Hundreds of industry professionals turned up to catch the cream of the UAE’s bartenders take each other on.
More than 250 people attended the World Class UAE 2017 Bartender Competition which took place in Zengo at Le Royal Meridien, Dubai.
“It was an amazing day to see so many talented and creative bartenders in action displaying their love for the industry along with so many spectators in support of the competition,” said Jason Clarke, Path Trainer, Luxury Brands Marketing, African and Eastern.
“World Class UAE is dedicated to educating bartenders across the region to help create a passionate community to provide the finest beverage experiences to those that dine, drink and socialise in Dubai.”
There was standing room only as the venue was split into two separate arenas for the entrants to do battle with each other.
Inside, there were 14 bartenders competing in the coffee cocktail round which saw guests sampling the beverages before leaving tokens into boxes to vote for the People’s Choice Award.
Meanwhile, outside 12 bartenders battled in the Simplicity vs Eccentricity challenge. Each contestant had minutes to present two cocktails that showcased their talents in front of the panel of judges.
It proved to be a clean sweep for Grosvenor House with the top being Francesco Galdi, bar manager, Buddha Bar, and Ruslan Svezhenko, bar manager, Bar 44.
