TIO PEPE 1on1:

THE ULTIMATE COCKTAIL CHALLENGE

The world’s number one Fino Sherry, Tio Pepe, has launched the ultimate Sherry cocktail challenge online: Tio Pepe 1on1 is the new look Tio Pepe Challenge.

Taking place in 24 countries, this innovative cocktail competition will test bartenders and mixologists who are passionate about Sherry.

Jerez, March 2021 – Tio Pepe 1on1: the digital cocktail competition that invites most creative and talented bartenders to engage in a "game" to test their sherry knowledge and bar skills.

Born out of the Tio Pepe Challenge, the world’s longest running Sherry cocktail contest, the competition will be live streamed throughout the month of March and April 2021, pitting the skills of top mixologists from 24 nations worldwide against each other. Only one bartender, the best of the best, will be invited to represent their country in the ultimate "cocktail battle" on the 16th June 2021.

Competing bartenders will receive a selection of Gonzalez Byass sherries, vermouth, and spirits available in their individual market, to inspire them and help get the creative juices flowing – the aim being to show-off their Sherry knowledge and skill in building their own inspiring Sherry cocktail.

Kicking off on the 23th March the Tio Pepe 1on1 challenge will be decided by single round elimination process; each stage includes mini challenges and sherry cocktail recipe presentations to test the talent of the participants. If participants are successful they will get through to the next round. In these knockout stages, the decision on who advances on the competition will be made by @tiopepewine Instagram followers, and each competitor’s team of supporters, via a 24h voting window.

The finalists, drawn from three different countries, will win one of three spots to compete in the final. Their ultimate challenge will be to create their own unique recipe for a premium, pre-bottled cocktail which will be sent anonymously to the judges to taste blind and decide the winner. The criteria which will decide the winning cocktail will be:

o balance of flavour in the cocktails created

o originality

o Presentation – bottle packaging, design and decoration

o The capacity of the participants to bringing fresh ideas to the modern sherry cocktail culture

The judging panel will include: Victoria Gonzalez Gordon, 5th generation Gonzalez Family member; Antonio Flores, award-winning, master blender at Gonzalez Byass; Dean Callan, bar industry personality and the Milkpunch Boys Bar; Zoran Peric, cocktail tools expert and Eddie Rudzinkas, founder of @cocktails_for_you.