COCKTAIL COMPETITION 2026

Australia’s best New (Old) Fashioned is out there and Starward is ready to find it.

Craft a cocktail that captures the spirit of modern Australian whisky and you could see it bottled, labelled, and enjoyed nationwide.

The winner and venue also score a two‑day hosted trip to our distillery, photoshoot and a share in the profits from sale.

Learn More

how to enter

ATTEND A MASTERCLASS

ATTEND A MASTERCLASS

Our Brand Ambassador team will be hosting Masterclasses across Australia with the help of amazing talent in each city. They’ll be giving tips and tricks on how to batch & create shelf stable drinks, along with brand education to support your entry.

CREATE, SERVE, AND SUBMIT

CREATE, SERVE, AND SUBMIT

It’s time to create and serve your entry in venue for a minimum of four weeks. You must register to enter via the entry form by June 30th, with the final submission closing 31st July, 2026.

STATE FINALISTS AND JUDGING

STATE FINALISTS AND JUDGING

The top 10 scoring state finalists will be announced at the start of August and invited to send their pre-batched cocktail submission to the Starward distillery team, at which point the judging panel will choose the winner.

final distillery trip

final distillery trip

The winning bartender will join the Starward team at the Distillery in Port Melbourne for a two-day hosted experience and to finalise the recipe ready for production. The winning venue will also receive the opportunity to send an additional team member on this trip, or, host a team dinner on Starward.


entry criteria

  1. Create a cocktail recipe including at least 45ml of Starward Two-Fold Whisky.
  2. Cocktail must be shelf stable.
  3. Participating venue must have the cocktail on their menu for at least 4 weeks (this can be a main menu or a specials insert/board).
  4. A detailed cost breakdown of all components must be provided.
  5. Allergens must be avoided as specified by Starward’s guidelines.
  6. An image of the drink must be posted on the bartender’s social media page, along with the venue they work at, using the tags: #starward #newoldfashioned @starwardwhisky and their local BA’s handle.
  7. Recipe and story (following judging criteria) must be submitted by the deadline via the landing site.

judging criteria

STATE LEVEL JUDGING (up to 80 points)
  • Taste Balance and Flavour Expression
  • Aroma and Ingredient Integration
  • Presentation and Visual Appeal
  • Creativity and Clarity of the Written Inspiration
  • Overall Concept & Originality
  • Cocktail Listing for Required Period
  • Visibility in Venue
  • Advocacy Activity
    • finalists additional criteria (up to 20 points)
  • Shelf stability and production suitability of the cocktail
  • Commercial viability of the cocktail
  • Flavour integrity of pre-batched sample


    • See terms and conditions for full entry and judging criteria.*

    the prize

    winning bartender gets
  • Their creation professionally bottled & labelled, with name & venue name featured prominently.
  • A 2-night Melbourne trip including distillery tour, blending class, hosted dinner, merch pack & more.
  • A professional photography package.
  • 50% of net profits from product sales for the first six months.*
    • WINNING VENUE GETS
  • 3x cases of exclusive bottling.
  • An additional employee on the trip to Melbourne OR Starward-hosted team dinner (up to $2500 AUD).
  • Media exposure with named venue and bartender inclusion in paid media placement, social media, trade media and Starward owned channels.*

    • MASTERCLASS EVENT INFORMATION

    Interested to learn more?

    RSVP below to learn the tips and tricks on how to batch & create shelf stable drinks as well as inside tips on how to best position your entry.

    rsvp here

    *Full Terms, conditions and entry criteria here.