Altos Tahona Society Competition 2025

In this fourth edition of Altos' sustainability-focused contest (held 8-11 September), the bartender, pastry chef, and entrepreneur beat ten other global finalists in Guadalajara, Mexico, with her pitch for a sustainable syrup range made from natural fibres and sweeteners.

Drawn from nine markets, including the US, Australia, Colombia, Canada, the UK, and Italy, each competitor pitched their welfare-led initiative aimed at creating positive change in the bar industry and beyond. Designed to be more than just another cocktail showdown, the competition also provided contestants and attendees with a valuable networking opportunity. Industry leaders who attended included Iain McPherson (Panda & Sons), Christine Wiseman (Bar Lab Hospitality), Kate Boushel (Barroco Group), and Megs Miller (Salon de Agave), as well as bartenders from the likes of Katana Kitten in New York and Café de Nadie in Mexico.

Winner

For the judges, it was C-Sweet that stood out, as Christina has reimagined sweetness in her quest to make beverages healthier, reduce daily sugar consumption, and benefit the planet. Christina was inspired to create a sugar alternative after her mother was diagnosed with cancer and put on a low-sugar diet. Working with a food scientist and drawing on her former career as a pastry chef, she created C-Sweet. The syrup is a low-GI, lower-calorie substitute for sugar.

It's one thing to create a great product, but it's quite another to communicate its benefits to a panel of judges, and Christina's win follows several months of dedicated coaching from Valerie Kramis, a leading social entrepreneurship expert and founder of Agenda28.

Winning the Altos Tahona Society Competition gives me the opportunity to scale this vision. I want to bring healthier, more sustainable choices to bars, coffee shops, retailers and homes worldwide.

Christina Mercado, Winner

Judges & additional prizes

The result was decided by a panel of leading industry experts:
Tim Croizat, House of Tequila Managing Director
Dré Masso, Altos Co-Founder and Global Ambassador
Lindsey Johnson, Lush Life Founder
Lara Zimmerman, Founders Coach and Angel Investor
Recognising the exceptionally high standard of entries, the judges awarded additional prizes to:

Christina Botero of Colombia was chosen as The Crowd Favourite, receiving a $5,000 USD fund plus coaching to help bring Shaking Lives – a project designed to empower young people from vulnerable communities through hospitality training – to life.

Audrey Hands and Lucia Gonzalez of Mexico were awarded The Coaching Prize for Brindemos Bienestar, a technology-driven digital initiative promoting wellbeing in hospitality.

And recognising their promise, all participating finalists have been invited to join the Tahona Launch Pad, a new program designed to help high-potential projects successfully launch and have real-world impact.

In summary

Reflecting the Tahona Society's sustainability pillars, a combination of direct actions along with certified offset projects ensured the competition's measured emissions were neutralised. A recycling plan also ensured 100% separation at source and recycling of glass waste.

Through the Altos Tahona Society Competition we're inspired by bartenders pushing boundaries to create lasting impact in our industry and beyond. The standard of projects this year has been truly exceptional, and C-Sweet stood out as a perfect example of innovation with purpose – combining health, sustainability and accessibility. We're excited to support Christina on the journey of scaling this vision and look forward to seeing C-Sweet make a real difference in the drinks industry both on- and off-premise.

Carlos Andrés Ramírez, Global Advocacy & PR Director at Pernod Ricard's House of Tequila

Follow Christina's journey and her development of C-Sweet at csweetsyrups.com and @CSweetSyrups on Instagram.

The 2025 Finalists

Congratulations to all the finalists...

Country: Australia
Project: Taste
Bartender: Alejandro Archibald
A mobile truck initiative serving food and cocktails made from surplus produce, aiming to reduce waste and support local sourcing.
Contact Alejandro

Country: Canada
Project: The Social Impact Bar & Beverage Lab
Bartender: Marcus Huynh
A bar and beverage lab concept in Toronto to spark dialogue, mentor talent, and model sustainable, inclusive hospitality.
Contact Marcus

Country: Colombia
Project: Shaking Lives
Bartender: Cristina Botero
A training initiative empowering vulnerable youth for hospitality careers, through gamified learning, mentorship, and industry connections.
Contact Cristina

Country: Gulf
Project: Mixonomics
Bartender: Miriam Guida
An emerging financial initiative to help bartenders build stability, invest wisely, and strengthen community.
Contact Miriam

Country: Italy
Project: ColLAB
Bartender: Luca Funari
An emerging shared lab model helping bars reduce waste and costs by rethinking tools, spaces, and sustainability.
Contact Luca

Country: Mexico
Project: Brindemos Bienestar
Bartender: Audrey Hands
A hospitality well-being initiative using real-time feedback and expert analysis to create safer, more supportive workplaces.
Contact Audrey

Country: UK
Project: Shake for change
Bartender: Giuseppe Quartararo
An emerging platform idea connecting bartenders to host cultural cocktail events that raise funds for local charities.
Contact Giuseppe

Country: US
Project: BarSpoon of Change
Bartender: Cynthia Philippe
A mobile breast cancer screening initiative in development, bringing affordable preventive care directly to hospitality workers.
Contact Cynthia

Country: US
Project: C-Sweet Syrups
Bartender: Christina Mercado
An emerging sustainable syrup brand offering natural, low-glycemic alternatives to refined sugar for bars and cafés.
Contact Christina

Country: US
Project: Batch Math
Bartender: Nikolas Sparks
A bar management app in development that uses existing data to help teams reduce costs and waste without disrupting service.
Contact Nikolas

Country: China
Project: Ring Zhao
Bartender: Ring Zhao
A tea-based cocktail bar and project blending Phoenix Dancong with spirits to share Chinese heritage. Through global masterclasses and low-impact harvests, it promotes cultural sustainability.
Contact Ring