Club Forbes food and beverage manager Abbey Hodges-Lockwood never expected to win the 2025 AHG Diageo Cocktail Competition, but her Sunset Velvet margarita proved otherwise.
The 22-year-old rising star wowed the judges, earning the coveted title, a $500 Visa gift card, and an exclusive VIP ‘Blend Your Own Rum’ experience at Bundaberg Rum Distillery with the second- and third-placegetters. She will even receive a case of her unique rum blend to use at Club Forbes.
In Brisbane for the first time, Hodges-Lockwood said the whole cocktail competition experience has been incredible for her career and was “amazed” to be crowned the winner.
“I never thought it could be me!” she beamed.
Held at the AHG Expo in Brisbane, the much-anticipated cocktail competition was bigger than ever in 2025, featuring six finalists – not the usual three – in a heated ‘pubs vs. clubs’ showdown. Hodges-Lockwood credited her victory to one key ingredient: peaches, sourced directly from Forbes, with a splash of Casamigos Tequila, of course.
A true showstopper, the cocktail competition has drawn crowds since it was introduced at the AHG Expo in 2023.
Despite concerns about wild Queensland weather, the AHG Expo went ahead on Wednesday 12 March 12 and Thursday, 13 March, without incident – proving no tropical cyclone could rain on the parade. And with 2025 marking 10 years since the AHG Expo’s humble beginnings on the Gold Coast, there was even more cause for celebration.
Almost 3,500 visitors from all over Australia poured through the doors of the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre across the two-day event, with more than 1,000 arriving in the first hour.
AHG Expo CEO Kelly Egan described the event as a major success.
“Given the challenges on foot and the speculative media reporting prior to event, the result was terrific,” he said, “especially seeing – and then hearing later – that there was consistency of visitation across the two days.”
Egan said the event’s growth demonstrates the AHG Expo’s ability to change with industry trends, particularly with regard to the hospitality sector.
“The expo has evolved into a diverse hospitality offering that resonates across the state,” he said.
“It helps visitors and exhibitors maintain professional and social relationships for intrastate and interstate connection year after year.”
Visitors like Debby and Terry Sullivan, of the Murwillumbah Golf Club, attested to this, iterating how important the AHG Expo is for maintaining connections.
“We come annually because it gives us a chance to catch up with our reps in person,” Terry said, adding that the new equipment on show was another big drawcard.
Returning exhibitors also spoke about the excitement. Mark Tucker, director of Plant Image, said the AHG Expo is always worth the drive up from his native Victoria.
“It’s the people that keep us coming back, both the exhibitors and the visitors. The decision makers come here,” he said.
“We have loads of building interest at the moment, especially in Queensland, so it’s a great opportunity to tap into the gaming sector.”
New exhibitors PFD Foods agreed.
“We’re tapping into the clubs market, so we would be crazy not to be here,” said Daryn Gilder, state sales manager.
“It’s a great opportunity to talk to people, have them try our products, and work out the problems that we can solve for them.
“We will definitely be back.”