2026 AHA & Don Julio WA’s Best Cocktail Competition
The search for WA’s Best Cocktail reached its exciting finale at Crown Perth on Tuesday 30 June 2026, with four outstanding venues going head-to-head in a live mix-off in front of a packed audience and expert judging panel.
The winner
The winner is The Sandbar Scarborough Beach – Don Ruby
Bar manager Marina Vidal impressed the judges with a cocktail combining Don Julio tequila, dry vermouth, rhubarb syrup and shrub for a balanced sweetness and tartness.
The three other finalists were:
Cable Beach House, Broome – Outback Margarita
Exchange Hotel, Pinjarra – Crimson Murray
Lucky Chan’s, Northbridge – Con El Frutero
Finalists earned their places through a combination of public voting and mystery judge visits, before recreating their cocktails live on stage at the 2026 AHA Hospitality Expo.
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
This year’s judging panel comprised Minister for Agriculture and Food Hon Jackie Jarvis MLC, AHA(WA) Government Relations and Communications Manager Angela Beechey, food and drink journalist Simon Collins, and Diageo Australia Managing Director Dan Hamilton.
Thank you to all venues, voters, and attendees for supporting WA’s hospitality industry and showcasing local talent and creativity.