Auckland bartender wins Jameson Global Champion title

Auckland cocktail bartender PJ Renaud has been named one of three Global Champions in the 2026 Jameson Black Barrel Bartender Series.

The international bartender competition and mentorship programme is dedicated to championing creativity, community and local culture and drew 432 entries from 60 countries worldwide.

Renaud had been selected as a Regional Champion for his entry ‘The Pavlova Boy’ and from there a Top 10 finalist. This year’s brief asked entrants to celebrate their own communities in a Jameson Black Barrel cocktail that drew on flavours inspired by their local produce, nature and cultural traditions.

The Top 10 group competed at a Grand Final at Midleton Distillery in Cork as part of the Jameson Hosts Global Summit.

Serves were judged blind by two independent panels of judges and mentors, chaired by returning judge and mentor Danil Nevsky of Indie Bartender (Spain), alongside Bannie Kang of Sidecar (Singapore) and Jean Trinh of Alquímico (Colombia). 

Jameson Global Champions Eray Hakan Evcil, Lewis Kay and PJ Renaud.

PJ Renaud was one of the three top-scoring entrants, alongside Eray Hakan Evcil from Turkey and Lewis Kay from Spain.

The trio each receive a €5,000 cash prize, a private dinner with industry thought leaders, and a place on the Jameson Black Barrel Bartender Series mentorship programme – a year of in-person and virtual sessions with mentors Danil Nevsky, Gina Barbachano and Remy Savage, covering creative ideation, concept development, global marketing and social media branding.