Funkin has selected five bartenders to compete for the coveted Innovation Champion title where the winner will have the unique opportunity to work with the cocktail innovator on a paid, part-time freelance basis for one year.
Funkin invited the nations bartenders to come up with the next big innovation in cocktails and create a Funkin cocktail that reflects the brand’s innovative approach, using any product from the FunkinPro range.
The finalists showed vision and a keen understanding of the Funkin range. They are Michael Stringer of BlackLeaf Events (London), Joe Macbeth of Rub Smokehouse & Bar (Nottingham), James Le Gallez of Apéritif (Guernsey), Massimo Zitti of Cane & Grain (Manchester) and Róbert Kecskés of Chez Chow (London).
The group will be challenged to recreate their Funkin cocktail, present their innovative idea and think on their feet during the final this month at one of London’s leading bars, The Cocktail Trading Co.
The winner will contribute to Funkin’s ongoing innovation calendar and get involved with new and exciting projects as the company continues to grow and lead the way in product development.
Funkin Managing Director Andrew King says: “This year, we’ve had outstanding entries for our second annual Innovation Champion. Cocktail innovation is at the heart of everything we do and we’ve selected five finalists that we feel best represent Funkin’s ethos. 2016 will be an exciting year for Funkin and we are confident whoever is named Innovation Champion will have a rewarding experience as part of our visionary team.”