On the 24th, Pernod Ricard Korea, the South Korean subsidiary of the global spirits company Pernod Ricard Group, announced the selection of 8 finalists for the group's first international bartending competition, the SIP Supernova Cocktail Grand Prix.
The SIP Supernova Cocktail Grand Prix is a competition named after the online platform SIP (Share·Inspire·Pioneer) operated by the Pernod Ricard Group. It was planned to strengthen ties with bartenders who can share passion (Share), inspire others (Inspire), and lead change (Pioneer).
The 20 bartenders who passed the first document screening participated in the market challenge for about three weeks, from Jan. 1 to 22. The bartenders showcased cocktails they developed based on professional bartending skills from their respective bars. A panel of 3 professional judges and consumers evaluated based on taste, creativity, balance, technique, and presentation. About 660 consumers participated in the consumer evaluation, which accounted for 10% of the total score.
The top 8 scorers from the market challenge include Bartender Kim Yi-chang (Zest), Bartender Kim Jong-hyun (JW Marriott Seoul MOBO Bar), Bartender Park Sang-woo (Bar Myung), Bartender Lee Jae-woong (Le Chamber), Bartender Lim Dae-woong (Bar Sooky), Bartender Jung Wan-wook (Four Seasons Hotel Charles H), Bartender Choi Sung-woo (Bar Jeya), and Bartender Choi Seung-min (Jangsaeng Health Center).
They will advance to the South Korean finals on the 12th of next month. The 3 winners selected in the South Korean finals will represent Korea at the Asia International Competition in Shanghai, China, in April where bartenders from 9 countries will participate.
Franz Houghton, the head of Pernod Ricard Korea, noted, "The market challenge allowed us to see how much potential and possibility emerging Korean bartenders have."
The South Korean SIP Supernova Cocktail Grand Prix for selecting representatives for the Asia International Competition targets promising next-generation bartenders with less than 8 years of experience. The goal of this competition is to discover sustainable signature cocktail recipes using 14 major whiskey (Ballantine's, Jefferson's, Jameson, Chivas Regal), vodka (Absolut), tequila (Altos), gin (Monkey 47, Kinobi, Malfy, Beefeater), rum (Havana Club), and liqueur (Lillet, Malibu, Kahlúa) brands handled by Pernod Ricard Korea.