Sydneysiders, get ready. The 2020 Bartender of the Year Global Final is coming to Oz.

There’s no denying Aussies love a well-made drink. And Sydney’s ever-expanding food and drink offering shows our appetite for great food and booze is only growing. From the hidden bars tucked away in the laneways of the CBD to the craft breweries dotted around inner west and beyond, we’re spoilt for choice when it comes to grabbing a drink.

So, it comes as no surprise that our sparkling city’s bar scene has caught global attention. In news announced last night (September 26th) at the 11th annual Diago World Class Bartender of the Year final in Glasgow, Sydney has been named as the host of the 2020 Bartender of the Year Global Final. It’s a massive pat on the back for Australia, with the competition renowned as the world’s most influential bartending contest.

For the past decade, World Class has been the leading industry event run in more than 60 countries globally. Their goal? To elevate fine drinking and cocktail culture internationally, inspiring drinkers to care about what, where and how their beverages are made.

World Class has been responsible for acknowledging some of our best local talent on the world stage, with two Aussies taking out top honours in the past decade, including Tim Philips-Johansson (2012) and Orlando Marzo (2018).

And these industry legends are thrilled with the announcement, with Tim (World Class Global Champion 2012 and co-owner of Bulletin Place) telling, “our bars and bartenders have long been celebrated for being the best in the business, qualified by the fact we are one of only two countries to produce two global champions in the competition’s history. Sydney World Class 2020 is an amazing opportunity for us to promote our craft of bartending and show off our amazing city and bars to the rest of the world.”

So, what can Sydneysiders expect from World Class 2020? A week-long festival will descend on the city, featuring creative collaborations, events, tastings and an impressive line-up of bartenders set to compete in a series of challenges using spirits from Diageo Reserve. At this stage, information is limited about what we can expect from the event but we’re expecting more information to be announced in 2020. To find out more about the competition, click here.

On the hunt for the best tipples our city has to offer? Head straight to our guide to The Best Bars in Sydney’s CBD.