Cocktail competition protocols

I've judged hundreds of cocktail/bartender competitions, perhaps more than anyone else, and over my 29 years as a drinking scribe, I've seen many controversies surrounding them. However, I felt compelled to write this because of a competition I had no part in judging, held on the other side of the world.

Firstly, it should be remembered that without the support of brands, there would be no cocktail competitions, and many of the world's most famous bartenders would still be unknown, struggling to progress their careers. Such competitions provide a platform that enables talents to shine so my thanks to every brand that has ever organised or backed a competition.

Case study

The competition in question was organised by a drinks brand with a long and proud history, part of which was its being founded by a woman who overcame considerable odds to establish a thriving business. Happily, and perhaps due to the brand's history, the competition attracted a higher-than-usual percentage of female competitors.

I have not tried any of the cocktails entered, but there appears to be little or no dispute that the best cocktail won. The controversy stems from the fact that this cocktail was made by a competitor who, while an accomplished bartender and previous prestigious competition winner, has a reputation for social media comments that run contrary to the brand's heritage, values, and ethos (and indeed our own). This sparked a backlash from members of the local bartending community.

The controversy over the winner was not helped by the lack of diversity on the judging panel (three male judges). However, as the brand pointed out, the judges were simply judging by the scorecard criteria, which sought only to find the best drink. The personal views of the competitors were not being judged.

According to the judging sheets and associated rules, the result may have been fair, but the judging panel's imbalance, coupled with the brand's background and marketing, led to questions about the competition winner. As with all competitions, "the judges' decision is final"!

Best practice

I have judged many global finals and generally been impressed by competitions such as World Class, Legacy, Patrón Perfectionists, and the Giffard West Cup, the latter proving that relatively small brands can have a huge positive impact on bartending careers.

However, it is not a bartenders' competition but a bar entrepreneur's competition that I believe sets a best-practice judging example for cocktail competitions. We (Difford's Guide) helped shape this competition, but from the start, the brand insisted that both judges and judging be independent and impartial, so the judges, not the brand, selected both the finalists and the winner. Following this shining example, I suggest the following:

1. While recognising that brand ambassadors, usually ex-bartenders, have an important role in bridging the relationship between brand and bartender, the rest of the judges should be independent of the brand, from selecting who competes (if selected according to recipes submitted) through to the selection of finalists and the eventual winner(s). Decisions should also be free from brand influences and considerations such as case sales volumes by the bar a bartender represents or the notoriety of that bar.

2. The judging panel must have bartending/drinks industry experience and be considered experts. You wouldn't invite somebody who's illiterate to judge The Booker Prize! Although consumers will hopefully end up drinking the cocktails made in such competitions, I feel that bartenders should be judged by their peers. Bartending is a respected profession, and bartenders should be judged by fellow respected professionals.

3. The expert judging panel should be as diverse and as balanced as possible, including at least one female and one male judge.

4. The competition rules and judging criteria should be made publicly available for at least a month before and after the competition.

5. Such competitions are held to advance bartending and cocktail culture in general, and ultimately award the best bartender/cocktail. They also arguably help promote the brand(s) behind them. I worry about the personal lives of politicians coming into politics, let alone the career of bartenders, so there should be a limit on how competitors' personal beliefs influence competition judging. However, I suggest that rules surrounding entry criteria include a checkbox similar to those affirming entrants agree to T&Cs and being over the legal drinking age, with something along the lines, "I confirm I do not hold beliefs, nor have I expressed beliefs in public or private which contradict the stated values of brand X."

6. Lastly, cocktail competitions should be professional but also fun. Too many rules and too rigid an environment will discourage competitors and even judges from participating.