Raise the Bar – Summer Competition 2026 was created with the aim of interpreting the new directions of Italian mixology.

The bartender competition, organized by Ad Horeca, focused on the theme “Mediterranean Aperitropical,” a concept that evokes freshness, drinkability, and the enhancement of Mediterranean identity within contemporary mixed drinks.

Participants developed two original recipes:

an aperitif;
a creative cocktail;
at least one low-alcohol or zero-alcohol proposal.

The growing focus on low-alcohol cocktails is one of the most interesting aspects of the 2026 edition. In the beverage sector, low-alcohol drinks are no longer perceived simply as an alternative, but as an increasingly requested category, especially in cocktail bars aimed at a young and international audience.

For this reason, many bartender competitions are beginning to highlight drinks capable of combining balance, lightness, and quality of experience.

In this scenario, Raise the Bar stands out as a competition capable of reflecting some of the main trends currently influencing the Italian HoReCa market.