Bols Around the World 2014 - finale i Amsterdam 20.05.2014

Lucas Bols reveals semi-final line up for Bols Around the World 2014

World’s largest bartending competition to be webcast live for the first time in history

This year’s Grand Final marks an industry first when it is broadcast live and the global bartending community logs in simultaneously from around the world to watch the intense battle for the title of Bols Bartending World Champion. The global webcast audience will also have the chance to vote for their favourite bartender to win the Audience Award. The action packed 1.5 hour show will feature the newest and most innovative flair show by world champion tandem flair artists, Tomek and Marek.

The 18 semi-finalists were put through their paces during a 4 day intensive Bols experience in Amsterdam when each of the competitors showcased a breadth of skills and were scrutinised by a six-strong international judging panel which this year had been charged with finding the world’s most visionary bartender, an innovator focused on creating the next trend in bartending.

Just eight of the 18 have been picked for the Grand Final tonight where they will compete to become Bols Bartending World Champion 2014 and for the prize of a 10 day global bar tour, a guest bartending shift in top bars in four cocktail capitals of the world and also the chance to represent Bols Around the World at a number of major global events during the year.

Open to applicants from across the globe, the competition has featured three distinct heats which culminated in one representative from each of the 18 regions being invited to participate in the semi-finals. The heats were firstly the development of a drink concept, secondly the creation of a drinks menu inspired by the new concept and finally a two-minute video to convince judges why their idea could become the next big drinks trend. Judges looked for entrants ‘who are not afraid to take risks, challenge the status quo and set new rules’. As contestants progressed through the competition they built their own digital portfolio, a dedicated page containing their drink concept, menu and video, facilitated by Bols.com, the perfect tool to enable them to promote themselves globally and further their careers.

Bols Around The World 2014 semi-finalists:

Region 1 Canada: Frederic Lafontaine

Region 2 USA: Kate Gerwin

Region 3 Brazil: Jéssica dos Santos

Region 4 Argentina: Rodrigo Pascual Tubert

Region 5 UK: Elliot Ball

Region 6 Nordics: Pekka Valitalo

Region 7 Germany: Christian Kern

Region 8 Italy: Paolo Baccino

Region 9 Austria: Dominik Wolf

Region 10 France: Sami Mersel

Region 11 Netherlands: Airto Cramer

Region 12 Estonia: Andrei Kazakov

Region 13 Russia: Katerina Babich

Region 14 Poland: Arek Stefaniak

Region 15 United Arab Emeirates: Christian Pineda Aguacia

Region 16 Japan: Yukiko Watanabe

Region 17 Hong Kong: Antonio Lai Chun Nam

Region 18 Australia: Jack Sotti

The global panel of judges across both the semi-finals and Grand Final will be headed by Malika Saidi, head trainer Bols Bartending Academy and includes:

Sean Muldoon and Jack McGarry,Founder/General Manager and Bar Manager respectively, The Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog

Robbie Bargh, Founder London’s Gorgeous Group

Ago Perrone, Global Brand Ambassador Galliano and Head Mixologist Connaught Bar

Rusty Cerven, Bols Bartending World Champion 2013

Lucas Bols global brand manager, Ara Carvallo says: “We have evolved Bols Around the World significantly this year, intensifying the level of competition yet further. Creativity in the bartending community, as evidenced by the commitment and passion of participants seems to know no bounds and we are therefore very excited to welcome the final 18 to Amsterdam in May and to share the Grand Final live through the webcast for the first time, sharing the creativity of bartenders working with Bols to an even wider global audience.”

Rules, regulations and up to the minute information for the contest can be found at http://www.bols.com/. Follow the competition live at https://www.facebook.com/bolsbartending.

-Ends-

Notes to editors:

About Bols:

Bols is the world’s oldest distilled spirit brand, dating back to 1575, when the Bols family opened a small distillery in Amsterdam. Since then, we have mastered the selection of the right ingredients and our expertise and curiosity has led to the creation of hundreds of delicious products. The original recipes are passed on from master distiller to master distiller and updated to suit contemporary tastes.

More than four centuries of craftsmanship, passion and experience join each other perfectly in the products of Bols; from the world’s best-selling genevers to the range of 38 quality liqueurs that are available in more than one hundred countries. From flavour innovations such as Bols Foam and Bols Natural Yoghurt, to all-time classics like Bols Genever and Bols Blue.

Lucas Bols brands are distributed in the UK by Maxxium UK. Maxxium UK Ltd is part of the global sales and distribution alliance between Beam Inc and Edrington. Its UK portfolio of premium brands includes: blended Scotch (The Famous Grouse and Teacher’s), malt whisky (Highland Park, Laphroaig, The Macallan, The Glenrothes and Ardmore), imported whiskey (Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Knob Creek, Canadian Club), cognac and brandy (Courvoisier and Fundador), sherry (Harveys), vodka (Stolichnaya), tequila (Sauza), rum (Brugal and Cruzan), liqueurs and specialities (Sourz, Bols liqueurs, Galliano, Vaccari, After Shock)

For more information on the contest, please contact Simone Harvey or Jennifer Cirillo at Lime PR on +44(0)208 544 6917, s.harvey@lime-pr.co.uk, j.cirillo@lime-pr.co.uk or Ara Carvallo on +31 20570 8542, aracarvallo@lucasbols.com.