Pilsner Urquell IMB Winner Announcement
Pilsner Urquell IMB Winner Announcement
Pilsner Urquell IMB Winner Announcement
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DANISH BARTENDER TRIUMPHS IN PILSNER URQUELL INTERNATIONAL MASTER<br />
BARTENDER COMPETITION 2009<br />
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br />
Berlin, 2 nd October 2009 – Rasmus Kobbersmed has won the title of <strong>Pilsner</strong> <strong>Urquell</strong><br />
International Master Bartender 2009 during a highly-competitive two-day final. Rasmus, who<br />
works in Den Bla Hund in Copenhagen, claimed victory against an impressive group of finalists<br />
from sixteen other countries.<br />
Now in its fourth year, the competition has reached new heights, with 4,000 bartenders from 17<br />
countries competing for the coveted title. For the first time, the decision was taken to split the<br />
final between two cities. Bartenders first travelled to the home of the beer in Pilsen for testing,<br />
before transferring to the vibrant German capital of Berlin for the awards ceremony. Rasmus<br />
claimed his prize at a glamorous awards ceremony in the spectacular surroundings of the<br />
Deutsches Historisches Museum in the heart of the city.<br />
The final stage of the competition saw the bartenders placed in front of a panel of beer experts<br />
for intensive interviews, before sitting an arduous written exam in the heart of the brewery in<br />
Pilsen. They were even tasked with demonstrating their pouring skills in front of an enthusiastic<br />
public in Berlin city centre.<br />
Rasmus’s journey to Berlin is the culmination of a busy few years of studying, travelling and<br />
discovering his passion for bartending. He was more than thrilled to take home the international<br />
title: “I can’t begin to express how amazing winning this title is for me. All the bartenders here<br />
have so much passion and have worked so hard to get here. I can’t wait to spread some of this<br />
passion to my customers when I get back to Copenhagen.”<br />
Second and third place went to Ivan Simonovic from Slovakia and Maria Abrams from<br />
Germany, who both gave sterling performances demonstrating in-depth knowledge of the<br />
brewing techniques that are unique to <strong>Pilsner</strong> <strong>Urquell</strong> and masterfully displaying the art of the<br />
perfect pour.<br />
Vinod Giri, Global Brand Director for <strong>Pilsner</strong> <strong>Urquell</strong>, said: “The pure <strong>Pilsner</strong> from Pilsen<br />
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<br />
see and remain committed to ensuring this professionalism is given the necessary rewards.”<br />
Rasmus will now head off on a global victory tour, travelling to visit three of his fellow bartender<br />
finalists in their own countries to get behind the bar in their outlets, with his experiences<br />
documented along the way.<br />
ENDS<br />
NOTES TO EDITORS<br />
<strong>Pilsner</strong> <strong>Urquell</strong><br />
<strong>Pilsner</strong> <strong>Urquell</strong> is the original <strong>Pilsner</strong> from Pilsen. Created in 1842, it gave birth to the pilsner<br />
style of beers. Still brewed to the same exacting standards, this beer offers the uniquely<br />
distinctive full bodied flavour of true pilsner.<br />
<strong>Pilsner</strong> <strong>Urquell</strong> is the flagship brand of SABMiller’s international premium brand portfolio and is<br />
distributed in over 40 countries worldwide.<br />
SABMiller<br />
SABMiller plc is one of the world’s largest brewers with brewing interests and distribution<br />
agreements across six continents. The group’s wide portfolio of brands includes premium<br />
international beers such as Grolsch, Miller Genuine Draft, Peroni Nastro Azzurro and <strong>Pilsner</strong><br />
<strong>Urquell</strong>, as well as market-leading local brands such as Aguila, Castle, Miller Lite, Snow and<br />
Tyskie. SABMiller is also one of the largest bottlers of Coca-Cola products in the world.<br />
SABMiller plc is listed on the London and Johannesburg stock exchanges.