SHAKE IT UP COCKTAIL COMPETITION
Terms & Conditions
The Shake It Up Cocktail Competition (the "Program") is organized by United States Bartenders' Guild, Inc (the "USBG" or "Organizer") in Partnership with Questex (“Bar & Restaurant Expo").
This Program is available to all qualified residents of the United States and the District of Columbia. The Program is void wherever prohibited or restricted by law.
The individuals acting as Judges will be selected by USBG in its sole discretion. The number and identity of the individuals acting as Judges and deciding the USBG National Champion shall be determined and may be changed at any time with or without notice, by USBG in its sole and absolute discretion.
The Program will involve an Entry to be completed and submitted as set forth below on or before November 1, 2024. All submissions will include an Original Cocktail Recipe, a recorded Cocktail Demonstration, and a 1-minute inspiration story. Two panels of judges will review each submission with the recipe portion being evaluated anonymously. The scores will be combined, and the Top 5 highest-scoring entrants will advance to the Shake It Up Cocktail Competition National Final which will take place during the Bar & Restaurant Expo in Las Vegas on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. The National Challenge will require all Competitors to use an assigned spirit to present an original cocktail. The highest-scoring competitor will be named the 2025 USBG National Champion (the “Champion”) and will represent the USBG at the IBA World Cocktail Championship in Fall 2025, date and location TBD. The second highest-scoring competitor (the “Runner-Up”) will represent the USBG at the Pan-American Cocktail Championship, in Fall 2025, date and location TBD.
Minimum Qualifications: Eligible individuals completing an application to the Program (each, an "Entrant") must meet the following minimum qualifications to be considered for the National Final:
- Be 21 years of age or older to participate;
- Be a current Bar Professional member of the USBG;
- Comply with the USBG Code of Conduct and Policy Against Harassment
- Not be currently employed or engaged by liquor companies or distributors as full-time employees or consultants;
- Employees, contractors, paid staff, and their immediate family members (parents, children, siblings or spouse, regardless of where they live, or persons living in same household, whether related or not) of USBG or Questex, their respective subsidiaries, affiliates, suppliers, consultants, legal counsel, public relations, sales representatives, advertising and promotional, and marketing agencies, and any others engaged in the development or distribution of this Program are not eligible to enter or win;
- Comply with the Program Terms & Conditions; and
- Entrants whose Entries are selected for the Shake It Up Cocktail Competition National Final will additionally need to travel to and participate in the relevant finals to continue to be eligible to win.
In order to be considered, Entrants must electronically submit a full-completed Entry by 11:59 PM PT on November 1, 2024, ("Entry Deadline") through the application link set forth below. No late submissions will be accepted. If the Program cannot be run as planned for any reason, including, but not limited to, computer viruses, pandemic or other local, state, or national restrictions, tampering, technical or other problems that damage its operation or integrity, USBG reserves the right to cancel, delay or modify the Program in its sole discretion.
Program Entry - To qualify for the Shake It Up Cocktail Competition (the "National Final " or "Final"), all applications will be evaluated based on the application detailed below:
Application Entry: Submit must submit one (1) original cocktail recipe and one (1) recorded digital video demonstration/1-minute inspiration story via the application link, which can be found here: https://usbartendersguild.formstack.com/forms/siu_application_2025 (the "Application Entry" or "Entry"). Follow the directions to enter the Program and provide your Entry. Entrants will be required to complete the entry form by providing certain information, such as name, address, contact information, and recipe.
- Submit an original signature cocktail recipe
- Homemade ingredients and syrups are not allowed
- The maximum number of alcoholic and non-alcoholic ingredients in the recipe shall be limited to six (6) including dashes, drops, and rimmed glassware
- Garnishes must be edible and can be placed on the rim of glass. Garnishes in the glass or touching the liquid will be considered an ingredient if it affects the flavor of the drink, i.e., slated rim
- Drinks may be stirred, shaken, built, or thrown
- Recipe shall not include blended or hot beverages (coffee, tea, etc.)
- Due to permitting restrictions, use of open flame is prohibited. Matches are not considered “open flame.” Flaming garnishes will be allowed
- Drink names including rude, lurid, sexual words or words associated with narcotics or motor vehicles, are prohibited
- Recipes will be scored as follows: Flavor Analysis/Perceived Taste (20 points), Originality (20 points), Craft (10 points), Technical Presentation (40 points), and Inspiration (10 points)
- USBG reserves the right to ensure/modify cocktail name and ingredients to comply with Program terms
- USBG reserves the right to feature the cocktail recipe, in whole or part, in any and all USBG-owned properties, without attribution or compensation
Conditions of Entry: Restricted to one Entry per Entrant. Multiple Entries may result in disqualification. The first and last name provided by Entrants will be the identity of the Entrant and, if selected and qualified for a prize, the identity of the winner. The use of a fake name or email address will disqualify an Entrant. Use of agencies or robotic, repetitive, programmed, or similar entry methods is prohibited. All Entrants agree to abide by these Terms & Conditions and waive any right to claim ambiguity in this Program or these Terms & Conditions. Uploading of an Entry is not an indication that the Entrant has won a prize or is otherwise eligible for a prize. By entering the Program, Entrants represent and warrant that their Entry is their sole, original work and that it does not infringe upon the rights of any other party, including, but not limited to any intellectual property, trade secret, or other proprietary rights of any other party. All Entries become the property of USBG and will not be acknowledged or returned. All Entries must be completed, including uploading of the Shake It Up Cocktail recipe and digital cocktail demonstration/1-minute inspiration story, during the Entry Period to be eligible for the Program. All federal, state, municipal, and local laws and regulations apply. USBG reserves the right to verify all eligibility qualifications. Void where prohibited by law.
Void Program Entries: Entries that are deemed by the USBG, Judges, or Questex in their sole discretion, to be offensive, immoral, obscene, profane, defamatory, not in keeping with the image of the Sponsor or USBG, or in violation of these Terms & Conditions will be void. Further, all Entries that contain copyrighted or other proprietary materials for which the Entrant has not obtained appropriate assignment of rights, as well as any content which disparages or portrays the USBG or Questex in a negative light, or otherwise violates these Terms & Conditions will be void. Furthermore, neither USBG nor is responsible for lost, incomplete, stolen, damaged, garbled, corrupt, illegible, late, or unintelligible entries, or other errors appearing in these rules or other Program materials, misprints or errors in other Program-related information, garbled communications, failures or malfunctions of internet connections, phones, phone lines, telephone systems, technical or mechanical malfunctions, or other malfunctions, problems or errors, whether caused by equipment, programming used in this Program, processing errors, human errors or otherwise. USBG, Questex, and/or Judges reserve the right, at their sole discretion, to void any Entries from Entrants whom USBG are believed to have attempted to tamper or have tampered with the administration, security, or fairness of this Program. Entries must be unpublished and must be the work solely of the Entrant.
National Final: Valid Entries will be evaluated by Judges upon the criteria described in these Terms & Conditions in the exercise of their own judgment. The Top Five (5) entrants from across the US will be selected as “the National Finalists” and will advance to the Shake It Up Cocktail Competition at Bar & Restaurant Expo, March 24-26, 2025. Entrants that have been selected to proceed to the National Final will be notified on or around December 17, 2024. The National Final will be held in Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Convention Center on March 25, 2025. The USBG will arrange roundtrip coach airfare for each National Finalist from the airport closest to each Finalist’s primary residence to Las Vegas and will provide a travel allowance of $150 upon arrival. Questex will arrange for and pay the cost of hotel accommodations for the National Finalist’s during those dates at the hotel selected by Questex. If a National Finalist lives within 150 miles of the host city, ground transportation may be substituted for airfare.
There will be one (1) Competition Challenge during the National Final. This challenge will require all Competitors to use an assigned spirit to present an original cocktail. The winner of the National Final will be determined as follows:
Tasting Judging
- Appearance – Max 15 Points
- Aroma – Max 10 Points
- Taste – Max 30 Points
- Garnish & Decoration – Max 10 Points
- Accuracy – Max 10 Points
- Overall Impression – Max 10 Points – Tie Breaker Points Only
IBA Technical Judging – Starts at 350 Points
Deductions:
- Station Set-Up – Max 50 Points
- Bar Utensils – Ice Handling – Max 50 Points
- Pouring – Max 65 Points
- Bartending Techniques – Max 105 Points
- Recipe, Garnish, & Decoration – Max 45 Points (potential DQ if recipe does not match what was submitted)
- Dress Code – Max 25 Points
- Time Limit – 15 Points will be deducted per every 15 seconds over 7 minutes
Cocktail Presentation Judging
- Content of Speech – Max 65 Points
- Attitude – Max 35 Points
Garnish Prep – Starts at 50 Points
Deductions:
- Station Set-Up – Max 50 Points
- Time Limit – 10 Points will be deducted per every 15 seconds over 15 minutes
The highest-scoring competitor will be named the 2025 USBG National Champion and will represent the USBG at the IBA World Cocktail Championship, Fall 2025, date and location TBD (the "Prize"). The second highest- scoring competitor will be named the Runner-Up and will represent the USBG at the Pan-American Cocktail Championship, Fall 2025, date and location TBD (the "Prize"). All Finalists must have a valid passport and be eligible for international travel. The USBG will arrange roundtrip coach airfare from the airport closest to the Champion’s primary residence to the World Cocktail Championship and pay the cost of hotel accommodations. In addition, the USBG will arrange roundtrip coach airfare from the airport closest to the Runner-Up’s primary residence to the Pan-American Cocktail Championship and pay the cost of hotel accommodations. All decisions by the Judges are final. In the event that a potential winner is disqualified or ineligible for any reason, the potential winner(s) forfeits the Prize and USBG will award the prize to the next highest scoring National Finalist.
Disability Accommodation: If you are an Entrant with a communicative disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate in the National or Global Finals, USBG will make reasonable accommodations. Please email compliance@usbg.org at least seven (7) days before your scheduled final, or immediately upon receiving notification of selection for the finals process if the time before the scheduled final is less than seven (7) days away.
Prize and Approximate Retail Value: The estimated retail value of each Prize is $3,000. A Prize may not be upgraded, and no substitutions by the Winner will be allowed; except USBG reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to substitute a Prize for one of equal or greater value if the designated Prize should become unavailable for any reason. The Winner may waive his/her right to receive the Prize. All federal, state, and local taxes on the Prize are Winner's sole responsibility. By accepting the Prize, Winner waives the right to assert as a cost of winning said Prize, any and all costs of redemption or travel to redeem said prize and any and all liability that might arise from redeeming or seeking said prize.
Entrant Representations and Warranties: By submitting an Entry, Entrant further represents and warrants that: (a) the Entry has not been previously licensed or transferred, and that Entrant unconditionally assigns and transfers to USBG all worldwide rights, title, interest and claim, which Entrant now has or may in the future have to their Entry or any element(s) thereof including, but not limited to, all intellectual property rights and each Entrant hereby waives all rights Entrant has or may have in their Entry or any element(s) thereof; and (b) any person(s) referenced has given his or her express written consent to the reference and use as contemplated by these Terms & Conditions and that Entrant has obtained written permission for such use from any such person. Submission of an Entry grants USBG the right to use, publish, adapt, edit and/or modify the Entry in any way, in whole or in part, and to use such Entry, and any ideas or concepts contained therein, in commerce and in any and all media now known or hereafter discovered, worldwide, including but not limited to USBG's website, without limitation or compensation to the Entrant and without right of notice, review or approval of any such use of the Entry.
Ownership of Program Entry: Submission of an Entry further constitutes the Entrant irrevocable assignment and transfer to the USBG any and all rights, title, and interest in and to the Entry, including but not limited to all intellectual property rights and proprietary rights worldwide. Any content, material, or information included in the Entry shall not be confidential, proprietary, or trade secret. By submitting a Program Entry, Entrant consents to USBG's use, reproduction, and disclosure of the Entry, and ideas, concepts, or other materials contained therein, for any purpose, including any commercial purpose.
Publicity: By entering this program, Entrants grant USBG and Sponsor and their affiliates permission to use his/her name, voice and/or likeness, and Entry for advertising, merchandising, promotion and/or publicity purposes in any and all media now known or hereinafter invented without territorial or time limitations and without additional compensation.
Acceptance of Terms & Conditions: Entry in the Program constitutes an Entrant's full and unconditional agreement to abide by and accept the terms and conditions of these Terms & Conditions. USBG reserves the right to conduct a background check of any criminal records of the Winner and travel companions. To the extent necessary and permitted by law, Winner shall authorize this background check. USBG reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify Winner from any Prize element, based on the background check. Winner also accepts sole responsibility for any miscellaneous costs relating to acceptance of Prize.
Entrant Dismissals: If an Entrant violates these Terms & Conditions, including without limitation the USBG Code of Conduct, acts in a dangerous or disruptive manner, or attempts to purposely sabotage any part of the Program (including any recording or photography in connection with the Program), Entrant may be disqualified from the Program by USBG or Sponsor, and USBG and Sponsor may exercise any and all rights and remedies they may have against you.
LIMITATIONS ON LIABILITY: Neither USBG, Sponsor or each of their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, parent corporations, and their respective officers, directors, shareholders, employees or agents, shall be liable to the Winner or any other person for failure to supply the Prize or any part thereof, by reason of any acts of God, any action(s), regulation(s), order(s) or request(s) by any governmental or quasi-governmental entity (whether or not the action(s), regulation(s), order(s) or request(s) prove(s) to be invalid), terrorist acts, earthquake, war, fire, flood, explosion, unusually severe weather, hurricane, embargo, labor dispute or strike (whether legal or illegal), transportation interruption of any kind, work slow-down, civil disturbance, health emergency, insurrection, riot, or any other cause beyond such party's sole control. USBG, Sponsor and each of their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, parent corporations, and their respective officers, directors, members shareholders, employees, and agents, are not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate Entry information, theft, tampering, destruction, or unauthorized access to, or alteration of Entries; printing or other errors; and any Entries which are late, lost, delayed, incomplete, misdirected, stolen, mutilated, illegible, or any combination thereof. In the event the Program is terminated early, finalists and the Winner may be selected from all eligible Entries at the time of termination.
Release and Indemnification: BY ENTERING THE PROGRAM, ENTRANT RELEASES, DISCHARGES AND HOLDS USBG, SPONSOR AND EACH OF THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES, SUBSIDIARIES, PARENT CORPORATIONS, AND THEIR RESPECTIVE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, SHAREHOLDERS, EMPLOYEES AND AGENTS HARMLESS FROM AND AGAINST ANY AND ALL LOSSES (WHETHER ALLEGED, THREATENED OR ACTUAL), DAMAGES, RIGHTS, CLAIMS, AND ACTIONS OF ANY KIND ARISING IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, FROM THE PROGRAM OR PARTICIPATION IN ANY PROGRAM-RELATED ACTIVITY (INCLUDING ATTENDANCE AT THE NATIONAL OR GLOBAL FINALS), OR RESULTING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, FROM ACCEPTANCE, POSSESSION, USE OR MISUSE OF THE PRIZE (INCLUDING ANY TRAVEL OR ACTIVITY RELATED TO ACCEPTANCE OF THE PRIZE) AWARDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROGRAM, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, PERSONAL INJURY, DEATH, AND/OR PROPERTY DAMAGE, AS WELL AS CLAIMS BASED ON PUBLICITY RIGHTS, DEFAMATION, AND/OR INVASION OF PRIVACY. Entrant hereby agrees to indemnify and hold USBG, Sponsor, and their respective affiliates and agents harmless from and against any third-party claims, actions, or proceedings of any kind and from any and all damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses, including attorney fees and court costs, arising out of any breach or alleged breach of any of the warranties and representations set forth above.
Privacy: Information submitted in connection with the Program will be treated in accordance with these Terms & Conditions and USBG's Privacy Policy (as may be amended from time to time), currently available here: USBG Privacy Policy. By entering the Program, each Entrant agrees that USBG may share Entrant's personal information with its affiliates, contractors and Sponsor for the purpose of Program administration and Prize fulfillment in the event Entrant is chosen as a potential Winner. Entrants whose e-mail address is submitted as part of this Program agree that USBG or Sponsor may contact them by e-mail to make Entrant aware of information pertinent to the Program, and to distribute information regarding products, special events, promotional offers, or purchase incentives. Entrants may choose to opt-out of future e-mail notifications by clicking the link in the e-mail and following the opt-out instructions. Opting into specific offers does not improve an Entrant's chances of winning.