Ninth Time’s a Charm: Meet Australia’s Best Bartender – Currently Competing To Be Best in the World

After walking away from his eighth Diageo World Class Bartender of the Year with another participation ribbon, James Irvine knew it was time to step things up and launch into his ninth with all guns – or shakers, jiggers and muddlers – blazing. “I knew that if I wanted to win it, I had to work harder than I ever had on any previous attempt,” he tells Broadsheet. “For me, this year was all about being as true to myself as possible.” This approach (not to mention his serious skills behind a bar) earned Irvine the top gong in 2025, and a seat at the table for the World Class Global Final happening later this month.

“It was one of the best moments of my professional career – I’m still pinching myself,” he says. And that’s saying something, given his long list of awards (including 2023 Australian Bartender of the Year) and leading roles at top local venues. He’s currently creative cocktail lead at Sydney behemoth Merivale.

“I was so determined to bring my all that day,” says Irvine, who did exactly that against some of the country’s best: Darren Burton of Kiin Restaurant, Saint Peter’s Samuel Cocks and Shirley Yeung of Foxtrot Unicorn and Nieuw Ruin, to name a few. “Each and every bartender I competed alongside is so incredibly talented. Really, throughout the whole day, I was just trying to lean on my preparation and make myself proud. I put everything out there, so there’s also a sense of relief.”

The World Class Bartender of the Year is an annual competition held by beverage leader Diageo, with the top bartenders from across the globe completing a series of tests and challenges to demonstrate expertise in their craft. Irving competed to be the best in Australia, a title that’ll get him competing against the best of other regions around the world.

Irvine created three knockout cocktails for the comp, including The Cake Is in Tears, with Don Julio’s new 1942 Chaparritos, feijoa and yuzu citrate. Beyond ingredients, Irvine draws inspiration from food, music, travel and architecture. “Anything that sparks a feeling or an idea can inspire a drink,” he says. Then there’s all the people he’s worked alongside. “You pick up something from everyone you meet. Whether it’s a flavour combo from a chef, a story from a guest or a trick from a mate behind the bar – it all adds up.”

For Irvine, bartending is about more than making a great drink. “It’s creativity, hospitality and storytelling all rolled into one,” he says. “It’s about creating a moment for someone – something they’ll remember long after the glass is empty.”

In the lead-up to the Diageo World Class Bartender of the Year finals, which are being held in Toronto now, Irvine says he’s “leaning on [his] pit crew as much as possible... World Class truly is a team effort.” He’s had a month and a bit to conceptualise and create drinks using Johnnie Walker and Tanqueray No 10 (“There’s some absolute bangers in there, which I can’t wait to share with the world”) and now it’s onto rehearsals. “I’ve been practicing as much as possible, making sure that I’m stress-testing every movement and ingredient. I’ve been spending time with people whose knowledge I respect – chefs, industry pros and former competitors – trying to soak up as much of their advice as I can.”

For the man behind the cocktail lists of 90-plus venues, preparation is key. “You can be as creative as you want when you’re developing the drink, but on comp day it’s got to be bulletproof,” he says. “If it takes 12 steps and a prayer to execute, it’s not going to work under pressure.” Plus, you won’t be able to enjoy yourself – and, according to Irvine, that’s what this competition, and the industry as a whole, is really all about.

“I want to make sure that I enjoy every aspect of the experience. Yes, I’m there to compete and hopefully make Australia proud, but I’m also there alongside over 50 of the best bartenders from around the globe and countless industry legends. The community is what makes World Class so special, and I want to make sure I give myself the time to really soak everything up.”

The Diageo World Class Global Final will be held in Toronto, Canada, from September 27 to October 2, 2025.