As superficial as they may seem from the outside, comps are vital for driving the industry forward. Not just for testing creativity and hearing who has the best chat but for the invaluable growth and career enhancing opportunities that comes from networking, learning from and exchanging ideas with fellow talents from around the world and building genuine brand loyalty. Cloé Auger, Global Advocacy Lead for Pernod Ricard agrees. “There’s a real need to support the industry in times like this. It’s particularly important when things seem a little messier and more uncertain,” she confirms. “Brands have to be there because people in bars keep working. They still have to face the same struggles. Advocacy isn’t something that you can just plug on and off. We need to support bartenders all the time, not just when it’s comfortable for you and your company.” And to prove it, SIP Supernova not only continued its commitment to the cause, it amplified the competition and went global.

The lowdown

SIP Supernova began life in 2022. And while the competition was firmly rooted in SIP’s mission to Share, Inspire, Pioneer by connecting, empowering and celebrating hospitality professionals, the first iteration was very much led by the Asian market. Fast-forward to 2025 when Pernod Ricard, the brand behind the advocacy programme SIP saw a real potential to bring the contest to a broader audience. Which it did, big style, in May this year. The ramped up event took in 27 contestants from 15 countries, seven Pernod Ricard brands, four judges, four mentors, three challenges, numerous guests all travelling across two cities in Japan. 

After five days of competing, connections and conviviality, three talented ‘tenders were awarded the mother of all prizes: a SIP Internship, including a guaranteed life changing trip to Colombia where they’ll spend time with Jean Trinh at his incredible farm before heading to Cartagena to experience the magic of the justifiably world famous bar, Alquimico. And if that wasn’t enough, the trio will also travel to Jalisco, Mexico to visit Pernod Ricard’s Código 1530 Tequila distillery. Like we said, SIP Supernova went BIG…

The difference

Actually make that, ‘the differences’ of which we’re highlighting the main three…

1. It’s squarely and unapologetically aimed at emerging talent. And not just bartenders. Anyone in hospitality is encouraged to enter. We’re talking front of house, marketing, bar backs – when they say everyone, they really mean it. No matter the role, the only requirement is that they’ve been in the industry for less than six years. So no fear of coming up against know-it-all bartenders.

2. As well as the fact that four top-tier judges are enlisted to do the job of, well, judging, four global industry experts are on hand as mentors. Yup, mentors. Think the hype role of a brand ambassador and apologies for this, but with more of a world view than purely from a brand perspective. As far as we know, SIP Supernova is the only competition that does this. And boy have they gone for the big guns. On call for the competitors are never knowingly understated, Cocktailman, Danil Nevsky, currently number five in the Bar World 100; Alquimico founder and community champion, Jean Trinh; flavour guru and creativity champ, co-founder of schmuck. NYC Juliet Larouy, and the host with the most head bartender and head of beverage operations at Virtu, Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo, Keith Motsi – all of whom are part of the cleverly titled MentorSIP programme which runs throughout the year. For the purposes of the competition though, they were available for advice, support or just a friendly chat – whatever suited the competitors.

3. SIP Supernova doesn’t just revolve around great tasting drinks. Instead it’s divided across three challenge areas: Hosting, Leadership and Creativity, all while adhering to the SIP ethos of Share, Inspire, Pioneer. In short, six key markers found in the top hospitality venues worldwide.

The creation: Cloe Auger, Global Advocacy Lead, Pernod Ricard

“This was the third year of SIP Supernova, but the first time it went global. The idea was to make it a fantastic competition to highlight younger talent, with less than six years of experience in the industry. We also wanted to make it multi-brands, which, apart from World Class, is very rare in the world of advocacy these days. But the thinking was, ‘how do we approach it in a way that’s different, to make it our own?’ At the same time we wanted to highlight different moments for each brand, while making it more about the bartender with the brands there to support them.

“There were always going to be three challenges because of our three pillars: Creativity, Leadership and Hosting and we didn’t want to just focus on the drinks making part.

“Why did we host it across Tokyo and Kyoto? Tokyo is fabulous but it didn’t have the right spaces to host some of the challenges; Kyoto has this vibe that fits more of what we wanted, where you can walk anywhere, which is more consistent with trying to build that connection between the contestants – not only between themselves, but also with the mentors and judges which has meant there’s been a really good vibe of exchanging. 

“It’s been nice to hear that taking part in SIP Supernova has given them a new sense of confidence in their capacities. They’re all so young, some of them have never been out of their own countries before and this has seen them expanding their horizons – realising that the world is much bigger, and that while working in hospitality for them now is about being a bartender, there are so many facets to this industry as well. I think the mentors have really helped reinforce that for them.”

The planning

Of course, a competition of this scale, hosting 27 competitors and 70 guests across two cities in Japan doesn’t just happen by itself. It takes months of meticulous planning. Which is where a dedicated production agency comes in.

Enter Emma Hutchison, Managing Director of Sweet + Chilli. “We were brought in about a year ago to transition SIP Supernova into a global competition,” she explains. “The brief was, what is the foundation that we want to set out for what will hopefully become an amazing legacy? We always start with, ‘what’s the overarching goal for the programme?’ Then we work out how to get there. Obviously the competitive element is one part of that which leads us to how best to devise the challenges, but there’s also the structure of what it is that we’re hoping to give guidance on, as in what the bartenders are going to get out of it. So that’s where we landed on the idea of creativity, hosting, and leadership. We really wanted to do something different rather than the same old, same old.”

“It starts with identifying what is it that we want to be saying, who we want to connect with and then it’s a case of understanding the wider SIP programme. When we have an idea of what we want to do, we start working in terms of what the programme should look like at a local market level and we gear up to the finale. So, we’re thinking not just how we can get as many people excited about it, but also engaged in the early stages of the competition – whether they get to the final or not. Then beyond that, we’re looking at how we can make an impact and celebrate the cocktail culture in Japan. And it doesn’t stop with the competition… In fact, this is almost the beginning.

“Hopefully we’ve set the stage for the bartenders that are here today to not only go on and flourish, but also to go back and share the knowledge and wisdom that they’ve got with their peers. We’ve got 27 amazing ambassadors, which is really cool. Not just for Pernod Ricard, but for hospitality as a whole.”

The mentors: 

Keith Motsi, head bartender and head of beverage operations at Virtu, Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo

“Mentorship for me is all about learning – learning from each other, sharing knowledge and getting feedback. The past few days have been eye-opening and really inspiring to see how the new generation works, it’s given me an invaluable insight into how I can approach the generation gap and working with younger people. As well as learning from different people from around the world, it’s been invaluable to learn from the other mentors and judges, just to have a different perspective.

“It’s been wonderful to see the investment in up-and-coming talent and the feeling of bringing everyone together. I’ve loved spending time with everyone, including the media and the brand teams, people that we don’t always have access to.

“Which leads me on to the other thing I would say about competitions like this is the invaluable connections that are made – you never know who you’re connecting with, the person you’re talking to today could be your business partner in a few years. There’s been such a nice camaraderie between everybody here. There hasn’t been any of ‘it’s me against the other person’. It feels like everyone has been helping elevate each other.”

Jean Trinh, founder/owner Alquimico, Cartagena 

“I really enjoyed the way this year’s SIP Supernova was organised. They gave us the independence to almost create our own schedule within the schedule and as a result, we really got to connect with a wonderful mix of mentors, judges, finalists and the brand. 

“I also loved seeing all the finalists in action, it was like they competed without really competing – seeing the way they supported each other and hugged one another every night is hopeful for the industry.

“As for the mentorship part, mentorship is a big word, right? I feel like they have a lot of questions, because they are at the start of their journey. They may have visions about opening their own bar at some stage but that may seem unattainable; when they see people on social media it’s easy to think ‘oh, these people are rich or privileged in some way.’ But they are not. We’ve been through the same path, right? So it’s beautiful to be face-to- face, for them to ask questions and for us as mentors to share our personal stories. And to be able to share this is, for me, is a beautiful part of what we do.”

The judges

Coral Anderson, managing director and co-owner of the Swift bar group, London

“Watching the 27 competitors arrive as individuals, then seeing them come together over the following days as friends supporting one another, was something really special.

Many arrived nervous or shy, but as the days went on, they grew more confident, creative and connected. By the final challenge, the team we group we saw had grown so much from the group that first walked through the door. They’ve genuinely reminded me why we all do this. Their passion and energy were completely infectious and I’m heading hone feeling inspired to bring even a little of the community spirit from this competition back to the London bar scene.”

Hedda Bruce, bar manager, Tjoget, Stockholm

“Spending this week judging such an inspiring group of bartenders has been a real privilege. Seeing 27 talented bartenders with less than six years in the industry showcase not only creativity and technical skill, but also leadership, passion and genuine support for one another, was incredibly impressive. The future of our industry feels very bright after this week, and I’m excited to see what they do next.”

The judging panel also included Colin Chia, founder of Nutmeg & Clove, Singapore, and Keisuke Yamamoto, owner/bartender Bee’s Knees, Kyoto.

The winners

Phan Cao Duy Hieu, Bartender & founder, Half Half Cocktail & More, Vietnam

“As I prepare to fly back to Vietnam, my heart is full. This journey wasn’t just about the competition, it was about the people. Thank you for turning a professional milestone into a memory I’ll carry forever. We came as colleagues but I’m leaving with a family of brothers and sisters.”

Zachary Tan Zwei, Employees Only, Singapore

“This whole experience has been a celebration (as bartenders) of what we do every single day and how precious that can be. It’s the way we connect, the way that we represent our craft, represent our history, represent who we are. The end result is never about ourselves but always for other people.”

Juseong Park, Bar Soko, Seoul

“What an unforgettable week! To all the finalists, thank you for all the laughs, support, inspiration and memories. Honestly, by the end it didn’t even feel like a competition anymore, it felt like a family trip with insanely talented bartenders. I’m leaving Japan with so much gratitude and beautiful memories. I can’t wait to see where everyone goes next.”

For more information and to keep up to date with all things SIP and SIP Supernova, join-sip.com 

In an ideal world, we wouldn’t need female+ only cocktail competitions. But as Katy Wicks and Eímear Corr were savvy enough to realise, while we’ve come a long way since women behind the bar were referred to as ‘bar maids’, there’s still a considerable distance to go.

Need confirmation? Let’s repeat this stat from our previous call for entries post for Bar Queens 2026: while women represent at least 60% of the hospitality workforce in the UK, only 33% of working bartenders are women. Which is due a radical reboot as far as Katy and Eímear are concerned. Hence their decision to start Bar Queens.  

Not that Bar Queens is the first cocktail comp unapologetically aimed at women. However, as far as we’re aware, it is the first from one of the major global drinks brands. The brand in question is Pernod Ricard and Katy and Eímear, both Customer Account Execs with Pernod, came up with the competition after becoming increasingly frustrated by the lack of females taking part, let alone taking the top prize in comps. But Bar Queens isn’t just about encouraging women+ to step outside their comfort zone, it was very much set up with empowerment in mind. As Katy and Eímear are at pains to point out, it’s a movement to level the playing field for young female+ bartenders while supporting the growth of future industry leaders by providing visibility, recognition and international exposure.

The competition

For its third year the competition was given a refresh. Out went solo entries and in came dynamic duos, which meant the Queens could buddy up with a women+ bartender of their choice. And seeing them in action at the final, the camaraderie and support was palpable. Working in pairs allowed everyone to shine – if one person dried up, the other could step in and take over; when one was preparing the drink, the other could pour out samples. There was fluidity and fun, creativity and connection, but perhaps best of all from a judges POV there was strength and solidarity. 

There were five national heats in total – one each in Cardiff, Edinburgh Leeds, Liverpool and London and the new brief gave them the freedom to really express themselves as they were tasked with creating two drinks, one spritz, one bespoke, both starring a minimum of 30ml of Lillet Rose and inspired by an iconic duo. 

Liverpool finalists Miley Pendragon and Jazz Yorke chose Princess Bubblegum and Marceline the Vampire Queen from Adventure Time to base their drinks on. Their spritz featured Lillet Rose, strawberry and banana cordial, and waste prosecco reduction, while the bespoke drink representing the Vampire Queen was made by balancing Lillet Rose with blood orange peel infused gin, Maraschino, saline solution and rose water. 

Princesses Peach and Daisy from Mario Kart were the inspiration for Beth Cunningham and Rachel Graham who won the Leeds heat. Delicate peach flavours shone through in their ‘Peaches & Dreams’ spritz (Lillet Rose, creme de peach, lemon punch with vanilla yoghurt, topped with prosecco), while their bespoke drink ‘Daisy Chain’ featured Lillet Rose, chamomile flower tea gin and St. Germain topped with a salted caramel foam.

Representing Scotland, Carrie Adams and Chloe Yeung took us to the drama of Cabaret, inspired by its two stars Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly. ‘Razzle Dazzle’, their spritz, did exactly that, thanks to a mix of Lillet Rose, cryo peach and jasmine tea cordial, cremante and soda, garnished with freeze-dried blackberry and pink peppercorn dust. ‘He Had It Plum-ing’, their bespoke drink took in Del Maguey mezcal spritzed inside the glass, Creole Bitters, pickled plum, sable grapes alongside the Lillet Rose, topped off with an olive and cherry garnish.

The finalists repping the South were Lottie Malin and Scher Powell from Cardiff. Taking cues from Wicked, they created a ‘Galinda’ spritz using Lillet Rose infused with lemon peel, summer berry cordial, vanilla extract and tonic water, while their bespoke ‘Elphaba’ cocktail featured Lillet Rose, baked apple Irish whiskey, amylase biscuit syrup and clarified baked apple yoghurt.

SpongeBob SquarePants was the driving force behind Mandi Tabatabai and Monty Beaumont’s two drinks. The London Queens spritz, called ‘The Maison Blush’, incorporated Lillet Rose, grapefruit verbena, ‘strawmegranate’ syrup, silver needle white tea and soda, which was followed by ‘Sundae Sunrise’ featuring salted hibiscus, ‘goober colada’ milk punch and Lillet Rose. 

All five teams did themselves proud in terms of their presentations and creations but in the end Miley and Jazz took the top prize, thanks to the way they went the extra mile in terms of incorporating all of the senses. The pair cleverly wove in a soundtrack, Lillet scented candles, a specially designed booklet and screen, plus humorous and informed chat in addition to their drinks.

The second prize went to Lottie and Scher, while a special mention was given to Chloe and Carrie for their He Had It
Plum-Ing’ which was the judges drink of the competition.

Oh, we didn’t mention the judges did we? Joining last year’s Bar Queens winner Martha May Markham at Pernod Ricard HQ in London was Estelle Martin, Head of Experiential & Consumer Activation Pernod Ricard UK, and The Cocktail Lovers.

The prize

Each winning pair will receive a three-day educational and cultural trip to the Athens Bar Show in November for global networking, trend exploration and career development.

For more details, follow @barqueens_uk