The Final of the Darroze Mixology Bartender Competition!

We are delighted to announce the final round of the Barman Darroze Mixology Competition.

This inaugural edition has been a success: the regional rounds were fully booked, resulting in the selection of six finalists who will compete in the grand finale next April.

Through this competition, Maison Darroze aims to affirm its vision: to position Armagnac as a spirit of the future in the world of bars and mixology.

A final in Bordeaux

The final round of the competition will take place on Monday, April 27, at the Ferrandi School—Bordeaux campus, located at 10 Rue René Cassin.

This decision stems not only from the vibrancy of Bordeaux’s cocktail scene but also from a desire to add a new dimension by passing on this knowledge to future generations of bartenders.

The six finalists will be asked to create two cocktails using Armagnacs from the Mixology range—the Blanche and the VS—based on the values of Darroze Armagnacs: authenticity, respect, independence, and enjoyment.

The two challenges facing the candidates

In addition to the central theme, contestants will face two challenges:

• They will be assigned two assistants to help them prepare and serve the cocktails. One assistant will be a first-year student in the Hotel and Restaurant Management bachelor’s program at Ferrandi Bordeaux, and the other will be a student in the Bar Industry Specialization Certificate program at CAFA Bordeaux.
• They will also be evaluated by two panels of judges. The initial panel of professional judges—the same one used in the regional competitions—will account for 70% of the final score. The second panel, composed of both professionals and amateurs and comprising about thirty people, will account for 30% of the final score.

An exceptional prize for the grand prize winner

The grand prize winner will have the chance to win a weekend in London, including a meal at the three-Michelin-starred restaurant Hélène Darroze at The Connaught, a night’s stay at a hotel, and a meeting with Agostino Perrone, the hotel’s bar manager.