2026 AHA & Don Julio WA’s Best Cocktail Competition
Calling all cocktail lovers to discover WA’s most creative drinks and the talented bartenders behind them.
WA’s Best Cocktail Competition is a high-energy, state-wide contest showcasing signature cocktails from venues across Perth and regional WA, each highlighting flair, flavour and creativity. Finalists are determined through a combination of public voting and mystery judge visits, so every sip — and every vote — counts.
Customers can vote for their favourite cocktail and help propel top contenders up the leaderboard. It’s the perfect excuse to explore new venues (a full list of participating venues is at the bottom of this page), revisit old favourites and discover your new go-to drink.
The top four will then go head-to-head in a live mix-off at the Hospitality Expo, judged by an expert panel on taste, presentation, creativity, story and promotion.
About the competition
Cocktails can include any single spirit, combinations of spirits, or non-alcoholic spirit equivalents, with a maximum of two standard drinks per serve.
Cocktails are judged on:
Taste (30 points)
Aesthetic (20 points)
Authenticity and Creativity (20 points)
Narrative – the story behind the cocktail (15 points)
Promotion and Price (15 points)
Total score: 100 points
Key Dates
Nominations are now closed
Voting opens – 24 March 2026
Voting closes – 27 April 2026
Finalists notified – 31 May 2026
Live mix-off — 30 June 2026
Participating venues
7th Ave Bar and Restaurant
Aloft Perth
Ambassador Bar
Brighton Wine Bar
Cable Beach House
1520 – Crown Perth
Crowne Plaza Perth
Curate Bar
Currambine Bar and Bistro
Exchange Hotel
Fat Controller
Har Bar Dunsborough
Holiday Inn West Perth
Lima Cantina
Lucky Chan’s
Matso’s Brewery Broome
Ongerup Hotel
Pantano Bar
QT Rooftop Bar/Santini Bar
Rays Port Hedland
Sandbar Scarborough Beach
Songbird by The Ritz-Carlton Perth
The Bayview Bar
The Gerald Apartment Hotel (Bob’s Bar)
Tipsy Cow Steakhouse
Tradewinds Hotel