Altamura Distilleries, the official vodka partner of The World’s 50 Best Hotels, has launched a new culinary cocktail competition in collaboration with Hilton, inviting chefs and bartenders across Hilton’s Destination Venues in Europe, Middle East and Africa to reimagine the relationship between food and drink.

Developed with the support of Tom Quinn, Drinks Director for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Hilton, the competition challenges culinary and drinks teams to work in creative partnership.

The task is to create an original Altamura Distilleries Vodka cocktail, paired with a complementary finger food dish crafted by the venue’s chef. The aim is to showcase the harmony, balance and imagination that emerge when food and cocktails are treated as equal parts of the guest experience.

The competition began on 1 September and runs for eight weeks. Participating Hilton venues will submit their signature pairing, with judging based not only on the quality of the cocktail, but on the strength and innovation of the pairing itself.

In November, four finalists will be selected, two from each region, with one bartender and one chef per team. The finalists will compete in the Grand Final, hosted in the fourth quarter at Hilton Istanbul Bosphorus.

The winning team will travel with Altamura Distilleries to a major international hospitality trade show, gaining firsthand exposure to global industry trends, networking with top-tier professionals and exploring real-world opportunities to elevate their careers in hospitality and spirits.

“Food enhances cocktails, and cocktails enhance food. This competition is about celebrating that mutuality in a thoughtful and elevated way,” comments Frank Grillo, Founder of Altamura Distilleries. “Altamura Distilleries Vodka is built for flavour. It is expressive, crafted with purpose, and designed to inspire collaboration between the kitchen and the bar.”