Mixologist Benjamin Thiong’o has been crowned the winner of the 2025 Procera Cocktails Competition held in Nairobi.
Competing against five other finalists, Thiong’o’s victory earns him an all-expenses-paid trip to South Africa for the Abuja Cocktail Festival in March 2026.
Speaking to TNX, he reflected on what shaped his award-winning drink.
“It’s not the uniqueness of the cocktail; it’s the uniqueness of the competition. However, it’s healthy. It is building you up from your safe space. Our safe space is where you work, usual grounds, where you always are,” he said.
Overjoyed by his win, Thiong’o also shared advice for upcoming mixologists.
“In a competition, people don’t know you, so you have to sell yourself. Be yourself and be amazing. That’s it. Procera is an elegant, sophisticated, classy drink. Enjoy Procera, sip it and have friends around,” he said, adding, “I am looking forward to new opportunities, new growth and better days.”
The Procera Cocktails Competition is an annual event established by Procera Gin to support and elevate local bartending talent. It has grown into an important platform for identifying Kenya’s top mixologists and connecting them with international exposure.
Participants are tasked with creating innovative cocktails that highlight the distinctive flavours of Procera Gin. Entries are judged on creativity, presentation and overall flavour profile, making the competition a recognised springboard into the global bartending scene.
The grand prize is designed to offer significant learning opportunities.
The inaugural winner received an all-expenses-paid trip to New Orleans for the world-famous Tales of the Cocktail (TOTC) festival, where they attended masterclasses, industry sessions and networking events. That first champion, Boniface Makori, returned this year as a judge.
Procera, distilled in Nairobi, is the world’s first gin made with African Juniper (Juniperus Procera), unlike most gins that rely on Juniperus Communis.
These berries thrive in the high-altitude forests of Kenya and Ethiopia, giving the gin a flavour often described as nuttier, earthier, brighter and more savoury.
“The African juniper makes the best gin in the world because it grows along the equator, where it’s sunny all year long… the juniper gets so much more flavour and develops so much differently to the rest,” Procera founder Guy Brennan said.
Procera also uses freshly harvested berries picked just 70 kilometres from its distillery, preserving their bright, herbaceous character.
Media personality Patrick Igunza, who attended the finals of the competition, praised the texture of the gin.
“I absolutely love it. It does not sting at all, and it’s very smooth. As a gin taker, it’s a solid nine out of ten,” he said.