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Mexico bartender claims Chivas Masters title in Shanghai
Chivas Regal announce Alejandro Millan Ponce de Leon from Instituto Culinario de Mexico and Bootlegger in Puebla, Mexico as the 2016 Chivas Master.
The first major bartending competition held in Shanghai saw Alejandro best some stiff competition from 14 of the world’s most skilled and innovative bartenders over the course of a five-day finale.
And not only that, Alejandro led a group of fellow finalists to a second victory, who as a team were crowned ‘Chivas Masters Collective’ for their pop-up bar, The Beach Brothers @ Logan’s Punch.
The team, comprised of Santiago Ortiz Jacome from Spain, Ben Rojo from the United States, Stanisław Domin from Poland, and Tomáš Melzer from Czech Republic will now all embark on a once in a lifetime trip to the Tales of the Cocktail 2016 festival in New Orleans to learn from some of the industry’s most renowned bartenders.
Alejandro was awarded the overall Chivas Masters title. The expert panel of judges were impressed by Alejandro’s winning local cocktail, ‘El Jornalero’, which displayed a culinary connection with his region’s indigenous ingredients and showed a great authenticity tying it to the roots of his Mexican culture.
The 2016 Chivas Masters judging panel boasted some of the world’s top industry leaders: Chris Lowder, head bartender at the Four Seasons in Seoul; Naren Young, head bartender at Dante in New York City; industry legend Dre Masso; and Leo Robitschek, bar director of New York’s Eleven Madison Park, who each coached the finalists in a series of workshops and judged competitors on their bartending talent and ability to lead, mentor and inspire a team.
“The global Chivas Masters final in Shanghai has opened my eyes and I hope that I have shown just what Mexico can do,” Alejandro said.
“It is a huge honour to hold the title of Chivas Master. The support of my team in Mexico and the amazing bartenders around me here at the global final has showed me that true brotherhood exists, and being able to work with these people is a great privilege.”