HBI Staff | Mumbai 
VBev, a leading importer of premium spirits in India, announced the launch of the ELIT MASTERS 2023 – BARTENDER CHALLENGE, an extraordinary mixology event designed to recognise and showcase the talent of India’s most exceptional mixologists and their remarkable craftsmanship. This year sees the biggest competition to date, with bartenders from over twenty countries competing for the title of the Global ELIT Master 2023, displaying creativity and dedication to the art of cocktail making, by creating the best Freeze Martini.
To enter the Elit Masters – Bartender Challenge, interested participants can visit the official website and complete the registration process which will be live till August 31st. Candidates will be selected from across India and will be divided into East, West, South and North zones. All participants will be required to curate a Freeze Vodka Martini using Elit Vodka with the best of their creativity, knowledge, methodology, and innovation and upload their recipes online. Participants also have an optional challenge of creating an additional Luxury Low Alcohol Cocktail.
“We are ecstatic to unveil the highly anticipated ELIT MASTERS 2023 which will be the first of its kind in India. As the demand for ultra-premium spirits skyrockets in India, with an impressive 93.9% increase in the last financial year, this event takes on even greater significance. It serves as an exceptional platform for talented mixologists to showcase their skills on a global stage, while celebrating the remarkable growth and flourishing creativity within the Indian bartending community,” said Sumedh Singh Mandla, CEO of VBev while expressing his enthusiasm about the launch of the challenge.
Out of all the participants, 20 exceptional mixologists from each zone will be selected and invited for the semi-finals. The semi-finals for North-east zone will be conducted in Delhi on 12th September, South-zone in Bangalore on 13th September and West-zone in Mumbai on 14th September followed with a finale in Mumbai on 15th September. The winner of this prestigious challenge will be rewarded with an exclusive trip to Athens, Greece, where they will have the privilege to compete in the Global Finals and be an integral part of the esteemed Athens Bar Show.
Elit is an ultra-premium vodka manufactured by the Stoli Group. Speaking about the competition, Damian McKinney, CEO of Stoli Group said: “We’re excited to be launching this year’s ELIT Masters with an added twist. To make this year’s global competition even more challenging, we’re pushing the boundaries of cocktail-making and asking bartenders to showcase creativity, sustainability, talent and expertise by creating the best Freeze Martini. Entrants will be judged on their creation’s appeal, aesthetic, along with the story behind the cocktail and will also be offered a sustainability bonus if their recipe includes a sustainably sourced or made ingredient. The martini is an iconic cocktail and reinventing it is no easy task, so we look forward to seeing the bartenders’ creations combining all of these elements.”
ELIT vodka has been awarded ‘2022 Best Unflavored Vodka’ by the Beverage Testing Institute® (Chicago, USA). ELIT won 12 platinum awards and an unbeaten 97-point rating for 12 years, which makes it one of the world’s highest-rated spirits. ELIT vodka is freeze filtered at -18 degree C with proprietary, cutting-edge technology, that makes it exceptionally pure and smooth, perfect for martinis, neat, or on the rocks.
Bartenders who wish to participate in the ELIT Masters 2023 can find out more information and create and upload their cocktail on the – https://elitmasters.com/#form
About VBev:
VBev is a dynamic company established for the import, marketing, sales, and distribution of international wine, beer, and spirit brands across the Indian subcontinent. VBev’s mission is to grow the size of the international alco-bev market in the Indian sub-continent and to build equity for its shareholders and the brands they represent. The business is driven by key fundamentals; passion, teamwork, market intelligence, education, service excellence, and innovation.
VBev boasts a portfolio of iconic brands like luxurious Scottish single malts – The Dalmore and Jura; leading premium vodkas Stoli and Elit; bitters from the historic Gruppo Montenegro portfolio – Amaro Montenegro, Select Aperitivo and Italy’s number one brandy Vecchia Romagna; Australian Cooper’s craft beers and curation of wines from leading global producers like French M. Chapoutier, Californian Wente, Italian Santa Margherita, and Zenato, Spanish Cava creators Codorniu, award-winning Riojas from Vina Pomal, sustainability leaders Ventisquero and Monte Pacifico from Chile, to name a few.
About Elit Vodka:
ELIT Vodka was created in 2003 in Latvia with an ambition to craft vodka to the highest quality standards in the world, which is why it is called ELIT. ELIT vodka is freeze filtered at -18oC with cutting-edge technology, inspired by the ancient vodka-making traditions, that makes it exceptionally smooth and pure, perfect for martinis, neat or on the rocks. ELIT vodka has been awarded ‘2022 Best Unflavored Vodka’ by the Beverage Testing Institute® (Chicago, USA). It has won 12 platinum awards and an unbeaten 97-point rating for 12 years, which makes it one of the world’s highest rated spirits.
