World Class bartenders showcase their skills at Clive’s Classic Lounge this Thursday

In celebration of the World Class in Canada cocktail competition, Clive’s Classic Lounge is hosting four internationally-renowned cocktail bartenders from 8-10pm this Thursday.Guest bartenders James Grant, Massimo Ziti, Kaitlyn Stewart, and Jeff Savage will bring their unique skills to Clive’s, fashioning and creating their own special cocktails for an audience. Clive’s manager Shawn Soole told Tasting Victoria they are lucky to host events like this with such world-class talent.“We do events like these three to six times a month,” he said. “… showcasing World Class to the people of Victoria.”Each bartender on Thursday represented Canada in the Global Bartender of the Year competition, and two won. Gray and Stewart won in 2021 and 2017, respectively, while Savage was the Global Bartender of the Year runner up in 2019.Meanwhile, Zitti—the reigning World Class Bartender for Canada— competed on the international stage in Sydney, Australia this past September. Unfortunately, Norway’s Adrián Michalčík beat out Zitti to take the coveted Global Bartender of the Year away from reigning Canada. The competition is one of both taste and service and is judged on the quality of each in a variety of ways.

In 2021, Grant won the judges over with a Johnnie Walker Highball inspired by his hometown (Edmonton, Alta.); a masterclass on making a Tanqueray No. Ten at home; with a fulsome Ketel One vodka cocktail; and a lesson on making a subterranean-themed Don Julia Tequila drink. Also, in speed rounds, bartenders are judged for their speed of service and the quality of cocktails.

Check out Grant, and three of Canada’s best bartenders this Thursday at Clive’s Classic Lounge from 8-10pm.