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Back for its third year, the Don Julio Starback Competition, presented by BARTENDER Magazine, is back and better than ever! This year, we visited eight cities across the country to find one lucky winner who would bartend at Hollywood’s Biggest Night.
After regional competitions in Denver, Atlanta, NYC, Columbus, Chicago, Dallas, Ft. Lauderdale, and San Diego, the winners from each city were flown to New York City for the grand finale. The finalists competed in three intense rounds, judged by a prestigious panel that included BARTENDER Magazine Publisher Jackie Foley, National Educator Vanessa Leon, and Global Bartending Champion Charles Joly.
The finals took place at The Blond in NYC and consisted of three rounds. In Round One, competitors had to prepare a Don Julio Blanco Margarita, Don Julio Reposado Paloma, and a Don Julio Añejo Old Fashioned—all within 5 minutes. This challenge tested their speed, skills, and creativity to put their own spin on each cocktail. Round Two required the finalists to craft their best original cocktail using the full Don Julio portfolio, giving them the chance to showcase their individuality and tell the story behind their flavor choices. For the final round, the competitors created a Red-Carpet Worthy Cocktail using Don Julio 1942—giving them the opportunity to dazzle the judges with a celebratory creation in a glass.
The 2025 Starback Class brought so much fun, flavor, and camaraderie, which will continue to grow throughout the year and beyond.
While the judges sampled a range of inventive and delicious cocktails, it was Lauren Navarro from Ft. Lauderdale who ultimately claimed victory, earning the opportunity to bartend at Hollywood’s Biggest Night in Los Angeles!
A huge thank you to everyone who helped bring this competition to life, including the judges, competitors, and all involved across the country. We at BARTENDER Magazine are incredibly grateful to have met so many amazing people along the way and look forward to seeing them all again soon. Special thanks to the Enthuse Marketing team—Adrienne Smith, Lisa Petrella, Tyler Caruso, and Vanessa Leon—and a heartfelt thank you to Charles Joly for his continued support. Also, thanks to the Hunter PR Team and the Don Julio Brand Team at Diageo for making this competition a reality. We can’t wait for 2026!
From humble beginnings working my way around South Florida in corporate restaurants serving tables and making muddled Old Fashioneds, to working in notable speakeasies curating extraordinary menus and perfecting Ramos Gin Fizzes, I patiently paved my way and found my place in this industry. My passion for cocktails came in 2017 when I worked for a local restaurant and discovered the f lavors of Chartreuse, amaros, and aperitifs. Prior to this I was in the hospitality industry for 15 years trying to find my niche – and even gaining a degree in Communications to see if my life would take another route. The degree only furthered my aspirations and somehow deepened my involvement in bartending, as I dug deeper into the world of craft cocktails and decided that I wanted to be the best no matter what I attempted to achieve. For years I honed in on my craft and eventually started entering competitions in 2022. I lost most of the time – but that never brought me down, I merely learned what it takes to eventually become a winner. My mentors throughout the years always saw something in me that I didn’t – and their intuition pushed me to want to be the best.
“Don Julio Starback was presented to me and I truly never thought I would win, but years of knowledge, mentorship and natural ambition led to me to where I am today—the 2025 Starback Winner!”
