The 2025 SIP Supernova Cocktail Grand Prix Asia Final is landing in Shanghai, April 14–16. We’re uniting 20 rising star bartenders from China Mainland, Hong Kong, Macau, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, and the UAE. All ready for a showdown at The St. Regis Hotel across three days of full-on cocktail chaos (the good kind).
So, what's on the agenda?
This year’s final will host mentorship sessions led by industry titans from the iconic judges panel, masterclasses, high-stake competition rounds, and Guest Shifts featuring big names. Contestants will perform in warm-up matches such as a Spirits Blind Tasting, to identify the most liquors in a limited time, three exciting rounds of challenges including the Havana Club Cuban Mode Challenge (yep, this is the gateway to the Havana Club Cocktail Maestros global stage), and the Creative Cocktail Menu Challenge, where champions can flex their skills to design a three-course menu around the Atlas theme. Going out with a bang, the competition culminates in a grand finale and afterparty, celebrating the new generation of bartending pioneers.
A distinguished panel of industry legends will oversee the competition, including:
Danil Nevsky – Founder, Indie Bartender
Simone Caporale – Bar Owner, BOADAS & SIPS Barcelona
Priyanka Blah – Founder, The Dram Attic
Ethan Liu – Founder, CMYK Bar
Chanel Adams – Bar Manager, Bamboo Bar Bangkok
Bannie Kang – Founder, Side Door Singapore
For Prashant Sangwan (UAE), securing a place at the Asia Final was a defining moment:
“I’ll never forget hearing my name announced - I couldn’t stop laughing out of pure joy! All the late nights, the hours of refining my craft, had finally paid off. This is an incredible opportunity, and I’m grateful for the support of the Pernod Ricard community in the UAE who have championed my journey.”
Meanwhile at a national level, competitors were challenged to push creative boundaries and Thailand’s Ruben Kolosa took an unconventional approach, using cosmology as the foundation for his winning cocktails:
“For the first round, I was inspired by hope - because hope drives us to explore new frontiers, just like space exploration. In the final, I designed my cocktail around the concept of an international space station - a place where people from different cultures connect and share their stories, much like we do in the bar world.”
To celebrate the winner’s skill and passion, a series of awards and prizes are on offer including:
An invitation to the Jameson Hosts Summit in Ireland
A place in the Havana Club Cocktail Maestros global final in Cuba
Cash prizes and industry-wide recognition
Beyond the competition, SIP fosters a culture of mentorship, innovation, and sustainability, ensuring that the bartenders shaping tomorrow’s industry can level up with the tools, knowledge, and platform to do so.
Who will take the title this year? Follow the journey on Instagram @SIP_Global with daily updates and a livestream for the Final Challenge on Wednesday 16th 2PM CST.
