It feels like only a minute ago that we were cheering about Sydney bartender Harrison Kenney's win at the Patrón Perfectionists contest at Hacienda Patrón, Mexico. And yet, here we are with entries now open for the 2023 competition.
Mr Kenney said, “It was a privilege to win the prestigious Global Patrón Perfectionists title for a cocktail that I created, to represent Australia, a country that has one of the greatest bar scenes in the world. I can't wait to see the calibre of entries for this year and how the talented bartenders of Australia showcase their hero ingredients. Bartenders - if you are thinking about taking part, do it."
This year, 19 countries and cruise liners will take part in the cocktail competition, with additional countries signing up for the global training modules and workshops from the newly launched Academia Patrón Perfectionists Education Program.
Lauren Mote, Global Manager of Program Excellence for Patrón Tequila, said: "The evolution of the Patrón Perfectionists competition brand to a bartending program, with dedicated education, goes hand in hand with the rise of the bar scene globally.
"It has become evident to all our teams that education should become the central pillar of our program, with investment into the growth and professional development of bartenders everywhere.
"The bartenders who enter the Perfectionists have a common thirst for knowledge, growth, and connections. With this enhanced format and the invaluable support of local teams and Brand Ambassadors, we are going to support them throughout their journey as they strive for their personal vision of “perfection” and of their Patrón tequila serves and rituals.”
For the first round of the challenge, bartenders will create a recipe reflecting their homes and the unwavering commitment to quality that goes into every drop of Patrón tequila.
The challenge
Hometown Hero requires entrants to develop a cocktail that blends Patrón Silver tequila with the bartender’s local culture, using ingredients from a prescribed list, the Pantry. Entries will be judged on appeal, appearance, inspiration, and originality.
Academia Patrón Perfectionists
From Thursday, 1 September until Friday, 7 October, bartenders will be invited to attend state roadshows hosted by Joey Chisolm (Patrón Tequila Execution Manager), Alex Godfrey (Patrón Brand Ambassador) and Harrison Kenney (Global Patrón Perfectionist Winner 2022) showcasing educational module Discovering Deliciousness.
Focusing on flavors, ingredients, techniques, and topical trends in the tequila category and in mixology, the modules support professional growth as well as preparing participants with their competition entry for the Patrón Perfectionists competition. Entries closing on Friday, 7 October.
Following the education and entry stages, each participating country will judge the cocktail creations to shortlist up to 10 bartenders. The Australian finalists will meet to compete in Sydney in November.
This year’s national finals will engage bartenders across a variety of topics and challenges. The bartenders’ cumulative scores across the challenges will determine the national winner in each market.
Finals
This year, a special Wild Card Entry will also be selected by a global judge from the contestants of the national finals.
All national winners and the Wild Card winner will go on to the much-coveted global finals experience taking place at Hacienda Patrón, Mexico, in March 2023. During the global finals, bartenders will undertake a new series of challenges, testing each part of a bartender’s skillset.
This year’s Patrón Perfectionists entries are open until10:59pm AEDT on Friday, 7 October 2022 and are to be submitted via the entry portal www.academiapatron.com/patronperfectionists.
National finalists will be announced by mid-October and receive guidance on the upcoming national final events from the local Brand Ambassadors.
For support and queries, contact your local PATRÓN team:
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