Aidan Beaumont, from bar group, Arc Inspirations, has been named the Bartender of the Year, following a flawless performance at the 2024 Classic Cocktail Competition.
Beamont, who oversees all aspects of cocktail creation and drink quality across the group’s premium collection of bar brands, Manahatta, BOX and Banyan, was awarded the prestigious title after competing against the country’s best, delivering his take on six classic cocktails to a panel of industry judges.
The award-winning cocktails included a coconut and peach-inspired Negroni, and a Pornstar Martini that featured a pineapple-infused vodka and yellow banana syrup. Both drinks wowed judges and were praised for their originality, balance of flavours and seamless nod to both classic and contemporary styles.
The standard of serves from some of the most renowned bar brands in the industry was extremely high, but Beaumont’s overall performance was enough to secure the top honour at the second instalment of the Classic Cocktail Competition.
Speaking after the win, Aidan Beaumont, Bar Development Manager at Arc Inspirations said:
“The level that I saw everyone else bring, especially from some of these big-name groups like Alchemist, Roxy, Albert’s Schloss… you suddenly ask yourself, ‘why didn’t I think of that?’ But it was a massive shock, you don’t really ever expect to win,” says Beaumont.
“My personal opinion of classics is that if you have the skills behind the bar to do them, you should write them into the menu. There are a whole group of people who are starting to drink who might not have heard of these serves. Do we need to expose them more? You can take these amazing drinks and do incredible things with them, so they become your own thing. It makes them more accessible for a whole new audience and that is exactly what the Classic Cocktail Competition is helping achieve.”
Arc Inspirations CEO, Martin Wolstencroft, congratulated Beaumont by saying:
“Aidan is the latest in a long line of award-winning mixologists that have come through at Arc.
“And all power to him – he drives everything we do around our market-leading cocktails and ensures we stay ahead of everyone in terms of standards and innovation of our drinks menu. To see him land this prize is fantastic recognition for someone who is truly at the top of their game. To emerge as the winner of this competition requires a lot of dedication and commitment, and we couldn’t be happier for him.”
Along with the winning trophy, Beaumont walked away with a £1,000 prize, as well as a spot in a worldwide cocktail competition final with sponsor Les verges Boiron, which takes place in Madrid in March 2025. He will also attend a Mix with Britvic immersion session, followed by a pub and bar safari around Leeds.
