Lustau Solera Standout Competition

All the Lustau collection is crafted using the genuine solera and criaderas system. With this in mind, the House of Lustau has challenged bartenders to create a cocktail using any product from its solera-aged collection.

The Lustau Solera Standout once again invited friends from across the drinks community to participate. This year's competition called on bartenders and bar professionals to showcase their craft, celebrating the richness and complexity of the solera system through genuine liquid masterpieces.

The Solera Standout focuses on raising awareness to the importance of the presence of solera-crafted products in the cocktail world. It aims to discover new contemporary classic cocktails that harness and showcase solera-aged diversity. The ultimate goal is to create cocktails that feel modern and contemporary yet timeless, and that can be easily recreated by both professional bartenders and home cocktail enthusiasts around the world.

Inspirational resources

• Difford's Sherry Cocktails Hub
• Sherry Journey for all things sherry and sherry cocktails
• Sherry Explorer
• Certified Sherry Wines Specialist Course

Prizes

Because some things simply can't be understood from a book or a bar counter. Walking through the bodegas and tasting from the cask is the best way to grasp the magic and uniqueness of this brand. The winning bartender will travel to Jerez to experience the home of Lustau first hand. The prize includes a trip to the Sherry region, and a short internship-style stay with the Lustau team, offering the chance to explore the cellars, meet the people behind the wines and spirits, and discover Lustau's know-how.

In addition, two runner-ups will receive a seat on the Certified Sherry Wine Specialist (CSWS®) course, the internationally recognised certification program dedicated to the study of sherry wines and their production.

Key Dates

Below you'll find the key dates for the competition, from the opening of submissions to the announcement of the winners. Make sure to keep an eye on the timeline!

June 1st, 2026 – Competition open for entries

July 17th, 2026, midnight G.M.T. – Competition closes for entries

July 31st, 2026 – Shortlist of top 50 announced

August 14th, 2026 – Top 15 Finalists announced. Each will be requested to produce a 1-minute film (this can be using a phone), making their cocktail to be shared on Lustau's and Difford's social platforms.

August 28th, 2026 – Top 15 cocktails will be carefully made exactly according to the recipes submitted by Lustau ambassadors, for a panel of judges to sample and evaluate. (Competitors not present.)

September 11th, 2026 – Winner and runners-up announced.

Judging

A panel of judges, including Simon Difford and all Lustau ambassadors will review the 15 finalist cocktails along with their one-minute videos. Each entry will be evaluated not only on creativity, but on its potential to become a modern classic behind the bar.

The highest scores will go to drinks that deliver great flavour while remaining simple enough to be easily recreated by bartenders and enthusiasts alike around the world. In short: great flavour, smart simplicity, and a cocktail people will actually want to make again.

Scoring criteria

1. Taste – up to 50 points
2. Ease of replication – up to 20 points
3. Name – up to 10 points
4. Photo / Video presentation – up to 10 points
5. Broad appeal & potential to become a contemporary classic – up to 10 points

Rules

1. The competition is open to professional bartenders worldwide.
2. Recipes entered must be the original creation of the competitor, and if a competitor is thought to have plagiarised a known, existing cocktail, they will be disqualified. Please use Difford's Cocktail Finder to check for combinations of the same ingredients.
3. Ingredients must be easily available the world over and cannot be homemade.
4. Batching, infusing and pre-combining of ingredients is not permitted.
5. Recipes must be submitted with an accompanying photograph, which will be included in the judge's evaluation and contribute to scoring. In the image, the Lustau bottle must be clearly visible.
6. Cocktails may be hand-stirred, hand-shaken, thrown or blended, served hot, straight-up, or served over cubed, cracked or crushed ice.
7. Garnishes must be edible but may be mounted on sticks, skewers, straws, forks or other such common bar accessories. Use of edible fruits, herbs, leaves and spices may include sprigs, peels, barks, fruit shells etc. Any flowers and petals used must be edible.
8. By entering this competition, competitors agree to assign the copyright of their recipe and drink name to Difford's Guide (Odd Firm of Sin Ltd) and The House of Lustau.
9. Cocktail names, including rude, lurid, sexual words or words associated with narcotics or motor vehicles, are prohibited.
10. The competition organisers reserve the right to make the final decision on any matter relating to the competition's judging.
11. The 15 finalists will be required to film the making of their cocktail to be shared on The House of Lustau and Difford's social platforms (1-minute maximum).

For more information, please see Lustau Solera Standout Competition Ts & Cs