The time has come. The announcement of the regional finalists for this year’s major cocktail competitions has finally arrived, and bartenders around the nation have been eagerly awaiting it for weeks. It is a time of much deserved praise for individuals who are progressing. A mountain of unseen effort goes into every finalist, developing recipes late at night, trying different things until you find one that works. Creating content, telling stories and perfecting every detail of a single drink.
As soon as the Instagram posts of congratulations and parties wind down, an old question returns to haunt the industry. Is it possible that we are just heading towards another predictable ending or will the last stages of these competitions actually produce something different? The last stages are about more than just finding out who the winners are; they also mark the beginning of the inevitable backlash against cocktail contests over issues of unfairness, unpaid labor and intellectual property. These platforms have the potential to do more than just promote multinational corporations; they have the ability to elevate bartenders.
Among the most common complaints about cocktail contests is the idea that the same places and people keep getting all the attention. Each year, it seems like more and more contests favor bartenders from famous spots, while up and coming talent from smaller, less well-known spots has a harder time breaking through. Whether this perception is entirely accurate or not, it shapes the industry’s skepticism. The upcoming finals are the perfect stage to challenge the narrative. Will the quality of the drink, technique and creativity be the only criteria considered by the judging panels? Conversely, will behind the scenes factors such as familiarity with the industry, personal networks and brand alignment persist in influencing results?
If this year’s results are any indication, the belief that the winners are already decided before the contestants even take the stage will be further reinforced. However, if new ideas, viewpoints and underappreciated talent receive true recognition and reward, it could restore the system that many bartenders have started to doubt. Instead of skepticism, competitions should motivate participation. A lot of positive attention has already come to the brands. There is one fact that will remain unchanged even after the dust settles: the companies funding these contests have made a tidy profit. For weeks, hundreds of bartenders have labored over unique recipes, videos, social media product promotion and genuine customer interaction. Hiring a regular marketing agency to produce all the creative content for a competition season would be quite expensive.
On the other hand, professionals in the hospitality industry often take on a significant portion of this work, often at their own expense. The field has been reduced to regional finalists, raising the bar even higher. Every round, competitors are challenged to elevate their performance by creating more intricate serves, utilizing more expensive ingredients, embarking on more extensive travel and dedicating even more time to preparation. Brands need to start seeing these costs if competitions are going to progress. The bartenders whose imaginations power these campaigns would appreciate financial backing for ingredient budgets and production costs. Without it, many naysayers will keep seeing contests as a great way to convince people to buy into your cause through crowdsourcing.
What happens after a cocktail competition is over is probably the most unconsidered part of the event. An often-overlooked fact in the fine print is that the brand hosting the competition typically becomes the legal owner of any submitted recipes. What this means is that a bartender can spend weeks coming up with a novel idea, making a drink with cultural significance and crafting a whole story around it, and then the brand can use that idea indefinitely. The bartender is acknowledged and the owner takes possession of the brand. We should further investigate that imbalance. Who says the bartender shouldn’t get a cut of the profits when their winning cocktail appears in ads, videos, events or commercial activations? Intellectual property is now an essential topic of discussion. As cocktail contests get more complex, protecting the bartenders who compete will be more important. When done well, cocktail contests are a thrilling part of contemporary bartending. They encourage creativity, promote community, highlight talent and motivate bartenders to challenge themselves.
Some of the most dedicated and imaginative minds in the business are among the regional finalists. Their accomplishments are worthy of praise and admiration. Now comes the real test, though. The hospitality industry is going to be keeping a careful eye on the finals to see if they prioritize novelty over familiarity, if brands put real money into the competition and if creators are treated fairly after the event. The time has come for companies behind these platforms to show that their cocktail contests are really about helping bartenders succeed, not merely about creating ads and safeguarding their own interests. This industry may start to question if these competitions are actually about elevating the craft or just about promoting brands if the end result maintains the current power structures, lack of creator ownership and repeat winners.
