Manchester bar consultant Jamie Jones has appeared victorious from a French based annual gin competition, seeing off a number of highly talented barmen from around the world to claim the prestigious prize in June.

Jamie Jones (bottom centre) celebrates his momentous victory

The highly distinguished French brand of gin, G’Vine, had once again assembled the best gin specialised barmen from across the globe to compete in their Gin Connoisseur Programme. First launched in 2010, the event has always been held in Cognac, the birthplace of G’Vine.

From the fifteen international competitors battling it out, only one could be crowned as G’Vine Gin Connoisseur 2013. After a gruelling set of challenges that included participants being grilled on their knowledge of gin, judged on blind tasting skills and having their presentation and bartending abilities scrutinised, only one winner could emerge.

As one half of the critically acclaimed Manchester bar consultancy group, The Liquorists, Jamie Jones was that winner. Rising above a glut of bar tending genius, Jamie found himself competing against the likes of Meaghan Dorman from Raines Law Room in New York, Mohammed Irwan Majid from Cut by Wolfgang Puck in Singapore and Hannah Lanfear from Boisdale in London.

To ensure only the world’s most elite mixologists were in the running for the esteemed award, a strict selection process was enforced where only a few candidates representing a number of countries were handpicked from hundreds of applicants.

In conjunction with taking the titles of G’Vine Gin Connoisseur 2013 and the ‘world’s best gin bartender’, Jones has also taken a prize of US $3,000 as well as being enlisted on a custom-built training programme tutored by Phillip Duff, which will also see him given the opportunity to present seminars at both Bar Convent Berlin 2013 and Tales of the Cocktail 2013.