World Class Australia 2024 Entry Round exclusive with Kate McGraw
As members of our Diageo Bar Academy community here in Australia, we’re giving you a first look at World Class Australia 2024!
World Class Australia
With the New Year comes the return of the World Class Australia Competition; celebrating the incredible bartenders and venues where they work nationwide. This year we are committed to providing more education and training than ever before, because World Class is career-changing, regardless of where your journey in the competition takes you.
1. What is World Class?
World Class is the largest and most prestigious bartending competition in the world. It celebrates bartenders of all skill levels and stages of their career and is the ultimate test of your hospitality skills, creative thinking, and technical skills, all grounded in Diageo Reserve Brands.
2. What is the entry-round challenge?
We’ll be announcing our entry-round challenge at the World Class Roadshow presented by Diageo Bar Academy, which will be travelling around Australia in the coming weeks. This will be the one challenge that you may enter as many times as you like, using one selected Reserve Brand spirit.
As a member of the Diageo Bar Academy community, we can exclusively reveal that the brands you can choose from for the entry round are:
- Ketel One Vodka or
- Cîroc Vodka or
- Tanqueray London Dry Gin or
- Tanqueray No. Ten Gin or
- Aviation American Gin or
- Ron Zacapa 23 or
- Bulleit Bourbon or
- Bulleit Rye or
- Roe & Co Irish Whiskey or
- Seedlip Garden 108 or
- Seedlip Spice 94 or
- Seedlip Grove 42
3. What can I do to start getting prepared?
The best way to give yourself a head start is to learn as much about the spirits above as possible. The great news is that the Diageo Bar Academy website has all the information that you need.
In addition, there are several online masterclasses to pick up tips, tricks and trends that will help you get set up for success. As a starting point, we recommend World Class Cocktails Masterclass with previous World Class Global Winners Kaitlyn Stewart and Adrian Michalčík. As well as our Ketel One webinar, also with Kaitlyn Stewart, this time joined by Nolet’s Global relationships director Dennis Tamse and a guest appearance from Bob Nolet himself!
4. What’s one thing I need to know to be successful in World Class?
The most important thing is reading and understanding the judging criteria and ensuring that your cocktails and storytelling are grounded by the brands themselves. We don’t need to see the entire history of a spirit, but tell us what resonates with you – maybe it’s the strong ties to the community, and family of Ketel One Vodka, or the innovation and excitement of Mr Black Coffee Liqueur.
5. How do I get involved?
The good news is that you’re already at step one! If you want to find out more, the best course of action is to get in touch with your local Diageo Reserve Brand Ambassador.
- Kelsey Blacksmith (NSW/ACT) - @kelsey_ontherocks
- Tracy Gardner (VIS/TAS) - @tequilatracy
- David Brosnan (QLD/NT) - @davesonlydrinks
- Simone Sanna (WA/SA) - @thesbagliatoontour
- Kate McGraw (World Class Australia) - @katelikescocktails
Good Luck and see you at the Roadshow!