You will need to submit an original recipe that showcases you as a bartender and your passions around all you do. You will also need to create a video up to 90 seconds that displays your creative outlet and your passions. It’s the opportunity to give judges a glimpse into your life and how it interweaves into the cocktail. The video is not meant to be you making your drink. It is rather meant to be you showcasing your creative passions; your inspiration behind the drink.
Please make sure to keep the Video and Recipe Requirements in mind.
All competitors who advance to the next round will be notified by email and they will be invited to participate in preliminaries where judges will visit their home bar to taste their cocktail creation.
Those who advance will be invited to partake in the regional competition that will take place in September 2022. Regional competitions will determine the top 3 bartenders from each region to advance to finals. This year there will also be a Distillers Choice finalist that will be chosen by our own Master Distiller Dr. Anne Brock. They will get to join the other 9 finalists. The top 10 bartenders will travel to Laverstoke Mill Distillery and London for education and immersion.
The finals will be held in Miami, FL in February 2023 where we will crown The Most Imaginative Bartender.
The Competition is open only to individuals who are legal residents of the fifty (50) United States (except Utah) and Canada, are at least twenty-five (25) years old as of the date of entry, work in a bar at least 20 hours per week at the time of entry, and have a passport valid through December 31, 2022. Please see the Official Rules for more details and exclusions.
No, you can shoot with any handheld device. To upload please make sure the file size is under 300 MB.
You will be asked to create an original cocktail, which will be judged on Originality, Imagination, Concept, and Story. Here are some important Cocktail Requirements that you’ll want to keep in mind.
Congratulations! You will now be known as the Most Imaginative Bartender, joining an elite group of bartenders recognized worldwide. The grand prize winner will receive a $20,000 creative grant and be our go to representative of MIB for the year.