Ghana’s Survaiva Benjamin Donkor wins Johnnie Walker Global Bartender challenge

The top Scotch Whisky brand in the world, Johnnie Walker, has disclosed the champions of its Bartender Challenge for Black Label worldwide. Survaiva Benjamin Donkor, a bartender from Ghana and Senior Bartender at Tribeca Restaurant, emerged as the winner. He is entitled to a trio of nights to experience Black Label objectives in Scotland, which is the base of Johnnie Walker.

People invited bartenders from different parts of the world to showcase their creativity by sharing a unique Instagram reel of their self-made signature Johnnie Walker Black Label cocktail. They were expected to explain the reasons why this blend of Scotch whisky complements the drink perfectly.

Benjamin Donkor's serve from Africa was chosen as the victorious entry out of more than forty nations. Only seven additional champions were selected from around the world.

Benjamin Donkor emerged as the victorious mixologist with his amazing beverage creation, referred to as The Black Secret. His cocktail inspiration involved blending the flavors of Johnnie Walker Black Label with a combination of freshly squeezed lemon juice, coconut liqueur, crème de cassis, activated charcoal syrup, and freshly extracted pineapple juice.

In January 2025, there will be a trip over the weekend of Burns Night where the winners can experience the full traditional celebration. Along with that, there will be other fun activities such as visiting the Diageo Archive, touring the distillery behind the scenes, and having a deconstructed tasting of Johnnie Walker Black Label with Dr Emma Walker, who is the Master Blender of Johnnie Walker. Furthermore, winners can also take advantage of a variety of experiences at the Johnnie Walker Brand home, Johnnie Walker Princes Street.

Tim Philips-Johansson and Jan Šebek, who won the Johnnie Walker challenge at Diageo World Class 2023, chose the winners. They tasted the entries in Amsterdam to decide which ones used the Johnnie Walker Black Label in the most delicious and balanced way. The judges had pre-selected the entries and then judged them during the tasting session.

Benjamin Donkor, a bartender, expressed his immense gratitude for being chosen as one of the winners of the Johnnie Walker Black Label Bartender Challenge. He found it to be a truly humbling experience and extended his heartfelt thanks to everyone who played a role in it. He believes that this accomplishment is not only for himself, but also for his home continent of Africa. Winning a global competition like this had always been his aspiration, and he is at a loss for words to describe how he feels at the moment.

According to Tim Phillips-Johansson, Johnnie Walker's Global Brand Ambassador, Survaiva's cocktail with a strong presence of fruits was outstanding. The crème de cassis harmoniously blended with Johnnie Walker Black Label to create a unique flavor. The combination of coconut and pineapple is a timeless classic, but Survaiva surpassed expectations by adding his own personal touch to the mix. The judges particularly enjoyed the innovative way in which he twisted the classic flavors.

The plan was created to highlight the high-quality qualities of Johnnie Walker Black Label and show appreciation to those who have helped promote the acclaimed mixed Scottish whisky among bartenders.

More than a century ago, the Walker family was unhappy with the limited flavor options and varying quality of whiskies available at the time. So, they decided to take a revolutionary approach and craft a much superior Scotch Whisky that boasts a rich, iconic taste. Their expert blending techniques are still used today to produce the renowned Johnnie Walker Black Label.

The people behind Johnnie Walker Black Label travel across Scotland in search of the finest whiskies. They choose those that represent the distinct flavors and scents of the region they're from. The result is a magnificent blend of flavors that is loved by people all over the world.