World Class Studios 2: Tanqueray No.TEN ‘Hyper Local’
´World Class Studios 2´ was marked by the top-quality gin Tanqueray No.TEN in the style of ´Hyper Local´
After the spectacular start in January of the 11th Slovak round of the most prestigious bartending competition World Class Competition, its continuation took place once again in the beautiful premises of the Bratislava gallery Space by Haas. Intended to prepare young bartenders as best as possible for the local final, art, expertise and the highest quality cocktails were combined here on February 24th in one place for the second evening of “World Class Studios”.
The bar community from all over Slovakia was attracted here by another competition theme of this year. This time the star of the evening was the most awarded ultra-premium gin Tanqueray No.TEN, and the subtitle of the event ´Hyper Local´ underlined the focus on processing local ingredients to use in mixology.
Presentations and Special Guest
The evening was opened by the brand manager of the competition, Tony Velich, who presented the rules of the World Class Competition and the vision of the project for 2025. After his introductory speech, the ambassador of World Class & Reserve Brands, Filip Kováč, took the microphone and presented the competition discipline in detail.
Bartenders from all over Slovakia had the opportunity to gain useful knowledge not only about the iconic gin but also gain valuable experience from the most skilled bartenders. The event kicked off a unique opportunity to fight to advance to the best TOP 12, who will participate in the local bootcamp on April 28 and 29, 2025.
Last year's winner of WCL Slovakia, Michal Dojčák from Bratislava's Sky Bar, also appeared on stage, attractively presenting modern techniques and the use of traditional local ingredients behind the bar. The contestants were able to draw precious inspiration and immediately apply these techniques in their bars, as they could obtain this unique preparation manual right on the spot via a QR code.
The special guest of the evening was the legend of Slovak bartending - Ľuboš Rácz, who with his unique perspective on mixology was once again able to motivate the young bartenders present. With his unique style behind the bar, he demonstrated how the combination of a rare experience, mastery and creativity can create an unforgettable experience from an "ordinary drink".
Pop-up bars
After the official part, visitors of the evening could enjoy two unique pop-up bars. The first of them was made up of the winners of previous years - Evica Domonji and Michal Dojčák, who mixed drinks for the guests on the theme of Tanqueray No.TEN - ´Hyper Local´. The second pop-up bar belonged to Ľuboš Rácz, who mixed exclusive modern and vintage Martinis with premium Tanqueray No.TEN and original Tanqueray gin from 1980.
The whole evening was closed by brand manager Tony Velich, who wished the contestants good luck in the next round. “I am extremely happy regarding the high participation in both World Class Studios. At the same time, I am very pleased that we are constantly raising the bar and inspiring the Slovak bar community. I already see a lot of young talent and I am excited to see who will become the 11th winner to represent Slovakia at the global final in Toronto,” he concluded.
Coming up…
The decision about who will represent Slovakia will be made on June 3, 2025, when the twelve best bartenders and bartenders will stand before a professional jury in the national final. Before that, the TOP 12 finalists will attend a two-day World Class Bootcamp, which will prepare them for the local finals and help them improve their technique, creativity and presentation of their competition cocktails.
World Class Competition Slovakia 2025 continues this year in the tradition of bringing unforgettable moments and exceptional performances. It is another significant step towards the development of the bartending craft in Slovakia. This year is a celebration not only of the cocktails themselves, but also of the original stories and passion that stand behind them.