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2025 USBG Presents World Class Sponsored By DIAGEO 2025 Challenge Winners
The 2025 World Class Competitors were on fire at the National Finals in Atlanta and not just from the Southern heat! Spirits soared as the nation’s Top 30 World Class Bartenders battled it out for the ultimate crown and a chance to compete on the global stage in Toronto. Let’s raise a glass to some particular trailblazers from this competition, the 2025 World Class Challenge Winners!
The World Class Challenge Winners distinguished themselves and earned their titles by delivering exemplary performances and embodying what it means to be a world class bartender.
2025 World Class Tastemaker - Dalton Bedard
Bulliet Frontier Whiskey’s Craft and Pair challenge tasked competitors with showcasing their food pairing abilities by choosing an iconic Southern dish and crafting a signature cocktail to pair with it. The judges described Dalton’s round as “A masterclass in challenge alignment. Everything from the concept to the execution felt intentional and deeply thought through.”
Dalton’s Cocktail, Shinhidaka was inspired by and paired with the southern classic, brown buttered corn on the cob. Judges, when asked to share their thoughts on the cocktail, described it as “Truly outstanding, balanced, nuanced, extremely enjoyable on its own — and the pairing was even more impressive.” Check out the recipe that these judges are raving about!
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Shinhidaka
Shaken, strained into a japanese whiskey glass over a 2x2inch large ice cube. Garnish with salted sakura. |
2025 World Class Storyteller - SC Baker
The Mercado Mix-off challenged competitors to flex their creative muscles as they drew inspiration from their own experiences and the vibrant heart of Mexican commerce and community life, to create two inspired tequila-based cocktails featuring Don Julio 70 Cristalino. Competitors were scored on originality, innovation and their ability to share their inspiration and bring the story behind their cocktails to life.
Creativity and originality are two things SC Baker is certainly not short on. When asked about her performance judges said:
“If I had enough time I could write a short essay. [She] took the challenge, understood it and gave us a story with all the engaging details to bring these cocktails to life.”
Her delicious cocktail, world class hospitality, and incredible story, “ Kept [The Judges] engaged from the first minute and even while blending. Check out the cocktail inspired SC’s captivating story.
Lotería
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2025 World Class Round Builder - Kai Lucus
In this challenge competitors developed and designed a World Class menu based on a pop-up bar of their choosing. One of the six offerings had to be a no-ABV cocktail. They then raced against the clock to create their six drinks in only eight minutes! Judges scored competitors based on technical skills, excellent cocktail craft, world-class hospitality, and their ability to showcase their chosen theme. Kai’s chosen theme was inspired by his favorite sport and gave a whole history of key moments reflected and represented through each cocktail. All the judges agreed Kai’s speed round was a major SCORE! Judges described his award winning round as a “Great concept, really well put together.”
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Joga Bonito
Build ingredients in a Soccer ball shaped rocks glass, Muddle ingredients together to break apart cube and combine, add crushed ice and churn ingredients together, top with more crushed ice Garnish with soccer straw |
2025 World Class Bartender’s Bartender - Jon Schott
The final challenge award is an award for bartenders, voted by bartenders! This award honors one person who truly personifies the World Class spirit. The Top 30 competitors voted to recognize someone who they think embodied connection, compassion, a hunger to learn, and drive to make the most of their experience throughout the competition. The people voted, and they voted for Jon Schott! Jon’s vivacious personality and aptitude for making others feel comfortable made him an excellent choice for Bartender’s Bartender.
When fellow bartenders were asked to share their thoughts on working with Jom, they shared. “Jon’s energy is contagious. He always greets and makes everyone feel comfortable in an instant when stress is high.” Many competitors commented on how his positivity helped them overcome the anxiety of the challenges. “Jon reiterating ‘be kind to yourself’ at dinner after day 1 of competition was on repeat in my head during day 2”
When asked to share his own feelings about earning the award Jon stated,
“For me, being a competitor means that you put equal energy into your time on stage, and your time getting to know fellow competitors and cheering them on. What you do on stage represents the time you’ve invested in your own growth and what you do off stage represents how you want to grow in your hospitality community. As a sober bartender, it reminds me that this is the most caring community and for this group of amazing, talented and caring Humans to pick me is humbling and is easily one of the highlights of my whole career.”
Congratulations to all of the 2025 World Class US competitors.Keep up with the excitement as 2025 World Class US Bartender of the Year, Nic Wallace prepares for the World Class Global Competition inToronto by following @WorldClassUS and @USBG on Instagram! And keep an eye out for the 2026 USBG Presents World Class Sponsored by DIAGEO application, coming soon!
#WorldClassUS #WorldClass2025 #WorldClassCocktails #USBG #DIAGEO