JW Marriott's bartender to represent India at global contest
Rohan Rege, a bartender from JW Marriott Pune, has been named India's best bartender and will represent the country at the ninth Diageo Reserve World Class competition in Mexico this August. Rege defeated 295 entrants, with participation increasing 41% since 2016. The bartenders participated in The Blind Tasting Round, The Speed Round and The Mystery Box Round.
Not many would know this, but a global level bartending competition has taken the world of food and beverage by storm every year for the last nine years. Mixologists from countries across the world compete in the Diageo Reserve World Class competition, and of course, India is a proud part of it. This year's India edition just wrapped up, with Rohan Rege from Paasha, JW Marriott Pune, as the winner. For those who aren't aware, mixology is both a science and an art--something only a handful of Indians have mastered till now. Rege, and the other 11 contestants were selected from a huge crop of 296 entrants this year (marking a participation increase of 41% from 2016). The final 12 were bartenders from leading restaurants and bars from across the nation. Also Read: Why you need to experience the Whisky Walk of Delhi, even if you're not a whisky drinkerThe contestants had to go through three tough rounds--The Blind Tasting Round, The Speed Round and The Mystery Box Round. bartenders were judged by an expert panel consisting of Donald Colville, Diageo Global Malts Ambassador, Nicholas Ord, Diageo Reserve Brand Ambassador and Nikhil Agarwal, Sommelier & CEO, All Things Nice. Runners-up Jitender Singh Rana from Perch, Delhi and Kevin Diass from Hakkasan, Mumbai impressed the judges with their creativity and craftsmanship, but it was Rege who was able tosway them with his speed, meticulous execution and balanced cocktails."The entire experience has been so surreal and overwhelming. It feels fantastic to know that all the sleepless nights and hard work has paid off. I'm tremendously thankful to Diageo Reserve World Class for providing me with this platform and I'm now eagerly looking forward to competing at the Global Finals in Mexico," Rege shared after his much-deserved victory.Also Read: Your naani made you have these 5 drinks in the summer for a reason