The programme is the prelude to the Stella Artois World Draught Master 2011 contest, which will see participants from 24 countries compete in national finals and a global final in Buenos Aires in October. In the UK, the programme will see 1,000 outlets participate, double the number of last year, with  bartenders attending master classes on the Stella “pouring ritual” with beer sommelier Marc Stroobandt.

The Cherry Heering liqueur competition required entrants to come up with a “fashionable twist on some of the most iconic Mad Men cocktails from yesteryear.” The final is to culminate in a party on a rooftop at Ogilvy & Mather, the depicted home of the Mad Men agency, on May 16. The finalists and their cocktails are: The cocktail: Madhattan, mixologist: Xavier Herit, hometown: New…

It was a great day for vermouths – and for Bacardi Global Brands. The winner of the aperitifs category was Oye Mi Canto, featuring Martini Rosato. The long drinks trophy was also picked up by Bacardi for Dolce’s Cobbler, featuring the company’s newest expression Martini Gold. The after dinner category was taken by Noilly Prat for Le Flip C’est Chic. Bartenders gathered at London venue…

Marc Bonneton, bar manager of L´Antiquaire in Lyon, France, prevailed over a field of nine other international bartenders. The contestants, who were from France, Belgium, Germany, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, Russia, Spain, the UK and the US, had each negotiated national heats to reach the final. The Oval Room of the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya in Barcelona provided the venue for the competition, with…

The website is designed to educate bartenders on the latest trends, techniques, recipes and the history of cocktails. The site will feature contributions from spirit industry figures, cocktail-making demonstrations, career advice, user generated content and will be integrated with social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter. Users can earn ‘virtual badges’ by contributing to the site, with the aim of becoming a ‘True Original’…

Johnnie Walker has its sights set on stealing the top spot in China’s Scotch whisky market from Chivas Regal. Diageo chief executive Paul Walsh claimed Johnnie Walker had closed the market share gap on its Pernod Ricard-owned rival by 6 per cent, with growth in net sales of 61 per cent for Black Label in the year to the end of June. Pernod Ricard’s estimates…

Italian bartender Valentino Bolognese has won the European finals of the Angostura Global Cocktail Challenge. The event, which took place in Paris last month, brought together 10 heat winners from across Europe to compete for a place at the grand final in Tobago in May. This was the first of the regional finals with the North American, Caribbean and Australian finals to be held over…