Kate Kryvystska of Kinara Group wins Hennessy MyWay Ireland Final
Kryvystska’s winning cocktail, Bee Connected, is a tribute to her relocation from Ukraine to Dublin, celebrating community and heritage.
Kate Kryvystska can’t wait to represent Ireland in the global final
Kate Kryvystska of the Kinara Group took first place at the Hennessy MyWay Ireland Final, held recently at The Sugar Club, Dublin. Competing in front of an audience of over 250 guests, Kryvystska secured her spot to represent Ireland at the global finals in Cognac and Paris this October. Prior to the final, the ten competitors spent two days in Killavullen, County Cork, visiting Ballymacmoy House, the estate where the brand’s founder Richard Hennessy was born and lived until he left for France.
The Winning Serve: Bee Connected
Kryvystska’s winning cocktail, Bee Connected, is a tribute to her relocation from Ukraine to Dublin, celebrating community and heritage. The drink pairs Hennessy V.S with an acidic citric solution, honey syrup, and rhubarb air. Honouring the competition’s sustainability requirement, she sourced all ingredients within a 7km radius—the average distance a bee travels from its hive.
Accepting the award she said: “I didn’t expect to win because the other guys were so good. I can’t wait to represent Ireland in the global final, it will be a proud moment for me”.
Hennessy MyWay challenges bartenders to create sustainable, ritual-inspired cocktails using Hennessy V.S or V.S.O.P. Competitors submit one recipe for the first round, a second for the national finals, and a third if they reach the global Top 25. Serves are scored on sustainability, drinkability, ritual serve, product knowledge, and appearance.
Judging panel
The Dublin final was evaluated by Thierry Sales, Hennessy Global brand ambassador; Shay Waterworth, Editor of Drinks International; Millie Tang, former MyWay global winner and multi-award-winning Asian-Australian bartender and photographer; and Felipe Sanchez, 2025 national winner.
Waterworth praised the winner, stating: “The quality of every drink was impressive and I’ve never been to a regional cocktail competition with an audience so big, it felt like a global final. Kate nailed the brief. She demonstrated excellent knowledge of the brand and her drink had a lovely ritual, strong sustainable credentials and tasted great.”
Sales added: “Hennessy MyWay fits perfectly in Ireland thanks to the brand’s deep historical roots here. The ten finalists were incredibly closely matched, each bringing a unique story and exceptional creativity that elevated the art of mixology. Together, this diverse group of passionate bartenders brought an unforgettable, electric energy to the final.”
The Finalists and their serves:
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Alex Nikolla (54°, Dundalk): Country Life – Highlights Hennessy’s vanilla notes with a carrot and meadowsweet liqueur, accompanied by a zero-waste white chocolate truffle.
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Daniel Quetzal (Paladar, Cork City): Maza Madre – Fuses Irish and Hispanic heritage using an ancestral corn and cacao infusion with an oak bark shrub.
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Jacopo Evangelisti (Lena’s Rooftop, Galway): The Grape That Left Home – Focuses on grape preservation with Trebbiano cordial and a side of traditional Trebbiano sugo.
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Lysandre Naudin (Baba’de, Baltimore): Polymorphous – Fat-washes Hennessy with cep and oyster mushrooms, served with a mushroom dipping cookie.
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Sadhbh O’Dalaigh (Caribou, Dublin): A tribute to her grandmother Maggie featuring pear, gorse flower, and Hennessy-spiked jam on homemade soda bread.
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Stefi Fletcher (Bar 1661, Dublin): The Chocolat Papa – Recreates childhood ski trips by serving Hennessy V.S.O.P alongside hot chocolate.
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Pedro Monteiro (ACES, Limerick City): Blends clarified apple juice and honey orgeat, introduced with a custom limerick and a zero-waste fruit leather.
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Shaughan Hanrahan (Vincenzo Grill House, Limerick): Bóthar Abhaile – Pairs Hennessy with Guinness syrup and a brown bread tincture to evoke an after-work pint.
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Theo Gordon-Boyd (Ava’s Winebar, Bangor): The Saunter – A zero-waste serve using storm-felled pine needle soda and hyper-local honey in a recycled glass.
