Nikki McCormack to represent Ireland at the Heinek ® Global Bartender Finals in Amsterdam
Last month, four of Ireland’s top bartenders battled it out at HEINEKEN’s Lady’s Well Brewery in Cork, competing for the title of Heineken® Bartender of the Year. Nikki McCormack from the Clonsilla Inn, Dublin, took the top spot, going head to head against some stiff competition with finalists from Punch’s Bar Limerick, The Old Quarter Limerick, and Taylor’s Bar Galway. Nikki will now represent Ireland in the Heineken ® Global finals in Amsterdam, facing off against top bartenders from around the world.
The Heineken® Bartender of the Year Award is part of HEINEKEN Ireland’s €1 million investment in the Heineken® Ahhh-cademy programme, a three-year training initiative dedicated to supporting the on-trade industry in Ireland. HEINEKEN Ireland developed this innovative training programme with educational experts, focusing on experiential delivery and gamification to create an engaging learning experience. Participants received training in bar fundamentals, highlighting the valuable skills gained from working in the bar industry. The programme included 46 training sessions in its first year alone and has trained over 2,500 bar staff.
HEINEKEN Ireland invited bartenders nationwide to submit video entries demonstrating their commitment to maintaining Heineken® quality. After a rigorous review process, the top 8 bartenders were shortlisted.
Speaking at the Heineken® Bartender of the Year Awards, Fiona Curtin, Marketing Director at HEINEKEN Ireland, said, “The Heineken® Ahhh-academy has been running nationwide all year and it was a pleasure to host the awards at our Cork brewery, the home of HEINEKEN Ireland. The level of talent and skill across bartending in Ireland is top tier. We received so many impressive submissions, it was incredibly tough to narrow them down.
We’re delighted to send Nikki to represent us in Amsterdam at the Europe/global awards and can’t wait to see how she gets on. Bartenders are at the core of HEINEKEN’s trade activities, representing the last touchpoint between brand and consumer, so we’re committed to championing and celebrating them the best we can.”
The Ahhh-Cademy was a core part of HEINEKEN’s ‘Ahhh, That’s Refreshing!’ campaign celebrating the brand’s quality, and built on the successes of initiatives to support the hospitality industry in recent years, with an investment of over €10 million to support bars and pubs post-COVID, including the Heineken® PubMuseums Campaign in early 2024, which became the most awarded Irish marketing campaign in the history of the prestigious Cannes Lions Awards.