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George Hunter is heading to Scotland this October as South Africa\u2019s representative at the Diageo World Class Global Finals, after clinching the national title at a showdown held at Naked Woolf Rosebank. Picture: Supplied<\/p>\n\n\t\tJohannesburg mixologist George Hunter is heading to Scotland this October to compete on the global stage, after clinching South Africa’s national title at a showdown held at Naked Woolf Rosebank.\n\t<\/p>\n
George Hunter has been confirmed as South Africa\u2019s representative for the 2026 Diageo World Class Global Bartender of the Year finals, following a national competition held at Naked Woolf in Rosebank, Johannesburg, in July.<\/p>\n
The win came after a mixology showdown, a series of innovative challenges, and a signature serves showcase, all forming part of Diageo\u2019s World Class competition. Hunter will now compete against winners from more than 50 countries at the global finals, one of the hospitality industry\u2019s most prestigious platforms since its launch in 2009.<\/p>\n
Speaking to The Citizen about the nerve-wracking nature of the final announcement, Hunter said the day itself was less about performance and more about waiting to see if his preparation had paid off.<\/p>\n
\u201cNaked Woolf was the announcement only; that means it is pure nerves and hope that you have done enough to win. What got me through it is knowing that I truly put my heart into every step of the World Class competition and I represented myself in the most authentic way I could,\u201d Hunter said.<\/p>\n
The award-winning bartender added that while competitions leave little room for error, he was satisfied with what he brought to the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cCompetitions can be extremely difficult, and small mistakes can be costly, but I was very happy with everything I presented for World Class 2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Cebisa Luzipho, culture manager for Don Julio South, West & Central Africa at Diageo, \u201cWorld Class is a platform that allows us to celebrate the craftsmanship of Mixologists and Bartenders, honouring their creativity and excellence in our industry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe champion craftsmanship by making tastemakers and taste innovators part of our journey at every level. Everything we do stems from the love of our liquid, which was first championed by our founder, Don Julio Gonzalez.\u201d<\/p>\n
An underdog on the world stage<\/p>\n
Hunter is the co-owner and director of Rosebank\u2019s Obscura Cocktail Bar & Eatery, and he believes South Africa\u2019s relative isolation on the global bartending circuit, usually a disadvantage, could work in his favour at the finals in Scotland.<\/p>\n
\u201cSouth Africa can often be an under-recognised country for hospitality; this is mainly because travel to South Africa is long and inconvenient from most places. If we were more centralised and easier to \u2018pop over to,\u2019 we would 100% be a more awarded country. This gives me the ability to be a dark horse in the competition.\u201d<\/p>\n
George Hunter is heading to Scotland this October as South Africa\u2019s representative at the Diageo World Class Global Finals, after clinching the national title at a showdown held at Naked Woolf Rosebank. Picture: Supplied<\/p>\n
That same isolation, he said, has forced local bartenders to sharpen a different skill set entirely.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have unique ingredients that most places have never seen or heard of. We also don\u2019t have the same access to ingredients other countries might have as a standard; this forces us to be very adaptable and quick thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n
Defending the price of a premium cocktail<\/p>\n
Hunter, who has previously spoken on Obscura\u2019s Instagram about growing consumer frustration over rising cocktail prices in South Africa, was candid about the tension between craft and cost, particularly now that he\u2019s competing at this level.<\/p>\n
\u201cCosts of everything are going up, yet when food or drink gets more expensive in premium restaurants, people tend to complain quickly,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe value of a great experience in a premium establishment that has quality ingredients for both food and beverage, professional staff, and great d\u00e9cor comes with a certain price tag \u2013 you can\u2019t create that experience at home, and certainly not for only R500.\u201d<\/p>\n
He further argued that quality ingredients simply aren\u2019t optional at the level he operates at, pointing to the gap between a well-made spirit and a cheaper alternative.<\/p>\n
\u201cConsumers need to understand that a cocktail made with a quality tequila costs a lot more than one made with a poor-quality tequila.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked how he\u2019d convince a sceptical customer that a cocktail priced above R150 is worth it, Hunter pointed to his years of experience both behind the bar and consulting for venues.<\/p>\n
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George Hunter is heading to Scotland this October as South Africa\u2019s representative at the Diageo World Class Global Finals, after clinching the national title at a showdown held at Naked Woolf Rosebank. Picture: Supplied<\/p>\n
\u201cCompeting and winning competitions, as well as the many years\u2019 experience I have behind the bar and consulting for venues, has equipped me to educate customers on why drinks cost a certain amount,\u201d he said. \u201cThe argument is simple: better quality ingredients cost more.\u201d<\/p>\n
During his tenure as a barman and beverage consultant for more than a decade across South Africa, his work has delighted diners at celebrated Johannesburg eateries like tashas, Saint, Zioux and Anti Est.<\/p>\n
Building towards Scotland<\/p>\n
With the global finals set for October, Hunter\u2019s preparation is being shaped challenge by challenge, rather than around a single showcase drink.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt all depends on the brief of the challenge \u2013 there will be some South African ingredients used for sure, but the prep is to ensure my serve and story match the brief of each challenge,\u201d he said, noting that the finals comprise nine separate challenges.<\/p>\n
From here, Hunter said it comes down to repetition and research.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter that, it is to practice, practice and practice. I also need to research all brands and their stories, as well as focus on any and all finer details that I could add to the experience of my challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hunter will compete for the title of World Class Global Bartender of the Year 2026 when the finals take place in Scotland later this year.<\/p>\n
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George Hunter is heading to Scotland this October as South Africa\u2019s representative at the Diageo World Class Global Finals, after clinching the national title at a showdown held at Naked Woolf Rosebank. Picture: Supplied<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Johannesburg mixologist George Hunter is heading to Scotland this October to compete on the global stage, after clinching…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":97237,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[21250],"tags":[4110,3028,1812,744,627],"class_list":["post-97236","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-diageo","tag-diageo","tag-drinks","tag-food","tag-restaurant","tag-restaurants"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@UnitedKingdom\/117037848591681071","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97236","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97236"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97236\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97237"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97236"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97236"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}