Mia Kumari named winner of IWSC’s 2023 Emerging Talent in Bartending Trophy

Now in its third year, the IWSC is proud to announce the winner of its 2023 Emerging Talent in Bartending Trophy, sponsored by Crossip Drinks.

Recognising the very finest talent in the bartender community, the judges were asked to lookout for individuals they felt were leading the way in creativity and trendsetting in the bar world.

Following last week’s announcement of the four shortlisted entrants, the IWSC is delighted to name Mia Kumari as the winner of this year’s award.

Mia is a bartender at The Savoy’s American Bar. Three years into her career as a bartender, she entered her first professional cocktail competition - and won! Not resting on her laurels, during the past three years, Mia has really taken responsibility for developing her career, which our judges remarked on, completing her WSET Level 2 in Spirits in 2021 and in the past year graduating from the Rookie program with Edrington Beam Suntory and BarLife UK and being accepted in the 1887 Collective with William Grant and the Moët Hennessy Assemblage community.

In her entry, Mia highlighted she would use the prize of £2.5k educational travel bursary to further her education, working as a volunteer Red Coat at Tales of the Cocktail, or visiting the US to attend Camp Runamok to benefit from small group educational opportunities around distilling, blending and spirits production. As well as the bursary, Mia together with the other shortlisted entrants for this category will be offered an opportunity to join a mentor programme with CROSSIP founder, Carl Anthony Brown.