Johannesburg bartender to represent SA at Diageo World Class

Seventh-time lucky bartender to represent South Africa

After entering the South African Diageo World Class Bartender of the Year six times, Jody Rahme promised his girlfriend 2024 would be his last attempt. And the seventh time proved the charm, as the 35-year-old finally made it to first place.

Rahme was crowned as the national champion after three days of challenges in Johannesburg, and will now represent South Africa in the World Class global finals in China in September, competing with the best bartenders from more than 60 countries.

Cape Town’s Liam Jukes, of VUE Shortmarket, came second and also received the Bartenders’ Choice Award, and Devon Andreka, general manager of Obscura in Rosebank, Johannesburg, finished third.

After reaching the top 10 on every occasion and coming third twice, Rahme, 35, said he was overjoyed to win.

“It’s been my biggest dream to take this title one day, be the best bartender in the country and go overseas to represent South Africa and meet other bartenders who’ve worked so hard for this,” Rahme said.

A structured approach

The Johannesburg bartender’s first World Class foray was in 2017, when he started working at Sin + Tax in Rosebank and was instructed to enter.

“I was thrown into the deep end and I had two weeks to prepare,” he said. “On that occasion, it was more about learning and seeing what the community was about.”.

Seven years later, his approach to the competition couldn’t be more different. “I’m very structured,” says Rahme, who lives in Morningside, Sandton, and looks after wholesale clients for the Kramerville roastery Father Coffee.

“I conceptualise my drinks on a spreadsheet, coming up with a bunch of different ways to use an ingredient and ensuring I tick all the boxes for a cocktail competition. Then I get to work in the kitchen. Once I have the drink flavours down, I start working on the verbal delivery and the presentation.”

Making his own ingredients is a key part of Rahme’s approach. “It’s not just because I’m a bit fickle about wanting to know what’s going into my drinks, but I love cooking, learning the techniques and understanding flavour,” he said.

Having won the national final, Rahme’s next task is to absorb the 45-page brief for the global finals in Shanghai and start conceptualising drinks, preparing ingredients and testing everything on family and friends.

Diageo will host the 15th edition of the World Class global finals in Shanghai, China, from 9-13 September 2024.