The bartenders at Keio Plaza Hotel have won various awards in numerous competitions not only nationally but also internationally. These competitions push the contestants to pour all their skills and imagination into a glass of cocktail overflowing with originality.
This international tournament tests things like improvisation and communication skills as well as technique and creativity. It is not easy to stand tall amongst the world’s powerhouse of bartenders. In recent years, international competitions have evolved to not only the creation of original cocktails but also an entire presentation, where the bartenders would be equipped with a microphone headset to share with the audience and judges their creation not only through performance but also through their own words. Starting in 2017, Keio Plaza Hotel changed the structure of our in-hotel annual “Cocktail Award” to the presentation style, to nurture our bartenders who are aspiring to participate in international competitions to compete against one another. “Cocktail Award” gives our bartenders a chance to showcase their skills, originality and imagination in front of 300 guests.
We are proud of the history and lineage of Keio Plaza Hotel’s ambitious and successful bartenders, extending their reach to the world stage of bartending, to be succeeded by the younger generation of bartenders.
