FILIPINO BARTENDERS COMPETE IN THE FINAL DIAGEO RESERVE WORLD CLASS CHALLENGE

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The last challenge leg of Diageo Reserve World Class 2016 ended on a flavorful note last May 12 at Solaire Resort and Casino.

Diageo Reserve World Class is the cocktail industry’s most renowned and respected mixology training programme and competition worldwide. This 2016, the world’s best bartenders will pit their skills, impeccable techniques, and knowledge against each other in front of experts in the global bartending industry.

The third and biggest challenge round for the prestigious Diageo World Class Bartender of the Year 2016 followed the theme “Cuisine Meat Cocktails”- a feast of savory flavors and the world’s finest Scotch whiskies. The challenge ushered in #LoveScotch – a global movement that promotes Scotch whisky’s unique style, substance, and flavor.

Competing bartenders made use of Diageo Reserve’s portfolio of Scotch whisky: Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve, Johnnie Walker Platinum Label, Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Singleton of Glen Ord, Glenkinchie, Cragganmore, Talisker, Lagavulin, and Caol Ila in their cocktails.

20 of Manila’s top mixologists served scrumptious creations that surprised the senses with unthinkable ingredients by balancing savory tastes to the diverse flavor profiles of Scotch whisky. The “Cuisine Meat Cocktails” challenge was a test of integrating food elements while putting together exceptional cocktails.

“This batch was truly exceptional. The bartenders did a great job this year,” said Marie Ona, Diageo Reserve Philippines Luxury Manager. “All three winners demonstrated unique talents and the promise to make a difference in Miami later on this year, taking advantage of food trends to create their winning cocktails.”

Offering their discerning palates to the competition were judges Will Thompson, Global Ambassador for Don Julio Tequila; Hannah Waters, presenter and bartender for Tales of the Cocktails; and Ray Reyes, food and travel blogger of lynne-enroute.com. Diageo Reserve Brand Ambassador Rian Asiddao hosted the competition.

The top 4 bartenders will represent the Philippines at the regional finals in Bali, Indonesia in late May. They will also receive premium prizes from Diageo and BevTools. The winners of the regional finals will then go on to compete in the Global Finals in Miami, Florida, where they will have the opportunity to learn from the industry’s most renowned figures and gain access to exclusive World Class tools and workshops.

Every year, Diageo Reserve World Class continues to grow, with more and more countries adapting the training program and joining the World Class Bartender of the Year Competition. Now on its eighth year globally, World Class continues to elevate the craft, innovation, and creativity within the cocktail industry. This is the fourth year the Philippines is participating with the biggest batch thus far with contenders hailing from Manila’s finest bars.

ABOUT DIAGEO

Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands including Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, JεB, Buchanan’s and Windsor whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.

Diageo is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and our products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com. Visit Diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice.

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.

ABOUT DIAGEO RESERVE WORLD CLASS
Diageo Reserve WORLD CLASS is transforming fine drinking experiences and cocktail culture around the world and in the home. The industry’s largest, most credible investment in the luxury on trade, it discovers the next generation of bartending talent who set the latest mixology trends and brings these to the best bars worldwide.

At the core of World Class is an expansive global training program that invests in the skill of the bartender and provides an international platform to discover and showcase the best talent from preeminent bartenders all over the world, culminating in an annual luxury landmark week where the Diageo Reserve WORLD CLASS Bartender of the Year is announced. Launched in 2009, over 15,000 bartenders have been inspired and educated in the craft of mixology using the finest spirits in the Diageo Reserve collection. A partnership and collaboration with gurus, media, partners, and owners, Diageo Reserve WORLD CLASS is widely recognized as a mark of sophistication and distinction of international fine drinking culture by bartenders and customers alike.

As an extension of the Diageo Reserve WORLD CLASS training programme, in 2011, Diageo launched the Diageo Bar Academy in Asia Pacific, the region’s largest bartending course accredited by the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET), which has trained 10,000 bartenders to date.

Sosro Fruit Tea for a refreshingly new taste to enjoy this summer

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When the going gets tough, the tough get chilling! Today’s go-getters are a multi-faceted and diverse group of people who juggle deadlines with dates, and handle bosses and buddies. These are the young people who redefine coolness by showing others that being cool is not a one-size-fits-all sort of personality—it’s a state of being that anybody can achieve.But how can we stay cool and chill despite the hustle and bustle of our daily lives? What with summer looming around the corner, the sun’s heat can make it extra challenging to keep cool. But what if we told you that keeping cool was as simple as opening a bottle and letting yourself#TasteTheChill? Sosro Fruit Tea, the millennial go-getter’s preferred real tea drink, has officially launched in the Philippines just in time for one of the most-anticipated seasons of the year—summer

Originally from Indonesia, Sosro Fruit Tea was brought to the Philippines by Reddimart Multi-resources, Inc. in 2015. Known for their refreshing blends of real fruit flavor and authentic tea goodness, Sosro Fruit Tea has quickly become synonymous to a chillaxing time for many tea-drinkers. Available in Freeze, Apple, Strawberry, and Guava, Sosro fruit tea is perfect for anybody at anytime that is looking for a quick way to re-energize and chillout on-the-go.#TasteTheChill with Freeze While having established itself as the chill fruit tea drink last year, Sosro Fruit Tea begins 2016 with its #TasteTheChill campaign which encourages drinkers to stay chill both figuratively and literally using their hero-product Sosro Fruit Tea Freeze.Sosro Fruit Tea Freeze represents the cool and collected millennial who knows how to effortlesslymix work and play. With its one-of-a-kind blend of Strawberry and Grape plus its unique icysensation, Freeze is the perfect drink for staying cool.The #TasteTheChill urges Sosro Fruit Tea patrons—affectionately termed “chillmates”—to have a bottle of Freeze and let its enjoyable and refreshing icy taste invigorate them.

Just in time for the summer season, Reddimart held the Sosro Fruit Tea’s official launch at The Palace Pool Club with the theme ‘Warm Summer Nights.’

Meant to emulate the balmy evenings of summer, the launch was a multi-sensory experience thatfeatured music, décor, and laser lights to really stimulate the senses—just like Sosro Fruit Tea.Throughout the night, the venue radically transformed for “Chill 20”s wherein The Palace Pool Club will become a cool and icy haven with snow, cool hangouts, and blue lights. Aside from introducing Sosro Fruit Tea Freeze to public, another highlight of the night was the announcement of Sosro Fruit Tea’s newest celebrity brand ambassador, Sofia Andres.Just like Freeze, Sofia is the perfect chillmate with her cool and fun-loving attitude. In fact, Sofia will be featured on billboards that showcase her in her Ice Goddess garb encouraging chillmates to#TasteTheChill themselves. As the sunny weather approaches, arm yourself with a Sosro Fruit Tea Freeze to #TasteTheChilland stay refreshed so that your summer season will be one cool adventure!

Created in 1997 by Indonesia’s Sinar Sosro—pioneers of the world’s first bottled ready-to-drink tea—Sosro Fruit Tea finally reaches the Philippine shores via Reddimart Multi-Resources Inc. Thenumber 1 manufacturer of tea drink in Indonesia, Sosro Fruit Tea’s invigorating flavors are nowchilling at SM Hypermarkets, Landmark, Sta. Lucia Grocery, Tropical Hut, Hi-Top Supermarket,Walter Mart, Pioneer Center, and other leading supermarkets. Know more about Sosro and otherexciting treats from Reddimart by visiting http://reddimart.ph/.