The ten domestic finalists have been chosen for the "Giffard West Cup 2024"!

Unfilter Co., Ltd. May 27, 2024, 10:33 AM

【June 17 (Monday) in Tokyo】 Ten professional bartenders have been selected to compete in the "Japan Final" for a ticket to the main event in France, showcasing their skills and creativity.

■ Competing for the title of "World's Best Bartender": The Giffard West Cup

The "GIFFARD WEST CUP 2024" is an international cocktail competition for professional bartenders, hosted by Giffard, a long-established French liqueur manufacturer. Since 1997, this biennial event has featured top-level bartenders from around the world who have won their national preliminaries. They gather in Angers, France, the home of Giffard, to compete for the title of "World's Best Bartender" by creating original cocktails using Giffard liqueurs.

■ Ten contestants selected for the national preliminaries "Japan Final 2024"

This year marks the second time Japan has participated in the Giffard West Cup, following the 2022 competition. Approximately 160 bartenders from across the country applied for the Japan domestic preliminaries. Contestants created unique and expressive cocktails embodying the competition theme, "Art of Balance." After a rigorous evaluation process, ten finalists were selected from the first round (document screening) to compete in the "Japan Final."

2024 Japan Finalists (in no particular order, honorifics omitted)

Yuto Anzai (Bar LIBRE/Tokyo)
Cocktail Name: b/w

Ryousuke Oishi (La BARRE Charger/Fukuoka)
Cocktail Name: C's Crystal

Tomohiro Ogura (BAR COMPOSITION/Tokyo)
Cocktail Name: Marcher03

Natsu Kinouchi (Ureshino Yajuuhachi Bar Chatsubo/Saga)
Cocktail Name: Camellia

Yosuke Shiga (THE SAILING BAR/Nara)
Cocktail Name: Repos ("Healing, Tranquility")

Takuma Hashimoto (XIV Yugawara Rikyu/Kanagawa)
Cocktail Name: Harmonie of ZEN

Yujiro Fukuzawa (Hollow Bar/Osaka)
Cocktail Name: Reincarnation

Mao Matsumoto (The Peninsula Tokyo PETER Bar/Tokyo)
Cocktail Name: Heaven's Rock

Shoya Minegishi (Bar B&F/Tokyo)
Cocktail Name: balance of nature

Noriaki Miyata (Scotch & Branch/Kyoto)
Cocktail Name: The Moment of Stream

■ About the Giffard West Cup 2024 "Japan Final"

The ten finalists will compete in the practical assessment during the "Japan Final" on June 17, 2024 (Monday). The winner of the "Japan Final" will represent Japan in the "Giffard West Cup 2024 World Final," scheduled to take place in late September in Angers, France, the headquarters of Giffard. They will compete against finalists from various countries, showcasing their skills and creativity.

<Giffard West Cup 2024 "Japan Final" Event Overview>

1. Date and Venue

• Date: June 17, 2024 (Monday) 12:30-16:30 (scheduled)
• Venue: THE MUSIC BAR – CAVE SHIBUYA –
• Address: B1F LAIDOUT SHIBUYA, 1-15-12 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
• URL: the-musicbar.jp

2. Eligibility

• Participants must be 20 years of age or older at the time of application.
• Participants must be employed as professional bartenders in hotels, restaurants, bars, or similar establishments.
• Participants must reside in Japan.
• Participants must be able to attend all programs from the Japan domestic preliminary competition "Japan Final" (June 17, Tokyo) to the world final "World Final" (end of September, France).

3. Application Guidelines

• The cocktail submitted must reflect elements essential to achieving balance in one's life or lifestyle, in line with the theme "THE ART OF BALANCE."
• The cocktail must be an original creation using Giffard liqueurs.
• The cocktail must contain at least 30ml of Giffard liqueur.

4. Event Schedule

April: Entry for Japan domestic preliminary competition <Application period closed> Late May: Document screening ⇒ Selection of Japan Finalists who will advance to the final selection June 17 (Monday): Japan domestic preliminary competition "Japan Final" (Scheduled to be held in Tokyo) ⇒ Determination of the winner through practical assessment

 

5. Prize for the Winner The winner of each country's final will be granted the opportunity to participate in the World Final held in Angers, France, in late September. The winner of the World Final will receive round-trip airfare and accommodation for cocktail training in another country.

6. Other Information Participation Fee: Free

7. Hosts and Partners

Giffard: Host of Giffard West Cup 2024 Japan Final: Host: Coato Corporation Co., Ltd. / Unfilter Co., Ltd. Partner: Ogawa Coffee Co., Ltd.

8. Official Event URL

https://www.giffard.jp/giffard-west-cup/

■ What is the Giffard West Cup?

The Giffard West Cup is an international cocktail competition held every two years since 1997 by Giffard, a French liqueur manufacturer with a 137-year history. This competition aims to showcase the unique flavors of Giffard, beloved in 85 countries worldwide, through modern cocktail creations. While spreading the world of Giffard is its primary objective, the competition also started with a mission to support the bartender community and foster exchanges within the bar industry.

With the theme of original cocktails using Giffard liqueurs, top-level bartenders who have won their respective country's preliminaries gather in France to compete for the title of the world's best bartender, showcasing their skills and creativity. In the previous 2022 event, there were over 1200 applicants from around the world, and 18 bartenders from 17 countries who emerged victorious in their national qualifiers engaged in intense competition.