Whittling down from 400 entries to 10, CLASS was there to see the road to the World Class GB final. 

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This year, the GB competition received about 400 submissions, each consisting of a cocktail based on challenges for either Johnnie Walker Black Label or Johnnie Walker Black Ruby – or both, for twice the chances at being among those going through to the next round. Bartenders were tasked with creating a Johnnie Walker Black Label cocktail inspired by a global music icon, or a Johnnie Walker Black Ruby cocktail that captured the essence of tomorrow, pushing boundaries of creativity.

Of these, the top 50 were invited to take part in the inaugural Palomarama Festival, creating a two-cocktail menu inspired by the Paloma, one making use of Seedlip to create a non-alcoholic serve. These were showcased in each bartender’s own bar as a specials menu during the two weeks of the festival in April.

Next up was the World Class × Schweppes Judging Roadshow 2026, stopping at four cities across the country, namely Edinburgh, London, Manchester and Bristol. Across the four stops, the top 50 were invited to present their serves for a panel of top industry experts, for a shot at being selected for the top 10, and a place in the World Class GB Final in London.

Diageo's Stefanie Anderson and Tom Cavanagh during the World Class × Schweppes Judging Roadshow 2026

The roadshow saw the return of the Schweppes Lounge, courtesy of the competition’s official mixing partner. This year’s Lounge 2.0 gave the top 50 a comfortable space to prepare, unwind, and network with their peers. The partnership also means that the judging panel for the GB final will include the globally-renowned Schweppes Pioneers.

Among the 10 bartenders that made it through to that final was Carrie Smith from Hawksmoor Edinburgh, who presented the Fusagail, a forward-looking serve rooted in tradition, inspired by cranachan and featuring Johnnie Walker Black Ruby. Smith used waste rosé from the bar to create a soda with oolong tea, sugar and citric acid, and made a sorbet from Scottish raspberries and a tarragon syrup.

As Smith explained, the drink “invites a new audience to see Johnnie Walker Black Ruby as light, effervescent and social, without losing complexity”.

Meanwhile, Alex Goacher of Sister Ray in Liverpool earned a spot in the top 10 with The Magician's Apprentice, inspired by the shared journeys of Bruno Mars and Johnnie Walker, and specifically about how Mars began his career as an Elvis impersonator in Hawaii. As a result, the cocktail combined Johnnie Walker Black Label with nostalgic Hawaiian flavours, via a cryo-passionfruit produced by freezing the fruit’s pulp, melting it over a strainer, and adjusting with salt and acids.

“Guided by a vision of the life he wanted, Mars blended pop and disco to create a sound that transcends generations,” said Goacher. “This same spirit of evolution defines the story of Johnnie Walker.

In London, Murder Inc’s Oscar Perry was among those going through to the GB final, taking inspiration from Brian Chippendale, drummer and frontman of Lightning Bolt, and that band’s live performances. “That concentrated tempest, chaotic yet purposeful, defines creativity to me,” said Perry, who channeled this into the Storm Chaser. This Johnnie Walker Black drink incorporated Hungarian Tokaji, a wild-fermented green pinecone and honeysuckle “Champagne”, and more, served over pine-infused ice blocks.

Also going to the Diageo World Class GB 2026 final in London, held between the 1st and 4th of June, are: Matt Arnold, Passing Fancies; Chelsie Bailey, Stonegate; Yen-Cheng Chen, Tayēr + Elementary; Laurie Howells, Archive & Myth; Luke O' Toole, Lyaness; David Riera, The Rivoli Bar, Ritz Hotel London; and Rory Sorrell, The Royal Cocktail Exchange.

The winner in June will go on to the next leg of the World Class journey, the global final, held this year in Scotland.