THE WORLD’S 50 BEST BARS

50 Best Bars Scholarship

The Scholarship  William Reed International (t/a World’s 50 Best) (Reed) organises the annual event The World’s 50 Best Bars., it is offering the ‘50 Best Bars Scholarship’ to support and encourage the growth of the next generation of bartenders, develop the craft of mixology and its perception, and to build a sustainable and inclusive vision for the industry.

The scholarship, which will be awarded in 2026, is open to anybody over the age of 21 who has recently worked in a bar or has graduated from bartending school, with under 3 years of experience. The prize package includes a series of ‘stages’ (internships specifically for trainees to work briefly in bars, for the purposes of learning new techniques and being exposed to new styles of drinks).

The three finalists will receive:

1.  two complimentary invitations each to The World’s 50 Best Bars 2026 awards ceremony in October 2026

2.  travel arranged by the Organiser to and from the winner’s country to the awards ceremony (not including guests),

3.  accommodation arranged by the Organiser.

In addition, the ultimate winner, announced at the awards ceremony, will receive:

4.  a 2-week stage at Tres Monos, Buenos Aires, between January and April 2027

5.  a 2-week stage at Line, Athens, between January and April 2027

6.  travel arranged by the Organiser to and from the stage locations; and

7.  accommodation in the host cities arranged by the Organiser and a subsistence allowance of £1000 each stage

Programme

1.Between 11:00 BST on 6 May 2026 and 12:00 BST on 27 May, applicants must register online at theworlds50best.com/bars/scholarship.html. They will also be asked to send an introductory video of up to 1 minute and complete some basic information about themselves, and written answers to a questionnaire.

2. Reed will select twenty-five (25) semi-finalists from the first round of submissions received. Semi-finalists will be notified of their selection by email no later than 12 June 2026.

3.  Between 12:00 BST on 13 June 2026 and 12:00 BST on 29 June the shortlisted entrants will be asked to submit online a cocktail-making video, additional written comments, and a series of photographs of their cocktail creation at theworlds50best.com/bars/scholarship.html. The video must be a maximum of two minutes long, demonstrating their own techniques and making a cocktail that heroes an ingredient that represents their city, region or locale. The photos must represent a step-by-step guide of their cocktail making process and techniques applied.

4.  A panel of Reed and industry judges will select five (5) finalists from the submissions received. Finalists will be notified of their selection by email no later than 12 July 2026.

5.  Finalists will be interviewed by the judges via a video link, between 12 July 2026 and 26th July 2026.

6.  The winner of the Scholarship will be announced at the ceremony of The World’s 50 Best Bars in October 2026.

Rules

1.  Any employees (and their families) of companies within the William Reed Group of companies,  their agents, anybody professionally connected with the Scholarship and Scholarship winners from the previous years are not eligible for entry.

2.  By applying for the Scholarship the Applicant will be deemed to have read and understood these terms and conditions and to be bound by them. These terms and conditions include any instructions set out with the Programme and online Entry Form.

3.  Applicants must:

a) be over the age of 21 at the date of application and to be able to provide documentary proof of this if required;

b) for at least one and no more than three years in the four years preceding the date of application be or have been in full-time employment in bars

c) have a passport valid for up to at least 6 months after the stated dates of the Scholarship;

d) have the permission of their employer to accept the Scholarship in the event of a successful application if required;

e) be able to provide reference details from their employer or manager on request;

f) be available to take up the Scholarship on the dates stated;

4.  The Organiser reserves the right at its absolute discretion to reject any entry that it deems inappropriate.

5.  All entries must be entered online by 12:00 BST on 27 May 2026. Entries will only be accepted if they are submitted online and completed in full.

6. The video exercise to support the second-round applications must be entered online by 12:00 BST on 29 June 2026.

7.  Applications, supporting materials and products will become the property of the Organiser and will not be returned. These properties may be used in the media or on Reed’s and its partners’ social-media channels.

8. Applications must be submitted by the Applicant personally, to whom all correspondence concerning the Scholarship will be addressed. There is no alternative method of entry to those requirements set out above. There is no entry fee and no purchase is necessary to enter. Only one application per person is permitted. No multiple applications from or on behalf of the same person will be accepted.

9. The judges may decline to award the scholarship if in their opinion there is no application of a winning standard.

10. All semi-finalists will be notified via email no later than 12 July 2026.

11. The winner will be required to attend The World’s 50 Best Bars 2026 awards ceremony in October to collect their scholarship award in person.

12.  The winner will be required during the stages to capture photo or video footage of their experience and upload it for editing, curation and publishing on Reed social media channels. The provisions or paragraph 7 above shall apply to that footage.

13.  The Scholarship does not include the cost of excess baggage when flying, insurance, visas or any items or expenses not expressly stated in the Scholarship description and which will be the responsibility of the winner. All travel will be at the risk of the winner/finalists.

14.  The Organiser reserves the right to change the judging panel without prior notice to Applicants.

15.  The Organiser reserves the right to change the bars for and/or the timings of the stages

16.  The Organiser’s decision on all matters affecting the Scholarship is final and legally binding.

17.  No correspondence will be entered into.

18.  The winner may be required to take part in some post-event publicity and consent to their name and photograph being used for such purposes.

19. These terms are governed by English law and subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts.

20. By applying for the Scholarship, all Applicants will be deemed to have accepted and be bound by the rules and consent to the transfer of their personal data to the Data Controller for the purposes of the administration of the Awards, for other purposes as set out in the Data Controller’s Privacy Notice and any other purposes to which the Applicant has consented. Information on how personal data is processed can be found in the Data Controller’s Privacy Notice .

21.  The Organiser and Data Controller is William Reed Ltd (t/a World’s 50 Best) Broadfield Park, Crawley RH11 9RT, England.