🇧🇪 UNION OF BELGIUM’S BARTENDERS

NATIONAL COCKTAIL COMPETITION 2026

OFFICIAL RULES – CLASSIC CATEGORY

 

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

The Union of Belgium’s Bartenders (UBB) organizes the National Cocktail Competition

2026, which will determine the Belgian representative in the Classic category for the

World Cocktail Championship of the International Bartenders Association in Macao.

📅 Date: June 15, 2026

📍 Location: Horeca Forma Be Pro, Anderlecht

2. ELIGIBILITY

Participants must:

• Be a professional bartender residing in Belgium and/or working in a Belgian

establishment

• Be a registered UBB member for 2026

• Be at least 18 years old👉 Candidates may enter both Classic and Flair categories

⚠ If a candidate wins multiple categories, they will only be allowed to represent Belgium

in one category internationally

👉 UBB reserves the right to appoint a representative for the other category

3. REGISTRATION & DEADLINES

• Registration deadline: May 9, 2026

• Recipe submission deadline: June 1, 2026

👉 Registration must be completed via the official UBB form only

Process:

• Submission of application

• Membership verification

• Confirmation email including:

◦ Assigned sponsor product

◦ Masterclass date and details

⚠ Late registrations or recipes may be rejected

4. TECHNICAL MASTERCLASS

A technical masterclass will take place on May 11, 2026 at Horeca Forma Be Pro

(Anderlecht).

Objectives:

• Presentation of IBA technical rules

• Competition preparation

• Tasting of partner products

Participation:

Not mandatory but strongly recommended

Bonus:

👉 Attendance = +5 points on technical score

5. GENERAL RULES

Dress code:

• Black shirt

• Black trousers

• Black jacket or vest• UBB tie

• Mandatory presence at 09:45 sharp

• Judges’ decisions are final

• Any breach of the rules may result in disqualification

6. TECHNICAL RULES (IBA BASED)

Recipe

• Original cocktail

• Maximum 6 ingredients (excluding garnish)

• Minimum volume before dilution: 7 cl

• Maximum alcohol content: 7 cl

• Measurements in cl / ml / dash only

Products

• All ingredients must come from the UBB partner portfolio

• Each candidate will be assigned a sponsor product to be used at a minimum of 0.5

cl

• No external products are allowed

Authorized exceptions:

• Lemon juice

• Lime juice

• Sugar

• Fresh fruits

• Herbs

• Vegetables

• Milk

• Cream

• Egg

• Aquafaba

• Concentrated bitters

Homemade ingredient

• Maximum 1 homemade ingredient

• Maximum 2 cl per cocktail

• Maximum 4 ingredients

• Full recipe must be provided

👉 Homemade ingredient may contain tea

⚠ On-site infusion remains mandatory

⚠ Foam, espuma, etc. are allowed but will count as the homemade ingredient and must

comply with the above rulesAllowed techniques

Shake / Stir / Build / Blend / Throw

Prohibited

• Artificial coloring

• Fire

• Non-food products

• Recipe modification on competition day

• Ingredients outside partner portfolio (except listed exceptions)

Garnish

• 100% edible

• Prepared on-site (15 minutes)

• Not counted as an ingredient

Service

• 5 identical cocktails must be prepared

• Candidates must bring their own glassware (transparent glass only)

• Tasting on stage is not allowed

Timing

• 1 minute: presentation

• 2 minutes: setup

• 7 minutes: preparation

7. THEME 2026 – TEA

Concept

Each candidate must create a cocktail highlighting tea provided by UBB partners.

Requirements

• Minimum 3 cl of tea

• Tea must come exclusively from UBB partners

• Tea must be clearly identifiable

MANDATORY INFUSION

Each candidate must prepare a hot infusion on-site.

Conditions:

• Time: 20 minutes

• Prepared on competition dayProcedure:

• Hot infusion using provided tea

• Bottled

• Sealed and numbered

• Stored chilled by the organization

• Returned at time of performance

👉 Only this infusion may be used in the cocktail and must not contain any additional

ingredients

8. COMPETITION TESTS

Test 1: Written test

• Multiple choice (English)

• Duration: 30 minutes

Test 2: Cocktail preparation

• 5 identical cocktails

• Respect of rules and theme

Test 3: Presentation

• 1 minute

• In English

9. EVENT SCHEDULE

• 09:45: Candidate check-in

• 10:30 – 11:00: Written test

• 11:00 – 11:30:

◦ Flair briefing

◦ Infusion preparation (Classic)

• 11:30 – 12:00: Classic briefing

• 12:00 – 13:00: Lunch break

• 13:00: Start of cocktail competition

• 16:30: Awards ceremony

10. JUDGING CRITERIA

• Technique

• Organization

• Hygiene

• Balance

• Taste

• Creativity• Theme relevance

• Presentation

11. PRIZE

🥇 The winner will represent Belgium at the World Cocktail Championship in Macao

(October 2026).

Covered by UBB:

• Travel

• Accommodation

• Meals

At the candidate’s expense:

• Personal expenses (drinks outside meals, excursions, etc.)

The winning candidate must attend a mandatory training day organized by members of

the Union of Belgium’s Bartendersprior to the World Championship, in order to be fully

prepared for the rules and standards of the International Bartenders Association.

If the winner is unable to attend:

👉 UBB reserves the right to:

• Appoint a replacement

• Define participation conditions

12. IMAGE RIGHTS

Participants authorize UBB to use:

• Photos

• Videos

• Recipes

For promotional purposes

13. FINAL PROVISIONS

Judges’ decisions are final