Patrón seeks out the world's most perfect cocktail

The highly anticipated Patrón Perfectionists Cocktail Competition is back and will this year be hosted in a virtual format that will enable bartenders to express their creativity from the safety of their homes as the COVID-19 pandemic continues across the world.

Mixologists from 20 countries across the five continents are invited to submit a cocktail recipe made with Patrón - be it Patrón Añejo Tequila, Patrón Reposado Tequila or Patrón Silver Tequila - that reflects their journey as they strive to perfect their craft.

This year’s brief is for entrants to present a cocktail using up to eight accessible ingredients to encourage consumers following the competition to recreate cocktail recipes at home. The judging criteria for the ultimate cocktail will look to flavour, appearance, inspiration and engagement, and originality to decide on the winning selection. The ethos of the competition builds on Patrón Tequila’s core values of creativity, quality, and versatility.

For the very first time, consumers will play a pivotal role in the competition with Patrón calling on them to cast their vote on a shortlist of 30 cocktails which will be published online via drinks website Difford's Guide throughout June. The rise of the home cocktail hour during the pandemic has armed drinkers with a newfound knowledge of spirits and cocktails and an appreciation of the bar scene and bartenders' talent, making them the perfect judges for this year’s competition.

The competition will see 10 mixologists per country take part in a national final in September, judged by a panel of four global expert judges and broadcast globally, providing further opportunity to spotlight their craft and connect with consumers.

In January 2022, and with COVID permitting, one lucky Australian winner will be flown to Mexico to compete against the other national finalists in the global final at Hacienda Patrón.

Bacardi-Martini Australia Brand Ambassador and 2017 and 2018 Patrón Perfectionist finalist, Joseph Chisholm, encourages fellow Australian mixologists put themselves forward. Of his experience, he said:

"The Patrón Perfectionists Competition is all about the strive for excellence and innovation. It was an excellent opportunity for me to showcase what I love doing, which is experimenting with flavours and ingredients to find something that excites the senses.

“The competition helped to build momentum in my career and take it to the next level. We’ve got unbelievable talent down under, so I encourage anyone who loves to push the boundaries like me, to enter and showcase the world-class creativity coming out of Australia."

Over the past seven years, the Patrón Perfectionists Cocktail Competition has grown and nurtured a global network of bartenders who are part of the Familia Patrón.

Matthew Sykes, Senior Director, Global Marketing for Patrón and founder of the Patrón Perfectionists Cocktail Competition, commented, "The Patrón Perfectionists has brought together a community of creative and passionate bartenders who continue to push the boundaries of mixology and demonstrate the credentials of artisanal tequila to consumers. For 2022, we have envisioned a new format that will enable bartenders to express their talent and share it with the public globally.

"Over the past year, digital platforms have become more important than ever, having allowed the trade to keep their work forefront of consumers' minds and inspire drinkers to raise their cocktail game at home. We cannot wait to roll out the new competition format and showcase brilliant bartenders and their creations as they join our Familia Patrón.”

The Patrón Perfectionists Cocktail Competition entries will be open until Monday, 31 May. For updates, follow the progress of the competition on Facebook and online.