SHANGHAI — Keegan McGregor of Highwayman Bar in Halifax has been awarded the title of World Class Global Bartender of the Year 2024 at the world’s biggest cocktail competition, celebrated in Shanghai this year. Competing against finalists from 44 regions around the world, spanning six continents, McGregor was named the ultimate winner by an international lineup of industry legends.
McGregor stood out amongst the other competitors by presenting a series of signature serves that celebrated community, sustainability and innovation. The World Class competition, hosted by Diageo, sets to challenge and inspire the next generation of bartenders through a spirited contest where they are rewarded for pushing their creativity, storytelling and techniques to the next level.
Themed Future Legacy, this year’s event proved that the future of bartending has never been more exciting, with the discovery of unique flavour combinations and cocktail concepts that are reflective of the vibrancy seen in the best bars around the world.
As part of his journey, McGregor showcased how Scotch Whisky can come alive and elevate a new generation of serves using technology, with a bespoke Johnnie Walker Blue Label serve. He was also challenged to create a duo of drinks re-imagining both his home city and Shanghai, featuring indigenous ingredients alongside Don Julio tequila. For his home city, Halifax, he showcased his take on a dish called Hodge Podge — a stew with local harvested vegetables —and took elements of that to create a twist on a classic eggnog. A Ketel One vodka challenge saw McGregor tasked with creating a cocktail initiative that supports the growth of the hospitality community in his neighbourhood in Halifax. He also created three pioneering gin cocktails with Tanqueray No. TEN, which took the judges on a journey through bartending history and into the future, with each drink paying tribute to an industry legend.
The Singleton challenge was about designing an ingeniously theatrical Single Malt Scotch whisky serve, blending taste with sound. The culmination was The Shanghai Showdown final challenge, which saw McGregor, along with seven other finalists, create an immersive bar pop-up experience that transcended the boundaries of bartending and set the tone for the future of cocktail culture.
“My World Class journey started six years ago, so it’s a really special experience to be recognized as the World Class Global Bartender of the Year 2024,” says McGregor. “The camaraderie amongst the competitors this week has been both inspiring and has kept me going. The biggest piece of advice I was given was to be myself and that’s exactly what I did.”
