Gaurav Dhyani, bartender of The Whisky Bar, has been announced as Indian Bartender of the Year at World Class 2018 and will now compete with the worlds finest bartenders at Diageos 10th annual Global Diageo World Class Competition that will be held in Berlin in October 2018.
Dhyani was declared the winner at the end of the competition and was given the title of Indian Bartender of the Year from the top 11 finalists that were hand-picked from India’s leading hotels and bars.
Rohan Rege from Paasha at JW Marriott, Pune and Jitender Singh Rana from Arth, Mumbai were awarded first and second runners up respectively.
The World Class platform, led by the Diageo Reserve portfolio, serves as a platform for the best bartenders in the industry. This year’s competition was abundant with well-articulated themes of Signature Concepts and Resourceful Bartender.
In the last few months, over 250 bartenders participated in the competition and underwent gruelling modules that tested their grit in creativity, ingenuity, speed and agility.
The judge’s panel comprising of Global Cocktailian and Diageo Global Reserve Brand Ambassador – Lauren Mote, Varun Sudhakar Head of Innovation & Operations – Beverage for PizzaExpress- Gourmet and Diageo Reserve Brand Ambassador – Andrew Young, carefully evaluated the performance of the top 11 contenders and announced the winner after careful deduction.
Announcing the winner, Shweta Jain – Diageo India’s Vice President, Key Accounts, Luxury Commercial said: “World Class is the industry’s biggest and most prestigious bartending competition. With this unique platform, we aim to nurture our vibrant Indian bartender community and empower them to learn and collaborate with the very best globally. We are thrilled to have Gaurav represent us at the global finals in Berlin.”
Lauren Mote, Diageo Global Reserve Brand Ambassador and judge for the competition added: “Diageo Reserve World Class platform encourages people to drink better and more responsibly… It was great to see the energy and enthusiasm the Indian bartenders brought to the competition. I am looking forward to seeing Gaurav represent India at Berlin.”
