The Bartenders Association Of Ireland Official Cocktail Competition 2025

Shaking, stirring, and serving up perfection – watch Ireland’s top bartenders battle it out in the ultimate Irish Cocktail Championships, organised by The Bartenders Association of Ireland (BAI).

For all cocktail enthusiasts, shake things up with this unmissable highlight! 

Raising The Bar!

Congratulations to the winners of the Irish Cocktail Championships!

1st Place: Alessandro Nikolla – Buffalo Boy SteakHouse
2nd Place: Ellie McDonagh – The Redbank Restaurant
3rd Place: Kateryna Kryvytska – Kinara Clondarf

Well done to all the competitors on Tuesday – your creativity, skill, and passion were truly impressive. A huge thank you to the Bartenders Association of Ireland (BAI) for organizing this competition!

Meet The Judges

• Ben Curtis – Ben is the Brand Ambassador for the Bacardi Martini Portfolio here in Ireland. Ben has worked in a variety of venues from hotels, cocktail bars and nightclubs over the past 15 years with the past 7 years spent working as a Brand Ambassador, traveling the country and educating bartenders on all things spirits & cocktails.

Meet The Judges

Adrian McFadden – Adrian is the Bar Manager at the Garden Room Bar in The Merrion Hotel, bringing over 15 years of hospitality experience to the role. Before joining The Merrion, he worked at The Sidecar Bar in The Westbury Hotel and held positions in luxury venues worldwide, including as Bar Manager at the Four Seasons in Whistler, Canada. His career has taken him across Donegal, Galway, New Zealand, and Australia, refining his expertise in five-star hospitality.