Singapore’s bartending talent is redefining cocktail artistry, blending flavour, technology, and storytelling into immersive experiences - highlighting mixology as the ‘in’ strategy for spirits marketing.
This was evident at the World Class Bartender of the Year Singapore 2025 finals, where six finalists pushed creative boundaries using Diageo’s premium Reserve spirits: Johnnie Walker, Don Julio, Zacapa, Tanqueray, and The Singleton.
The competition was held at Baia – a rooftop bar at Esplanade Mall on June 16.
Drinking to the future
The competition’s first challenge, themed “Drink to the Future,” tasked bartenders to imagine the cocktails of tomorrow with Diageo spirits.
These creations went beyond taste, incorporating interactive and cross-sensory elements that reflect broader flavour and experiential trends in the Asia-Pacific region.
The integration of visual, aromatic, and tactile elements demonstrated how modern mixology is evolving into a multi-sensory form of brand and consumer storytelling, simultaneously building a connection between the consumer and the spirit.
Interesting serves that managed to incorporate all of these elements included the winning entry Possibilities by Tryson Quek of Side Door, featuring Zacapa XO paired with kumquat foam – an umami-forward serve that underscored the shift toward complex savoury profiles.
Other finalists used theatrical garnishes and digital features to echo broader themes like AI’s growing role in the industry.
Ooi Foo Giap of Last Word bar delivered Resonance, a smoky cocktail finished with an edible QR code, creating a direct connection between digital content and physical experience.
KOMA’s Marco Maiorano offered Drink for Thought, topped with a seaweed-based garnish styled as an “AI chip”, integrating natural ingredients with futuristic themes.
Meanwhile, Kelvin Saquilayan from Republic Bar introduced A Minute to the Moon, which included a fine mist of kombu and pine mint.
Key mixology trends from the competition
- Savoury, umami-forward ingredients and botanicals
- Multi-sensory cocktail elements (foam, mist, edible tech)
- Storytelling through interactive garnishes
Brand-led cocktail formats
The second challenge, “The Showdown,” simulated high-paced bar service by requiring finalists to prepare five brand-specific cocktails within five minutes.
Each serve was inspired by Diageo’s premium spirits – including Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Don Julio 1942, and Tanqueray No. TEN – reflecting the company’s focus on brand storytelling through classic formats.
This challenge not only tested speed and precision, but also illustrated how structured brand integration can drive consistency and narrative in cocktail menus – a strategy increasingly adopted across Asia’s premium alcohol and hospitality sector.
Beyond the competition
Through World Class Singapore 2025, Diageo is cultivating talent and promoting mixology as a creative, experiential platform.
The company’s approach reflects a broader trend toward premiumisation and experiential marketing in Asia’s beverage alcohol sector, where innovation behind the bar becomes a key touchpoint for brand differentiation.
Diageo’s World Class Singapore: Strategic focus
- Talent development
- Showcasing premiumisation through mixology
- Driving experiential consumer engagement
- Blending brand heritage with innovation
Diageo’s reinvestment in the platform underscores the growing role of bartenders as both brand stewards and creators of high-value consumer experiences in the region.
The competition reflects how premium spirits brands are increasingly leveraging mixology as a medium for consumer experience, product education, and creative expression – particularly in Asia’s evolving premium on-trade and hospitality landscape.
Tryson Quek of Side Door has been crowned the World Class Bartender of the Year 2025 Singapore, securing a place at the Global Finals in Toronto.
His win reflects Diageo’s ongoing efforts to elevate premium spirits and champion creativity in mixology through its World Class platform on the global stage.
