Patrón Perfectionists is back for its 2023 edition

Patrón Tequila has opened entries for its annual cocktail competition, and this edition there’s a new educational programme for partaking bartenders and mixologists.

Bartenders from across the world are asked to develop a cocktail recipe that mixes the culture of their home with Patrón Silver Tequila, while also using ingredients from a prescribed list. Entry submissions will be judged on appeal, appearance, inspiration and originality. In total, 19 countries and cruise liners will be partaking.

In order to give participants the best knowledge of the Tequila and to support professional growth, they will be invited to attend Academia Patrón Perfectionists, a programme that comprises of three virtual sessions and workshops hosted by leading figures in the drinks and hospitality industry. There will also be other educational initiatives hosted locally.

After the entry and education phase is concluded on 7 October, each participating country will whittle down the entries to a shortlist of just 10 bartenders who will compete in the national finals taking place in November and December. The national winners, decided by cumulative scores across a range of challenges, and a Wild Card entry (selected by a global judge from the contestants of the national finals) will go head-to-head and shaker-to-shaker in the global finals at Hacienda Patrón in Mexico in March 2o23.

Lauren Mote, global manager of programme excellence for Patrón Tequila, said: “Over the years, this programme has brought an invaluable contribution to the category thanks to the advocacy of bartenders creating and sharing outstanding Patrón recipes from around the globe.”

“The evolution of the Patrón Perfectionists competition brand to a bartending programme, with dedicated education, goes hand-in-hand with the rise of the bar scene globally. It has become evident to all our teams that education should become the central pillar of our programme, with investment into growth and professional development of bartenders everywhere,” Mote added.

Entries are open from 1 September to 7 October via this link. National finalists will be announced by mid-October and will received guidance from local brand ambassadors.

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