The panel will judge the 16 finalists at Hacienda Patrón in Jalisco Mexico from 24 to 30 March.
The judges include: Ivy Mix of Leyenda Bar and Fiasco! wine and spirits; LP O’Brien of LP Drinks and Focus on Health; Sandrae Lawrence of The Cocktails Lovers magazine; Tara Fougner of Thirsty Media; Giulia Cuccurullo 2020 Patrón Perfectionists global winner; Harrison Kenney 2022 Patrón Perfectionists global winner and Ana Martorell of Aida restaurants and OXA Cocina Unica.
The final week will include three challenges which will include knowledge from modules from the entry stage last year.
The first challenge will be the ‘Field to Flavor’ judged by Sandrae Lawrence, Giulia Cuccurullo and Ana Martorell with the brief shared on the day.
The second, will be ‘The Stories We Share’ judged by Ivy Mix, LP O’Brien and Harrison Kenney exploring the rich history of Mexico.
The third and final challenge will be ‘Mi Mesa es Tu Mesa’ (my table is your table, a take on the popular Spanish expression mi casa es tu casa) and will see finalists serve a neat serve alongside a non-alcoholic cocktail.
The final challenge will be judged by the entire panel, along with Global Director of On-Trade Excellence for Patrón tequila, Lauren Mote.
“We couldn’t be prouder of having such a stellar line-up of experts joining us from all over the world for what is a much-awaited and first-of-its-kind PATRÓN Perfectionists global final event,” says Mote.
“Each one of the judges is a trail blazer in their industry, a vibrant personality whose passion and energy is an inspiration for hospitality professionals, food and cocktail lovers.”
The 16 finalists include Melbourne’s Alex Boon of Pearl Diver Cocktails & Oysters.
To follow the competition, see Academia Patrón’s Instagram and the online portal.