TEQUILA CASA DRAGONES IGNITES THE SPIRIT OF MIXOLOGY AT JAMMING SESSIONS 2025

La Casa Dragones was stirring and shaking at Jamming Sessions 2025, the flagship cocktail competition from Tequila Casa Dragones—where mixology meets Mexican culture and pure creative fire. This high-energy celebration brought together a powerhouse lineup of the world’s top bartenders—rising stars and legends alike—for a dynamic showdown honoring the bold artistry of tequila through a proudly Mexican lens.

Born in 2020 out of the collaborative soul of musical jam sessions, Jamming Sessions started as a lifeline for bartenders during the pandemic. Today, it pulses at the heart of the Bartender Exchange Program, a global program uniting mixologists who share a love for Mexico, tequila, and pushing boundaries.

This year’s theme? Mexican cuisine meets cocktail innovation. Bartenders from around the globe were challenged to craft a drink inspired by their favorite Mexican dish using ultra-smooth Casa Dragones Blanco. Out of hundreds of entries, 16 semifinalists rose to the top—only to have their cocktails expertly recreated by none other than Handshake Speakeasy (named World’s Best Bar 2024) to narrow the field to 8 exceptional finalists.

In a high-stakes, two-part grand finale, the finalists had 45 minutes to flex their skills behind the bar: first, by pairing a cocktail with a gourmet dish, and second, by channeling the soul of Día de Muertos into a drink that could bring the ancestors to toast. With a bar stocked full of fresh, local Mexican ingredients, creativity ran wild and flavors sang.

Guiding the journey were a panel of icons in the cocktail world:

• Bertha González Nieves, Co-Founder & CEO of Casa Dragones

• José Luis León, mastermind behind Licorería Limantour

• Fabiola Padilla, the visionary behind Bekeb

• Yana Volfson, Michelin Cocktail Award winner and beverage director at Tokyo Record Bar

Casa Dragones is excited to announce that First Place went to Alfredo Pineda Fernández of Waldorf Astoria, Cabo San Lucas, while Second Place was awarded to Gabriela Laguna Sánchez, from Ticuchi, Mexico City

Both winners took home cash prizes, earned the title of Casa Dragones Bartender Ambassadors, and will showcase their brilliant creations at Barra México, the most prestigious event in Latin America’s bar industry.

Cheers to bold flavors, fearless talent, and the enduring spirit of tequila. ¡Salud!