Diageo to Host "World Class Korea REVIVE:2025" Final Event

World's Largest Bartending Competition "World Class" Korea Finale
One Top Bartender to Represent Korea Selected from National Top 10

Diageo Korea announced on June 30 that it will host the final event of the bartending competition "World Class Korea REVIVE:2025," which will determine the nation's top bartender, on July 9.

World Class is the world’s largest global bartending skills competition, organized annually by Diageo to discover the next generation of bartenders. For "World Class Korea REVIVE:2025," held in Korea, ten finalists were selected through preliminary rounds that began in March. The final winner will be chosen on July 9. The champion will represent Korea at the global World Class event in Toronto, Canada, in September.

This year’s World Class Korea final event will be held as an "open competition," allowing the general public to attend and enjoy the contest directly, so that more consumers can take an interest in and enjoy fine drinking and bartending culture. Any adult aged 19 or older can visit the venue to watch the competition and enjoy a variety of brand content.

In particular, to provide guests with a more immersive bar culture experience, a space sponsorship partnership has been established with Hanwha General Insurance. Hanwha General Insurance’s Hannam office, known as a stylish multi-purpose space that regularly hosts cultural exhibitions and brand events, will further strengthen its identity and symbolism as a "cultural platform" through this event. As a result of the collaboration, the World Class Korea final event will, for the first time, feature a variety of programs in addition to the competition itself, including a brand zone, restaurant collaborations, and DJ performances.

The bartending competition will consist of three missions. The first is a tequila highball mission using local ingredients and Don Julio Blanco; the second is a music-focused batch cocktail mission featuring the single malt whisky Singleton 15 Years; and the third is an intense speed challenge using the newly launched Johnnie Walker Black Ruby, the rum product Ron Zacapa, and mystery box ingredients. Contestants’ cocktails and bartending skills will be evaluated based on their understanding of the brands, creativity, and performance.

In other areas of the venue, new bar and dining experiences will be offered through collaborations with Pescaderia, a popular taco spot in Cheongnyangni, and Blue by Filetter, a high-end seafood restaurant in Cheongdam-dong. For the restaurant collaborations, top chefs from leading Korean restaurants and previous World Class Korea champion bartenders will team up to present special cocktails and pairing dishes in the "Don Julio Zone" and "Johnnie Walker Zone," respectively. In the Don Julio Zone, Chef Jin Woobeom of Pescaderia and 2024 champion bartender Kim Harim (Alice Cheongdam) will showcase cocktail and Mexican food pairings centered on Don Julio Blanco. In the Johnnie Walker Zone, Chef Jung Seouk of Blue by Filetter and 2021 champion bartender Yang Hyojun (Fermata Seoul) will present a Johnnie Walker Black Ruby cocktail pairing.

Meanwhile, tickets to attend the "World Class Korea REVIVE:2025" final event can be reserved through Naver Place starting today. Tickets are available in limited quantities and are sold only to adults aged 19 or older.