Cutty Sark Scotch Whisky has renewed its partnership with the International Bartenders Association (IBA) World Cocktail Championship, held in Macao at the end of October 2026. The La Martiniquaise-Bardinet-owned blended Scotch served as exclusive partner of the Long Drink category for the second consecutive year, as the event marked the IBA’s 75th anniversary.
The championship gathered bartenders from more than 70 countries. The IBA is the global organization uniting bartender communities worldwide.
Across the competition, Cutty Sark featured throughout the event program. The format gave bartenders the chance to demonstrate the whisky’s versatility through a range of original cocktail creations.
Alongside the contest, Donatien Ferrari, group communication manager, led a masterclass. The session introduced the brand’s heritage, maritime roots and long-standing ties to cocktail culture.
The event closed with a finale that saw Gabriel Mari of Spain take first place. Tuomas Hämäläinen of Finland finished second, followed by Anze Smid of Slovenia in third.
Smid’s podium-winning serve paired Cutty Sark with cherry juice, baijiu, peach cream and red pepper.
The brand positions its flagship expression as a mixing-friendly base for bartenders. At the heart of the release sits Cutty Sark’s smooth and mellow, versatile Original Blended Scotch Whisky.
Cutty Sark’s history is closely tied to the cocktail era. Owned by La Martiniquaise-Bardinet, Cutty Sark was created in 1923 at the height of cocktail culture during US Prohibition.
The whisky was first launched in London by wine and spirits merchant Berry Bros & Rudd. The whisky was created on 23 March 1923 as a product of Berry Bros. & Rudd, with the first home of the blend considered to be at The Glenrothes distillery in the Speyside region of Scotland.
French group La Martiniquaise-Bardinet has owned the brand since 2018. La Martiniquaise-Bardinet acquired Cutty Sark from Edrington in 2018 for an undisclosed amount.
The deal strengthened the group’s Scotch portfolio. The purchase of Cutty Sark makes La Martiniquaise-Bardinet, which owns Glen Moray and Starlaw distilleries, as well as the Sir Edward’s and Label 5 blended Scotch whiskies, the world’s fifth-largest spirits group.
Cutty Sark Original is bottled at 40% ABV. The partnership forms part of the brand’s wider push to engage a new generation of bartenders through global trade activations.
