Jonathan Howard
In the world of competitive cocktail mixing, and yes, there is a world of that, the United States Bartenders Guild World Class competition is one of the big ones. Sponsored by Diageo, this contest requires all sorts of qualifying, including submitting recipes for blind judging, regional competitions and moving on to the national finals to be named the big winner. This year, Jonathan Howard from Henley has risen almost all the way to the top of the heap.
Howard was named one of the three winners of the 2018 U.S. Southern Regional Finals in Washington, D.C., back in early May and will now travel to Louisville to compete in the National Finals June 4-6. He has been busy concocting nine new recipes for the finals, where he will face off against 14 other regional finalists. For reaching this level, Howard has already been named a member of the World Class 50, a list of the most innovative and talented bartenders in the world.
If he were to win the U.S. Finals (fingers crossed!), Howard would move on to the Global Finals in Berlin. Howard has already won a title in the prestigious Woodford Reserve Manhattan Experience back in 2016, so I wouldn’t bet against him. If you see him behind the stick at Henley before he leaves to compete, wish him luck!
