For many bartenders, the journey from the bar counter to the global stage is built one drink at a time. For Kazeem Oluwasegun Adefuye, that journey has been shaped not only by what he puts in a glass, but by his curiosity, discipline and determination to keep learning.

That mindset recently took the Lagos-based bartender from Nigeria to Midleton, Ireland, after he emerged as one of the 26 Regional Champions of the 2026 Jameson Black Barrel Bartender Series, a global competition that brings together bartenders from different markets to celebrate creativity, local culture and the craft of bartending.

The achievement is significant. With hundreds of bartenders competing globally, only 26 were selected as Regional Champions, placing Kazeem among an elite group of bartenders invited to the Jameson HOSTS Global Summit in Ireland.

For Kazeem, however, the trip was about much more than winning a place in an international competition.

“It means a lot to me because I get to meet people that I learn from online in person,” he said. “I get to know how things work in other places, how to better myself and create opportunities for myself.”

That perspective captures what makes his journey particularly interesting. Ireland became another classroom.

The Jameson Black Barrel Bartender Series challenges bartenders to demonstrate creativity while drawing inspiration from their local environment, culture and ingredients. Kazeem’s entry, “LABULE,”earned him a place among the 26 Regional Champions.

The experience also gave him access to the Jameson HOSTS Global Summit, where members of the international hospitality community gathered for knowledge sharing, networking and experiences around Jameson and Irish whiskey culture.

For a bartender whose professional development has largely been built in Lagos, the opportunity to interact directly with people whose work he had previously followed online offered a different kind of education.

Kazeem has built his career across different parts of Lagos’ hospitality industry, working as a bartender and mixologist at establishments including Eko Hotel and Suits, Royal Majestic and XO Boutique Bakery before moving to Social Experience Lounge at Ile Mimu, Victoria Island. His professional experience has also taken him through procurement and operational roles, giving him an understanding of hospitality that extends beyond mixing drinks.

His professional development has been equally deliberate. He holds a certificate in Irish whiskey from the Edinburgh Whisky Academy, alongside training from the Diageo Bar Academy and a Certificate of Employability Skills from the West Africa Vocational Education Academy.

The results are beginning to reflect that investment.

In 2025, Kazeem won the Gin Mare Challenge at Lagos Cocktail Week’s Bar Battle and finished as second runner-up in the DaVinci Challenge. In 2026, he progressed to the global stage through the Jameson Black Barrel Bartender Series.

There is another reason Kazeem’s Jameson experience deserves attention.

The competition demonstrates how local ingredients and cultural references can become part of a global hospitality conversation. For Nigeria, a country rich in indigenous fruits, herbs, spices and culinary traditions, the possibilities are enormous.

Kazeem has already shown an interest in this space. His professional experience includes experimenting with indigenous and foreign fruits, herbs and roots while developing signature cocktails and mocktails.

That makes his story relevant beyond bartending.

For beverage companies, hotels, restaurants, lifestyle platforms and hospitality brands, bartenders can serve as a powerful link between product and experience. They can translate a brand into something consumers can taste, see, share and remember.

Kazeem’s growing profile offers an opportunity to build on that connection.

Rather than simply positioning himself as a bartender, he is developing into a hospitality professional capable of combining cocktail craft, storytelling, cultural interpretation and consumer engagement.

The Jameson experience may have taken Kazeem to Ireland, but its real value could lie in what comes next.

With competition credentials, international exposure, professional training and years of practical experience, he is increasingly positioned for collaborations with beverage brands, hospitality businesses, lifestyle platforms and organisations seeking authentic voices within Nigeria’s growing drinks and experiential economy.

His strongest proposition is perhaps simple: he understands the drink, the story behind it and the experience around it.

For Jameson, the Black Barrel Bartender Series provides a platform for bartenders like Kazeem to learn, connect and showcase their creativity beyond their home markets. For Kazeem, it has opened another door.

And for Nigeria’s hospitality industry, his journey is a reminder that global recognition does not always begin on a global stage.

Sometimes, it begins in Lagos, behind a bar, with a bartender willing to keep learning and a drink that tells a story.