Every year, the world’s best bartenders descend on the World Class global stage to battle for the industry’s highest honour: World Class Bartender of the Year. This year’s global finals took place in Toronto, where 51 national champions took over the Fairmont Royal York for three intense days of competition.
The finalists faced a series of rigorous challenges designed to test every facet of modern bartending. Among them: Hop Scotch with Johnnie Walker Black Label, where competitors reimagined three whisky classics, one long, one short, one up; The Modern Icon with Tanqueray No. TEN, which tasked bartenders to create a new modern classic inspired by a golden moment in history; The Digital Galería with Don Julio 1942, an immersive evening pairing mini cocktails with personalised AI-generated artworks; The Sensory Sessions with The Singleton of Dufftown 21 Year Old, blending music and mixology as bartenders designed a record sleeve, pressed a track and presented a signature Singleton cocktail to match; and Farmhouse with Ketel One, a high-pressure mystery challenge giving bartenders just 30 minutes to create the perfect serve after being assigned a surprise ingredient, from carrots and coffee to grapes and apples.
The top 10 then advanced to the semi-final Bartenders’ Banquet, where they had to curate a three-course drinks menu to pair alongside a vegetarian lunch set with an aperitif featuring Seedlip, a main-course cocktail with a spirit of choice, and a digestif made with Zacapa rum. Guests also cast votes for the People’s Choice Award, adding another layer of pressure to an already formidable challenge.
Singapore’s Tryson Quek: from Side Door to the world stage
Representing Singapore, Tryson Quek, co-owner of Side Door and Singapore’s World Class Bartender of the Year 2025, brought immense pride to his country by earning a coveted spot in the global Top 10 and taking home the Tanqueray Modern Icon Award, beating out all other contestants in that challenge.
The chef-turned-bartender impressed judges with his authentic storytelling, warm hospitality and technical finesse. His standout moment came during the Tanqueray Modern Icon challenge, where he looked close to home for his “golden moment in history”: when his wife and business partner Bannie Kang won both the national and global World Class titles in 2019. He created a cucumber-based cocktail – a nod to Bannie’s favourite ingredient – paired with a heartfelt story about her trailblazing moment in bartending history that has made her a true modern icon to him.
Tryson follows in the footsteps of Singapore bartenders like Peter Chua (Nighthawk), who cracked the Top 10 in 2014. His achievement continues Singapore’s strong legacy on the World Class stage and underscores the city’s growing dominance in the global cocktail scene.
Hong Kong’s Quentin Luk: the resilient rising star
Joining Tryson in the Top 10 is Quentin Luk, representing Hong Kong and Macau. The head bartender of Qura at the Regent Hong Kong and a Time Out Rising Star nominee in 2022, Quentin represented his home city with grit and grace. His World Class journey was far from smooth, a mid-round spill during one challenge briefly shook his confidence. But true to form, he regrouped, recovered and delivered strong performances in the remaining rounds to secure his spot in the Top 10.
The World Class bartenders representing Asia
From Bangkok to New Delhi, Asia made an impressive showing at this year’s World Class Global Finals. These talented bartenders represented the region’s most exciting bars and brought their unique flair, creativity and craftsmanship to the competition.
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Charles Richard – Seken Bali, Indonesia
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Damon Park – Cham in Season Seoul, South Korea
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Liu Da Jun – Semmering Cheng Du, China
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Marina Kishida – Gold Bar at Edition Tokyo, Japan
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Morris Su – Testing Room Taipeu, Taiwan
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Navjot Singh – Lair New Delhi, India
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Nguyen Ngoc Khanh – Hudson Rooms Hanoi, Vietnam
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Quentin Luk – Qura, Hong Kong
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Ralph Allen Santos – The Spirits Library Manila, Philippines
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Thanachot “Ong” Lohanimit – Find The Locker Room Bangkok, Thailand
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Tryson Quek – Side Door, Singapore
And the World Class Bartender of the Year is…
After three days of gruelling challenges, Norway’s Felice Capasso ultimately claimed the title of Diageo World Class Bartender of the Year 2025. The final showdown saw the top three competitors – including Spain’s Gabriele Armani and Great Britain’s Emanuele Mensah – face off in a live speed round. Titled The Six, a nod to Toronto’s nickname, the challenge tasked them to create six cocktails in six minutes for a judging panel scoring both technical precision and flavour execution.
As the curtain falls on Toronto, the spotlight now shifts to Dubai, which will host next year’s World Class Global Finals, promising yet another year of creativity, craftsmanship and cocktail innovation on the world stage.