A Canadian Was Just Named The World's Best Bartender & He Dropped Tips For Acing Cocktails

It's official, the best bartender in the world is a Canadian. James Grant spoke with Narcity about winning the title and shared his expert tips for perfecting cocktails at home if you're making drinks for one or entertaining a group of people.

Grant, a bartender at Little Hong Kong in Edmonton, represented Canada at the Diageo World Class Global Finals. On July 8, he won the final challenge with his four scotch-based cocktails and he said that representing the country's hospitality community at the competition was "a real privilege."

"Bartending at home is one of those things I really love and I love that it's something that, you know, what we do making cocktails, it can be very complicated or it can be very simple," Grant said.

He said that, first off, you should find out what classics you really love — like an old fashioned, a daiquiri or a negroni — and then learn how to make them well, always having those ingredients on hand and ready to go.

"Once you know those drinks inside and out and you're always able to make them, that alone, you're able to make guests feel welcome in your home," he said. "That goes a long way."

After you've aced your favourites, that's when you can start to tweak them to your own preferences. Grant said to figure out what a balanced drink tastes like to you and what flavour profiles suit your palate.

Then, he said, it's time to experiment and have fun with it.

We'll cheers to that!