BARTENDER SERIES COMPETITION 2026 ANNOUNCES TOP 10 FINALISTS
This Year’s Finalists Showcase Bold Culinary Influences And Locally Sourced Ingredients, With Entries From 60 Countries Worldwide
Jameson, the world’s most shared Irish whiskey, is delighted to announce the Top 10 Finalists of the annual Jameson Black Barrel Bartender Series 2026 competition.
Winning a once-in-a-lifetime, all-expenses-paid trip to Ireland* to join the Jameson Family at the Jameson HOSTS Global Summit, Regional Champions were judged on their ability to create a cocktail that celebrates their own local culture and communities. Each entry showcased regionally inspired ingredients, blending local tradition with Jameson Black Barrel’s signature notes of toasted oak, caramel and vanilla spice.
This year’s competition saw 432 entries from 60 countries worldwide, reflecting the continued global growth of the Jameson bartender community. New countries represented through entries included Taiwan, Singapore, Puerto Rico, Nepal, Moldova, Macao, Jamaica, Hong Kong, Honduras, Cuba and Bahrain. With such a high standard of entries, bartenders had approximately a 1 in 16.5 chance of progressing – which highlighted the competitiveness of this year’s series.
Entries were evaluated based on a combination of creativity, execution and storytelling. Finalists stood out for smooth delivery of well-developed concepts, demonstrating strong production quality across their video submissions, and bringing their ideas to life through multiple locations, while integrating the Jameson Black Barrel brand seamlessly throughout.
This year’s cocktail entries reflect a growing crossover between the kitchen and the bar, with finalists drawing on bold, globally inspired ingredients and techniques. From savoury elements such as white soy sauce and tomato, to coffee, cheese, carob and tropical produce, bartenders explored a wide spectrum of flavours. Techniques including fat-washing, infusion, clarification and roasting were widely used, showcasing a varied level of craft and innovation.
The Top 10 Finalists were hand-selected from the Regional Champions by a panel of global judges and represent a diverse mix of bartenders from across the world. Each finalist brings a unique perspective, with cocktails inspired by local ingredients, personal heritage, and contemporary flavour trends.
Each of the Top 10 will compete in the Grand Final at the Jameson HOSTS Global Summit, 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, receiving a €5,000 cash prize each, along with exclusive access to Jameson’s mentorship programme which will be led by industry experts.
Speaking on this year’s entries, Tony O’Brien, Jameson Global Advocacy Manager, commented:
The Jameson Black Barrel Bartender Series continues to reflect where cocktail culture is heading. Bartenders are moving beyond the expected, using culinary techniques and hyper-local ingredients to create bold, original serves. What stands out is their ability to seamlessly integrate these ideas, using Jameson Black Barrel as their versatile base, with its character of toasted oak, caramel and vanilla spice to create some truly innovative and inspirational cocktails. The overall standard has been incredibly high again, and we’re excited to bring this group together in Ireland for the final this September.
Mentorship Programme
The Jameson Black Barrel Bartender Series Mentorship Programme continues to support the next generation of bartenders, offering guidance across brand identity, drink design and digital presence.
This year, Global Champions will also receive complimentary access to ‘BarSmarts’, further enhancing their professional development through industry-recognised training.
Mentors include:
- Remy Savage, award-winning bartender – Designing a cohesive brand identity.
- Gina Barbachano, Hanky Panky, Mexico City – Creative menu and drink design.
- Danil Nevsky, Indie Bartender, Spain – Social media strategy and content creation.
Each mentor will:
- Conduct one 30-minute face-to-face session with each winner at the Global Summit.
- Host a 45-minute online presentation with all winners, focused on their area of expertise.
- Be available for a follow-up one-to-one session with each winner for additional guidance.
The Jameson HOSTS Global Summit
The annual Jameson HOSTS Global Summit brings together over 100 members of the global bar community for networking, seminars and immersive brand experiences led by leading industry figures.
As part of their prize, Regional Champions will travel to Ireland to attend the Global Summit, gaining access to exclusive behind-the-scenes experiences and some of Ireland’s renowned hospitality.
The 2026 Summit will take place from 7th-10th September, featuring a programme of seminars, tastings and sessions led by industry experts.
For more information and updates, bartenders can visit the Jameson website or follow @JamesonHOSTS
*Subject to Terms & Conditions
Top 10 Finalists
- Ellen Xu – China “SHAKEGGMATO”
- Mariya Goncharova – Kazakhstan. “KARA KÜY”
- Wayan Irawan – Indonesia. “Black Barrel of the Spice Isles”
- Luka Mihaljev –Serbia. “Black Danube”
- Christos Paraskeva – Lost + Found Drinkery, Nicosia, Cyprus. “Port of Gold”
- Taynah De Paula – Elena Horto, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil “O ENCONTRO”
- PJ Renaud –Auckland, New Zealand. “THE PAVLOVABOY”
- Eray Hakan Evcil – Twins Cocktail Lab, Istanbul, Turkey. “Hoşlaf”
- Lewis Kay – Barcelona, Spain. “La Bouqueria”
- Darragh Connely – Galway, Ireland. “Serpent’s Dance”
Regional Champions
- Ellen Xu – China “SHAKEGGMATO”
- Mariya Goncharova – Kazakhstan. “KARA KÜY”
- Wayan Irawan – Indonesia. “Black Barrel of the Spice Isles”
- Luka Mihaljev – Serbia. “Black Danube”
- Christos Paraskeva – Lost + Found Drinkery, Nicosia, Cyprus . “Port of Gold”
- Taynah De Paula – Elena Horto, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil “O ENCONTRO”
- PJ Renaud – Auckland, New Zealand. “THE PAVLOVABOY”
- Eray Hakan Evcil – Twins Cocktail Lab, Istanbul, Turkey. “Hoşlaf”
- Lewis Kay – Barcelona, Spain. “La Bouqueria”
- Darragh Conneely – Galway, Ireland. “Serpent’s Dance”
- Assel Abdimavlenova – Astra Grand Cafe, Kazakhstan, “Tarikh”
- Kazeem Adefuye – @ile_mimu, Lagos, Nigeria, “OASIS”
- Selman Büyükkaya – Pint Ankara, Turkey, “Boznar”
- Qingyi Shih – TruthSerum Cocktail bar, China, “Black Ble33ing”
- Aidan Powrie – South Africa, “salt sun and suip”
- Adrian Romero – @terceractogastro, Málaga, Spain, “Sombra”
- Kristiyan Georgiev – Bulgaria, “The Toasted Orchard”
- John Aljay Valenzuela – Cruise Ships, “ALL ABOARD!”
- Philip Greefe – ANTHM, South Africa, “Between Two Fires”
- Nicolo Bariani – Australia, “TUCKER GEM”
- Atchana Intarangsi –Thailand, “After dark”
- Jeniya Rai – Cruise Ships, “Hills to the Barrel”
- Jhing Hoong Aw – Malaysia, “Malt-Berry Trí”
- Junard Iglesia – Coya, Dubai, “Emerald Crescent”
- Koby Gelven – Maybe Mae, Adelaide Australia, “An Urban Backyard”
- Akilla Michael Adebisi – @tiffanyambercafe, Lagos, Nigeria, “Olokun”
Competition Timeline:
- Top 10 finalists will be announced: 23 March 2026
- Global Final: September 2026 at the Jameson HOSTS Global Summit
- Mentorship programme begins following the final
Top 3 Global Champions Prize:
- €5,000 cash prize each
- Access to mentorship programme and BarSmarts
The Regional Champions prize details:
The Regional Champions (including the Top 10 who move on to the in-person final) will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Ireland*, to attend the Jameson HOSTS Global Summit. There they will experience unique opportunities to network with 100+ of their peers and leading members of the global bartending industry attending the Summit, attend seminars hosted by some of the best and brightest in the industry and partake in money-can’t-buy Jameson experiences.
Guests will also be guided by Midleton’s Masters of Distillation, Coopering and Blending as they take a behind-the-scenes tour of Midleton Distillery. The once-in-a-lifetime trip to Cork will allow guests to taste whiskey straight from the cask in one of the distillery’s 16,800 cask Maturation Warehouses, as well as visiting the Garden Stillhouse to experience the worlds six largest copper pot stills.
Within the Regional Champions, the Top 10 will recreate their cocktails live at the Summit, to be tasted by all bar community guests in attendance. The judging process will then culminate in a blind taste test where two separate panels of industry judges and mentors will score each drink to determine the Top 3 Global Champions.
*Subject to Terms & Conditions
Top 3 Global Champions prize details: Financial: The winners of the competition will each receive a €5000 cash prize.
Mentorship: The mentorship element continues Jameson’s commitment to fostering long-term growth within the global bartending community, ensuring that the competition provides not only recognition but also career-defining opportunities.
Building on the success of last year’s programme, the 2026 mentoring sessions will once again be delivered both in person at the Jameson HOSTS Global Summit, and virtually in the months following the competition. Winners will gain exclusive access to leading industry experts, providing them with practical insights, tailored guidance, and direct support to help develop their careers beyond the competition.
This year’s mentorship topics, curated by Jameson HOSTS, will focus on:
- Designing a cohesive brand identity
- Establishing a brand globally
- Social media strategy & content creation
The mentorship programme remains a key component of the Jameson Black Barrel Bartender Series, ensuring that winners leave with more than just a title—they gain the tools, knowledge, and connections to grow within the industry.
Full details of the mentorship part of the prize will be confirmed closer to the final.
