…opens entry for 2026 bartender competition

By Cynthia Alo

Diageo, the global drinks giant and maker of Guinness, Johnnie Walker and Baileys has warned that Nigeria is sitting on an underdeveloped commercial opportunity in its cocktail and premium drinks sector, and the country risks losing the initiative to faster-moving markets if it does not urgently professionalise the workforce that drives it.

This is even as the global spirits conglomerate said it has officially opened applications for the 2026 World Class competition where hundreds of Nigerian mixologists can compete for a chance to represent the country at the global finals in Edinburgh, Scotland.

According to them, bartending in Nigeria if properly structured and invested in, is an industry capable of generating export value, attracting tourism spend and feeding the country’s fast-growing premium hospitality economy.

Speaking at the official launch in Lagos, Marketing Director for Diageo South West and Central Africa, Taiwo Bodam, warned that without Nigerian professionals actively shaping the global cocktail conversation, the country would continue to be evaluated on standards set elsewhere.

“We are not trying to be the next London or Singapore. We have our own local ingredients, our own local taste and what makes us special as a people. If there is any time that Nigeria should be on the map in the global cocktail world, it is now,” she said.

She added that the programme was designed with long-term ambitions saying, “World Class is not a short-term tick-the-box exercise. It’s really about upskilling the industry and getting the mixologists, the hospitality industry and those who own those businesses to fall in love with the portfolio of brands that we have fallen in love with,” she said.

On her part, the Commercial Director for West and Central Africa at Diageo, Ujunwa Chukwuma, said the connection between bartender skill and commercial returns was direct and measurable, adding that a trained bartender who delivers an experience does not just sell a drink but raises the price ceiling of an entire venue and creates the kind of repeat patronage that hospitality businesses depend on for sustainable revenue.

“Premiumisation is not just about price. It is about value perception and delivering an experience that feels worth it,” she said.

Also speaking, General Manager, Celebr-8 Lyfe Limited, Shobhit Jindal, said Nigerian bartenders had outgrown the traditional definition of their role and were now operating at a level that demanded global recognition.

“I don’t think our bartenders are bartenders anymore. They are mixologists crafting collated experiences working with sustainability, circular methods and molecular inclusions, which are all things coming up in cocktail culture globally. Nigeria is not far behind,” he said.

Jindal added that the annual influx of visitors during the December festive season presented a ready commercial opportunity that the industry had not fully monetised. “When we have Detty December, virtually the entire globe is in Nigeria. This time when they come, they will be served not just cocktails but liquid concoctions that speak a story, tell us about our local ingredients and merge with global ones,” he said.

Beverage Consultant and Chief Executive of Eventi Cocktails, Lara Rawa, said Nigerian bartenders were sitting on raw materials with strong cross-border commercial appeal, recounting how a cocktail she built around a locally sourced Nigerian ingredient at an international competition drew immediate interest from foreign judges who wanted to know where the ingredient could be sourced commercially.

“When you bring something from Nigeria to the world stage and tell the story behind it, people want to know how they can get it. That is the mentality every bartender going into this competition must have,” she said.

On his part, Hospitality Consultant Knowhere Lagos & Vaniti Lagos, Kostantine Madi (Costa), who has operated in the Nigerian market for two decades, called for the establishment of formal bartending institutions in the country, noting that markets where such schools exist had premium bar experiences that commanded advance bookings and justified price points that transformed the economics of hospitality businesses.

“Nigeria has the raw talent and the cultural energy. What it lacks is the institutional framework to industrialise it,” he said.

On how the competition would run, Brand Ambassador, Diageo West and Central Africa, Ulan Jampak, said the 2026 edition would progress through four phases, beginning with online entries that are now open, followed by regional heats across Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, a national final in Lagos and then the global finale in Edinburgh, Scotland.

She said to qualify, an applicant must be an active bartender or mixologist based in Nigeria, must work in a recognised hospitality business, must be 18 years of age or older and must be available throughout the duration of the competition.

Providing a detailed timeline, Jampak said the online entry phase runs until May 13th, after which regional heats begin.

“We will start with Lagos on the 18th and 19th of May, Abuja follows on the 25th and 26th of May, and then we conclude with Port Harcourt on June 1st and 2nd, before they return for the grand finale on June 28th,” she said.

“The 2026 winner gets crowned World Class Nigerian Champion, receives an all-expenses-paid trip to represent Nigeria at the global finale in Edinburgh and gains international exposure, access to premium mentorship and career opportunities as a mixologist,” she added.

Bartenders wishing to enter are required to record a one to two-minute video of themselves mixing any cocktail of their choice with any Diageo spirit brand and post it on Instagram with the hashtag #WorldClassNigeria2026.

The 2026 World Class competition, which Diageo has run across more than 60 countries since 2009, is widely regarded as the most prestigious bartending competition in the world, with past champions going on to careers as international brand ambassadors, industry consultants and hospitality entrepreneurs.