Over 50 contestants, new flavor combinations, and the first competition for mixology enthusiasts. The final of the bartending contest Lidskae BeerMaster 2026 took place on May 28. The jury determined the best bartenders of the season and the winner of the Fan Edition.
For its 150th anniversary, Lidskae Piva offered the contestants to seek inspiration in the jewelery. Some of the contestants went with traditional rubies, rubellites, and sapphires. For others, jewelery was associated with travelling, childhood memories, or family stories. Some of the cocktails brought back the atmosphere of legendary movies; others, in turn, channelled the most coveted dreams and personal discoveries. This is how the participants of Lidskae BeerMaster 2026 interpreted the main theme of the contest, proving that true value is not always measured in carats.
In addition to an overarching theme, the new season brought along several other changes. For the first time, the contestants were offered to create cocktails based on two anniversary varieties, Yantarnae (Amber) and Rubinavae (Ruby). In addition, a separate competition for mixology enthusiasts was established. In total, the organizers received over fifty applications from the whole country. The high level of the contestants forced the jury to review the original quotas: 36 contestants instead of 30 made it to the semi-finals, with 12 instead of 10 booking their place in the final. Contestants from the previous seasons also contributed to the competition, appearing on the stage of Lidskae BeerMaster once again with new experience and ideas.
Contest entries were evaluated by the jury including representatives of Lidskae Piva, bartending experts, winners of the previous editions, as well as representative of bartending and restaurant business school Bar Portal. The taste of the cocktails was not the only criterion. The finalists presented their concepts in Russian and Belarusian, offering the judges to complete thematic puzzles, solve crosswords, and interact with serving elements. The jury especially appreciated the depth of ideas, the attention to detail, and the boldness of flavor combinations. According to the organizers, even seasoned industry veterans were surprised by some of the combinations, such as Yantarnae and Rubinavae with grilled pineapple or aged vermouth.
Choosing the best ones was a tough task, but the jury ultimately settled on the following cocktails:
1st place: Anton Chernov, Path of Stone (Legendar Bar, Minsk);
2nd place: Ekaterina Bukata, Heart of the Ocean (Fantasy Bar, Minsk);
3rd place: Andrey Gritselevich, Pockets Full of Memories (Salut Drinkery, Minsk).
The winners were awarded with prize money. Every finalist also received a souvenir anniversary package from Lidskae Piva, as well as two tickets to the LIDBEER 2006 festival that will take place on August 29 in Lida.
This year, the audience once again chose the winner of the people's choice award. The intrigue remained until the very last few days of voting. The prize was ultimately won by Nikita Frolov from 4YOU Gastropub in Novopolotsk with his cocktail dedicated to rubellite, the so-called stone of the awakened heart. The winner of the Lidskae BeerMaster 2026. Fan Edition contest for mixology enthusiasts was Natalia Karas with her Park CHILLuskintsev.
Over the years of its existence, Lidskae BeerMaster had gone far beyond the limits of a professional contest. Today, it serves as a breeding ground for new ideas, young talents, and stories that ultimately become parts of Belarusian bartending culture. The 2026 final proved it once again: the most valuable discoveries happen where skill meets inspiration.
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