For those who wonder why female+ only bartending competitions exist, we have four important words for you: because they need to.
Sad but unfortunately, very true.
Consider this: while women represent 60% of the UK hospitality workplace, only 33% of working bartenders are actually women. Yes, this is 2026! And if you drill into those who go on to enter cocktail competitions, the stats are even bleaker. In fact, women are significantly less likely enter comps than their male counterparts. Why? Who knows. What is very clear though is, if they don’t enter, they don’t get the platform to go on to reap the many benefits that competitions bring.
Enter Bar Queens. Literally.
What is Bar Queens?
It’s a female thing. Or more specifically it’s a female+ bartender thing. In response to the fact that female bartenders cite experiences of gender-based bias and discrimination in the bar, including limited mentorship opportunities, fewer promotions, and reduced access to industry networks compared to their male counterparts, Bar Queens is unapologetically targeted to young female+ bartenders across the UK. It’s aim? True to the ‘share, inspire, ethos’ of SIP, the advocacy platform powered by Pernod Ricard and the instigators of Bar Queens, it’s to empower and champion women and female identifying talent and give them a step up in their careers.
Having judged numerous national and global cocktail comps over the years, we’ve seen the impact that even participating, let alone winning can have on those taking part. There are the big things like the personal PR and recognition for the recipients’ respective bars, but you can’t underestimate the value and power of the networking opportunities – not just with fellow competitors but with judges and brands. And of course, with that comes empowerment, growth and increased visibility in the industry.
With Bar Queens all of those boxes have been well and truly ticked. But it’s not just the competition element that’s been considered – there’s the all-important, much valued mentorship and support that comes as part of the package. Just so you know, Bar Queens has been devised with collaboration, creativity and confidence in mind. And who doesn’t want more of those things in their work lives?
So that’s the what and why taken care of, now it’s on to the how…
Bar Queens Call To Entry: How to take part
Now in its third year, Bar Queens is inviting female+ bartenders to get their shaker faces on and show off their creativity, chat and mixing skills for a chance to win a three-day, all-expenses paid trip to the Athens Bar Show, one of our favourite of its kind in the world.
Need to know:
- Bar Queens is open to female+ bartenders across the UK.
- To be part of it, you need to enter in pairs. So partner up with your bestie and get ready to conquer the world.
- Partners sorted, teams have to devise two drinks connected by a shared concept, theme or technique. The brief for said drinks?
One has to be a spritz-inspired aperitivo drink
the other must be a bespoke cocktail inspired by a dynamic duo.
Really think outside the box on this one – you can go down the people route – think Thelma & Louise, Batman & Robin, Fred & Ginger whatever gets your creative juices going. You might go down the flavour route – strawberries and cream, salt and vinegar or something pretty bonkers like fish and chips. Alternatively, your dynamic duo might encompass two of your favourite bartenders. The choice is yours. - While you obviously have to follow the brief, that doesn’t mean you can’t be creative. On the contrary. Apart from the fact that your drink has to contain a minimum of 30ml Lillet Rose – pretty much anything goes. Have fun!
- This is the important one for now: entries close at 10pm on 30th March. Yes, that’s right. You have less than a week to enter but everyone works best under pressure, right?
- When you’re happy with your drinks, get them ready for their close up. You need to post a photo of them, tagging both @barqueens_uk and @joinsip_uk along with the following:
– Your names and the venues you both work in
– Your drinks specs
– A brief write up of your inspirations
– Your preferred regional heat preference - Instas posted, next email your submission to sip.uk@pernod-ricard.com and you’re done.
Dates for your diary:
The big one: entries close, 30th March at 10pm
Regional heats:
9th April – Below Stairs, Leeds
15th April – Edinburgh Bar Show, Edinburgh
29th April – Slow Pour, Liverpool
30th April – Lab22, Cardiff
5th May – Swift Shoreditch, London
Early June (date tbc) – Grand Final, London
Prizes
There’s a whole lot to be gained from entering Bar Queens. Such as the camaraderie and all of the things that we mentioned above but the ‘actual’ prize, prize, is a three-day educational and cultural trip to the Athens Bar Show. That means more networking, more trend exploration, more career development opportunities and plenty more fun.
Enter Bar Queens. You know it makes sense.
