On August 26 in Effretikon

Qualification round for Barkeeper of the year and Best Barkeeper Talent

On the qualification day on August 26, 2024 at QN-World in Illnau-Effretikon, the bar professionals who had made it onto the longlist had to take written tests, present their signature cocktails and record videos.
Successful qualification round on August 26, 2024 in Effretikon.

It is no coincidence that the SWISS BAR AWARDS have been considered the most prestigious awards in the Swiss bar scene for years. In the categories Barkeeper of the year and Best Barkeeper Talent (born between 2001 and 2005), the tests are spread over several months and demand a great deal from the bartenders.

What has happened so far...

The SWISS BAR AWARDS process, which lasts several months, begins each May with the call for entries. Once again this year, a record number of applications were submitted for the most prestigious awards in the Swiss bar scene. The bars and Barkeeper on the 2024 longlist were reviewed and evaluated by an expert jury and announced at the end of June. The next step for the "Barkeeper of the year" and "Best Barkeeper Talent" categories was scheduled for 26 August.

In the written test, the bar professionals had to prove their technical and general knowledge, while in the practical test, their hand movements were put under scrutiny - but not only. The jury team comprising Sarah Madritsch, Roberto Kurath, Patrick Zbinden and Bruno Hunkeler was tasked with putting the participants through their paces and (also) luring the Barkeeper out of their comfort zone with uncomfortable questions.

With appropriate answers and quick-wittedness, the 15 qualifiers were able to gain valuable points, as communication with the jury was assessed as well as the mixing technique and the appearance and taste of the signature cocktails presented.

It wasn't just the practical test that was tough, the written test with questions on specialist and general knowledge was also tough. In this qualification, a total of over 50 questions had to be answered, not just in a multiple-choice format, but also with questions that required individual answers. This year, for the first time, there was also a blind tasting (nosing), where further skills were required. In this year's qualification, the presentation of the own creation of a cocktail was rated with 75 percent, while the written test including blind tasting was rated with 25 percent.

Award Night 2024

While the anxious wait for the title of "Best Barkeeper Talent 2024" has already begun for the young talents, the three finalists in the "Barkeeper of the year" category will have to give their best once again at the Award Night on Tuesday, October 22, 2024. In front of around 300 invited guests, they will once again demonstrate their expertise on the big stage at Trafo Baden and present two new cocktails. Only the winner with the highest total score in all the tests will receive the award in the supreme discipline and the title "Barkeeper of the year 2024"!

Premiere - Online Voting

There is an exciting premiere this year: for the first time in the history of the SWISS BAR AWARDS, in addition to the tried-and-tested expert judging, an online voting will take place in advance, giving all bar lovers the opportunity to support their favorites. Voting is still open until October 6 - take your chance and, with a little luck, win 2 × 2 all-inclusive tickets for the Award Night. The results of the voting will be included in the final evaluation with a share of five percent. This means that the expert jury will remain the authoritative body, but at the same time the SWISS BAR AWARDS will be even more broadly based.

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