‘Our goal is to create brand advocates’: Inside Woodford Reserve’s Global Bar Exchange Programme

The third edition of the Global Bar Exchange programme is currently underway, with bartenders flying out across the world to visit each others’ cities. Woodford Reserve’s goal is twofold: creating ambassadors for its premium whisky, and facilitating connection. db reports.

The third edition of the international advocacy programme kicked off in autumn 2025, with leading bars from London, Brisbane, Seoul and Amsterdam visiting each others’ bars. The 2026 leg is underway. Beginning in January and coming to a close in April, it’s bringing the exchange to Berlin, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Naples, Dubai, São Paulo and Mexico City.

“What I want to achieve from a brand point of view is for us to be relevant, and to be talked about and to be seen as a brand that they would passionately advocate for,” Nidal Ramini, advocacy director for Brown-Forman International Divisions tells the drinks business. 

When Woodford Reserve launched the initiative in 2023, ‘guest shift’ programmes had been “done to death,” says Ramini. The idea was to celebrate Old Fashioned Month, which commences each November. Fast-forward two years, and the programme has now spanned outside of the promotional period, with more markets targeted while still “making sure the experience is as meaningful as possible”.

Cultural immersion

What does this look like? “If we’re going to put people in these cities, we want them to understand the culture, the flavour of these cities, hosted by their peers in the industry,” explains Ramini. In each city, visiting bartenders also learn about seasonal ingredients, culinary traditions and the local hospitality scene.

When asked how he hopes the programme might influence brand perception, he explains that, it’s “not necessarily an image thing”, but is more about “forging really strong connections, driving relationships and influencing people to do something different.”

“Our goal is to create advocates of our brands,” he goes on. “If bartender A turns around to bartender B and says, ‘what the guys are doing with Woodford Reserve is really amazing’, they look at us as more than liquid. We’ve almost a person to the industry.”

The ‘magic’ of hospitality

Bartenders have sung praises of the relationships formed on the programme. Matt Baker from Death & Taxes, Brisbane, called the events, lunches and dinners experienced while visiting London a “once in a lifetime opportunity,” while he’s maintaining strong friendships with “the legends I met”, despite a 16,000km distance.

And Anna Vu Kim of Sins of Sal, Amsterdam, added, “it went way beyond just work duties, but connections and happy memories, that I will proudly carry with me”. It’s these kinds of experiences that Ramini’s talking about when he describes the “bond and camaraderie” between bar staff.

“That’s one of the magical things about the hospitality community,” he continues. “It really doesn’t matter where you work or how cool your bar is. If you’ve got this shared passion for hospitality, for spirits, for mixed drinks, you find your tribe pretty quick. That’s one of the things I love about the Global Bar Exchange.”

Forward focus

The long-term goal of the project is to “keep evolving,” and grow into new markets. Dubai, Mexico City, Hong Kong, Naples, New York and Brisbane are all new for this year, and for the next edition he definitely wants to involve India – most likely Mumbai.

What does success look like? “If they’re still talking to each other in 10 years time, and high fiving and hugging, amazing. If it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen, right? But we just want to put that community together. That’s the role of us as a brand.”

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