Amsterdam, April 24; Last night, 18 of the world’s best bartenders went head to head, competing to show off their draught pouring skills in the Heineken® Global Bartender Final. Held in the company’s home city of Amsterdam, Olga Lisovaia from Saint Petersburg, Russia showcased precision, skill and put on a slick performance under the watchful eye of a judging panel made up of industry experts.
Olga was rewarded by winning the coveted title of the world’s best Heineken® Bartender of 2015, as well as a trip to the legendary Heineken® Ibiza Final, an exclusive event where consumers from around the world celebrate the UEFA Champions League Final, while opening up the Ibiza Party Season. She will also serve as an official brand ambassador for Heineken® across the world demonstrating the passion and craft behind the perfect pour.
The Heineken® Global Bartender Final is a global competition and a key element of the Heineken® Star Serve programme, designed to elevate the drinking experience of consumers worldwide. Over 30,000 bar staff have been trained on Star Serve since this programme came into force.
Following national finals in 18 countries across the world, the ‘best of the best’ met in Amsterdam. The event took place at Undercurrent in Amsterdam where the finalists showed their Star Factor in front of an expert jury consisting of Franck Evers – Global Draught Master, Global Bartender Final Winner 2013 Sander van Veenendaal, and Tatiana Mercer, Managing Director and Founder of BarChick.
The finalists performed the 5-steps of the Star Serve pouring ritual: rinse, pour, skim, check and serve. Importantly, they showed that they also had the star factor that really made them stand out from the crowd.
After a neck-and-neck race, the judges crowned Olga, 23, said, “What a feeling! The whole experience has been the best of my career so far. I have loved every minute and I am thrilled that I’ve been chosen as the best performing Heineken® Star Serve Bartender in the world. The competition from other bartenders was extremely tough!”
Judge and Global Draught Master Franck Evers says that Olga stood out from the rest because of her talent. “All of the finalists have the perfect draught skills, but Olga combines this with a certain flair that separates the good bartenders from the great ones.”
Koen Morshuis, Global Heineken® Marketing Activation Manager says, “We were delighted with the success of the first edition of the Heineken® Global Bartender Final and, this year, it was great to see continued high standards. The aim of the Star Serve programme is to safeguard the quality of our draught beer. To ensure our draught beer is served in a consistent, high-quality manner. Thanks to The Heineken® Global Bartender Final, we are giving bartenders an added incentive while raising standards every time a beer is poured.”
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About Global Bartender Final
- Heineken® is the world’s number one premium beer brand and we do our utmost to brew and serve every Heineken® at the highest quality possible. Passion for quality is in our DNA over 150 years
- With Star Serve we give the consumer the ultimate way of drinking a draught Heineken®, it is the final step in delivering our passion for quality
- Heineken train and reward bartenders across the globe to serve the perfect Heineken®
- To share the news socially use #HeinekenBartenderFinal
About Star Serve
- Heineken® Star Serve is a global draught beer quality programme aimed at optimising the draught beer drinking experience worldwide. Heineken® goes to great lengths to ensure every drop is of the highest quality when it is delivered to customers.
- The whole brewery process is managed, from barley to beer. Every aspect of the process is constantly checked against high quality standards. But if it’s served in the wrong way, all that care can easily be destroyed at the bar.
- We believe that with the right training, equipment and outlet support, consumers anywhere can enjoy a perfectly poured Heineken® draught beer, encouraging them to reorder, revisit and recommend. Because the only reason for ordering a second beer is the quality of the first.
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For more information and/or image requests please contact HEINEKEN® Matt Crowhurst, Matt.Crowhurst@edelman.com