Woodford Reserve®, the world’s best-selling super-premium+ American whiskey*, announces the second leg of its 2025–2026 Global Bar Exchange (GBE): an international advocacy programme designed to celebrate the creativity, skill, community, and shared spirit of the global hospitality industry.
Following a successful start of the programme this autumn, which saw leading bars and bartenders across London, Brisbane, Amsterdam, and Seoul collaborate to explore each other’s cultures, the Global Bar Exchange continues into 2026 with a series of immersive cultural experiences across six major global cities. Running from January to April 2026, the second leg brings the exchange to Berlin, Hong Kong, Tokyo, São Paulo, Naples, Dubai, and Mexico City. In each city, the visiting bartenders will discover and learn more about the local flavour culture, exploring regional ingredients, culinary traditions and the local hospitality scene.
Designed by and for the bartending community, Woodford Reserve’s Global Bar Exchange is a sensorial and cultural immersion aiming to nurture meaningful global connections, skill development, and foster a shared sense of creative purpose. Each stop culminates in a collaborative bar event where visiting and host bartenders showcase their serves and skills: unique, Bourbon-forward drinks inspired by both place and personality.
So far, the 2025 – 2026 edition of the GBE has seen London’s Nightjar travel to Brisbane’s Death & Taxes before hosting the Australian team in return; while Seoul’s Bar Cham and Amsterdam’s Sins of Sal also came together for a vibrant exchange of flavour and culture.
Matt Baker from Death & Taxes Brisbane says that “I recently got the chance to explore London through the Woodford Reserve Global Bar Exchange and to say it was amazing would be an understatement. The series of events, lunches and dinners we got to experience was a once in a lifetime opportunity. The bonds and friendships formed are still going strong, and despite the 16,000km distance I still keep in touch with the legends I met.”
Anna Vu Kim of Sins of Sal Amsterdam adds that “the last week was one of the most incredible in my career, and one which I feel very grateful to be part of and share this beautiful experience with such wonderful people. Thanks to Woodford GBE we were able to share our passion, knowledge, culture, techniques and have such a fun time! For me, it went way beyond just work duties, but connections and happy memories, that I will proudly carry with me.”
With the next dates for the exchanges lined up, the 2025–2026 Global Bar Exchange continues to foster creativity, community, and craftsmanship across continents, uniting and championing bartenders who share a passion for storytelling through flavour.
2026 Global Bar Exchange Schedule
- Guarita at Bar Basta, Berlin: 26th – 29th Jan 2026 • Bar Mauro at The Aubrey, Hong Kong: 3rd – 5th Feb 2026
- Bar Snack at Bar Orchard, Tokyo: 20th – 22nd Feb 2026
- Bar Basta at Guarita São Paulo: 3rd – 5th March 2026
- Salmon Guru Dubai at L’Antiquario, Naples: 24th – 26th March 2026
- L’Antiquario at Salmon Guru, Dubai: 7th – 9th April 2026
- The Aubrey at Bar Mauro, Mexico City: 14th – 16th April 2026
Additional details and the full schedule can be found online by visiting: www.woodfordreserve.com/global-bar-exchange-program