Nairobi, 30th April 2025 – Benson Kanyi was crowned Kenya’s top bartender at The World Class Kenya 2025 Competition, whose final was held this week at the Tribe Hotel in Nairobi. Sponsored by Diageo, the competition highlights the skills of Kenya’s best bartenders, with Kanyi earning the chance to represent Kenya at the global finals in Toronto, Canada.
Benson, who has nine years’ experience in the industry, is currently working with The Salty Squid Beach Bar & Restaurant, Diani. He secured the title after a final round that was dubbed “The Arts” challenge which required creativity and storytelling to showcase the bartender’s skill. He presented three creations to the judging panel, namely “Wawili Twende” and “Fresh Idea” which were Tanqueray NO. TEN based cocktails. And “Eastlands Touch” a Johnnie Walker Blue based cocktail.
“Being named World Class Kenya 2025 champion is an honour and a reflection of the hard work I’ve put into my craft. I am committed to representing our country in Toronto with excellence and hopefully win. My goal is to elevate the global perception of our industry and inspire the next generation of bartenders to push boundaries and seize opportunities like these,” said Benson Kanyi.
The panel of judges including Chef Wayne Walkinshaw, Executive Chef Radisson Blu Hotel, Victoria Munyoki, Spirits Industry Expert and Anup Devani, Director at Revolver, evaluated every creation ensuring the cocktails met the highest standards of innovation and adherence to the competition’s brief.
In the Tanqueray No. TEN “Industry Legends” challenge, finalists were tasked with creating two serves inspired by a bartending icon. The first, a low-ABV welcome drink fit for a luxury hotel experience while the second one was to be a full-size serve cocktail. This required the competitors to have innovative techniques to push the boundaries of cocktail creation. The challenge tested the competitors’ ability to balance the flavour of the iconic drink while capturing the essence of their selected icon.
For the highly anticipated World Class competition Finals, “The Arts” challenge, by Johnnie Walker Blue tasked the finalists with merging the world of luxury and culture to come up with the most engaging drinks experiences. Taking inspiration from the world of Art and Fashion, the competitors were required to push their creativity to come up with a luxury cocktail experience that immerses guests into the depth of Johnnie Walker Blue Label.
Suwilanji Ngambi, EABL’s National Advocacy Manager said, “This competition continues to elevate the hospitality industry in Kenya, creating opportunities for talent to shine on a global stage.
The challenges require the bartenders to utilize innovative techniques as they push the boundaries of cocktail creation. With Benson’s victory, we now shift our focus to the preparations for the global finals with the hope of clinching the title.
The Kenya edition of the competition, which began in January, featured Diageo Reserve brands like Johnnie Walker, The Singleton, Don Julio and Tanqueray. The World Class Global Finals will take place in September 2025 in Toronto, Canada.
