Danish Bartender Triumphs in Pilsner Urquell International Master Bartender Competition 2009

Now in its fourth year, the competition has reached new heights, with 4,000 bartenders from 17 countries competing for the coveted title. For the first time, the decision was taken to split the final between two cities. Bartenders first travelled to the home of the beer in Pilsen for testing, before transferring to the vibrant German capital of Berlin for the awards ceremony. Rasmus claimed his prize at a glamorous awards ceremony in the spectacular surroundings of the Deutsches Historisches Museum in the heart of the city.
 
The final stage of the competition saw the bartenders placed in front of a panel of beer experts for intensive interviews, before sitting an arduous written exam in the heart of the brewery in Pilsen. They were even tasked with demonstrating their pouring skills in front of an enthusiastic public in Berlin city centre.

Rasmus’s journey to Berlin is the culmination of a busy few years of studying, travelling and discovering his passion for bartending. He was more than thrilled to take home the international title: “I can’t begin to express how amazing winning this title is for me. All the bartenders here have so much passion and have worked so hard to get here. I can’t wait to spread some of this passion to my customers when I get back to Copenhagen.”

Second and third place went to Ivan Simonovic from Slovakia and Maria Abrams from Germany, who both gave sterling performances demonstrating in-depth knowledge of the brewing techniques that are unique to Pilsner Urquell and masterfully displaying the art of the perfect pour.   

Vinod Giri, Global Brand Director for Pilsner Urquell, said: “The pure Pilsner from Pilsen deserves to be handled and served with care and dedication and all our bartenders have excelled themselves on that front. Each year, we are pleasantly surprised by the standards we see and remain committed to ensuring this professionalism is given the necessary rewards.”

Rasmus will now head off on a global victory tour, travelling to visit three of his fellow bartender finalists in their own countries to get behind the bar in their outlets, with his experiences documented along the way.

Contact:
Vladimír Jurina
Corporate Affairs
+420 724 617 886 

Notes for editors:

• With total sales of over 10.7 million hectolitres in the calendar year 2008 (including licensed production abroad) and exports to more than 50 countries around the world, Plzensky Prazdroj, a. s., is a major beer producer in the region and the largest exporter of Czech beer.
• Plzensky Prazdroj, a. s. is a member of the global group SABMiller plc. Pilsner Urquell is the international flagship of the SABMiller brand portfolio.
• SABMiller plc is one of the world’s largest brewers, with brewing interests or distribution agreements in over 60 countries across six continents. The SABMiller brand portfolio consists of international brands such as Miller Genuine Draft, Peroni Nastro Azzurro and Pilsner Urquell, as well as almost 200 other successful regional and national brands. 

Berlin