The competition, run by Scotch whisky brand Monkey Shoulder, is open to professional and amateur bartenders who will be judged on their skills in drinks knowledge, mixing, pouring, nosing and organisational skills such as stock taking.
Entrants must register their interest here before taking part in the first heat held in a number of locations across the country. Following first heats, there will be regional heats with the final held in New Orleans in July. All entrants will also be scored and ranked on an online leaderboard for the first time this year with the top five attending the final at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans.
One winner will get the chance to run a fully-stocked pop-up bar at London Cocktail Week and keep the takings. Last year's winner - the team from the Dead Parrot bar in Horsham, West Sussex, walked away with £13,000 from the week.
Monkey Shoulder brand ambassador Grant Neave said: “This year’s UBC is going to be epic! We’ve made it easier than ever to sign up, and we’re running even more heats than last year so that more people will have a chance to compete.
"Think of it as a mash up of Tough Mudder, Britain’s Got Talent, The Apprentice and Eurovision for the bartending community – but much more fun and rewarding of course.
"It really supports and nurtures the next generation of bartenders so we encourage anyone who loves bartending to enter, either to springboard a burgeoning career in the industry or as a platform for showcasing already awesome bar skills.”