Bartending championships are increasingly becoming more than just events where cocktail-mixing skills are displayed – they are evolving into platforms for strengthening connections within the community of bartenders, bars, restaurants, hotels and the entire HORECA sector. The championship organized by Kaunas-based beverage producer Stumbras, held in line with the best global practices, this year not only united professional bartenders from Lithuania and Poland for the first time, but also became a strong example of how investing in such projects contributes to the growth of cocktail-mixing and food-pairing culture.

According to Dalia Gruzdzevičiūtė, Head of Brands Management Department at MV GROUP Production, which owns Stumbras, organizing bartending championships follows a well-established global practice.

The Devotion to Nature bartending championship was held for the second time this year at the Stumbras factory museum, with the international MV GROUP team – employees from MV GROUP Production and MV GROUP Distribution in Lithuania and Poland – contributing to its organization. This made the championship truly international: the final stage featured four bartenders from Lithuania and eight from Poland.

“By organizing this championship, we’re following global trends. Such events help strengthen relationships with bartenders, who gain new knowledge about products. They also have educational value, as they allow us to demonstrate the wide possibilities of product use. We’re happy to see the event gaining international scale,” said D. Gruzdzevičiūtė.

She noted that in the coming years, the goal is to involve other countries where MV GROUP Distribution operates – Latvia and Estonia. “Next year will be a special one for the Stumbras distillery as we celebrate its 120th anniversary, so we plan to make the championship even stronger by introducing new and relevant elements,” added Gruzdzevičiūtė.

The quality bar raised to a new level

This year’s championship finalists were tasked with creating a Highball-type cocktail – served in a tall glass – using organic vodka and herbal tea infusions prepared by themselves.

The judging panel consisted of last year’s champion Anna Lekhiv, Stumbras brand ambassador in Poland Jakub Kowalczyk Czuwara, and mixology expert and Stumbras ambassador in Lithuania Mantas Ruzveltas. The cocktails were evaluated based on various criteria, ranging from name and aroma to taste, bartender’s personality and presentation skills.

The first place went to Polish bartender Borys Trelewiczius, second place to Lithuanian bartender Jonas Jasinevičius, and the bronze medal also traveled to Poland – awarded to Karol Rychlewiczius.

“The finalists this year significantly raised the bar for quality and professionalism. The creativity and drink-making techniques displayed were truly impressive, and some of the participants’ efforts in presenting their cocktails exceeded expectations,” shared judge M. Ruzveltas.

He added that while the jury unanimously agreed on several top contenders, deciding the exact ranking was far from easy: “It was clear that every participant had prepared with genuine dedication and a great sense of responsibility.”

Naturalness and experience brought success

The importance of thorough preparation was confirmed by silver medalist Jonas Jasinevičius, bartender at the Vilnius bar Compliments.

“I invested a lot of time and effort to create a truly creative cocktail. The result was a unique, naturally flavored drink without added sugar, sweetened only with wheat and enzyme syrup, and served with flaxseed ice cream,” said Jasinevičius.

He believes that the cocktail’s natural character was one of the key factors behind his success – though his career experience and knowledge also played a vital role.

“I had to compete against some very strong contenders, so there were tension and anxiety, though in the final moments my confidence grew. I think my experience had a big impact – after participating in various championships over the years, I felt much more assured this time,” shared the silver medalist with satisfaction.