Beesou Hive Challenge 2026
The Beesou Hive Challenge returns with a format focused on what is shaping bar culture right now: low alcohol innovation, seasonal expression, and a commitment to sustainability.
The 2026 Hive Challenge asks bartenders to reinterpret one of three classics cocktails, balancing creativity with respect for the original cocktail's structure and identity:
- Spritz (which can take any form of a sparkling long drink)
- Margarita
- Negroni
Bartenders are encouraged to champion seasonal ingredients from their region, supporting biodiversity and healthier habitats for bees and other pollinators. Every mindful ingredient choice helps build a stronger Hive.
Behind every great cocktail, there is a deeper story, of people, of place, and of the ingredients nature gives us. With the Hive Challenge, we want to inspire bartenders to lead with creativity, passion, and purpose. Every ingredient chosen, every flavour balanced, and every story told through a drink is an opportunity to make a difference. This is more than a competition, it is a platform for bartenders to express their identity, celebrate their region, and prove that hospitality can help drive positive change. Together, we can build a more conscious future for our industry while protecting the bees and biodiversity that make it all possible.
Alessandro Geraci, Advocacy Manager at Beesou
Entry requirements
Open to professional bartenders in the UK.
Entries must include at least 30ml (1oz) of Beesou Honey Aperitif.
A maximum of one homemade ingredient (excluding garnish) is preferred, with a maximum of five ingredients in total preferred, including any homemade element.
Techniques should be practical and replicable for bar takeovers, trade shows, international events, and showcases, with complex laboratory-style techniques, excessive preparation, and difficult-to-source ingredients discouraged.
To enter
Please complete the short form on the ENTER page. If you are already a Difford's Guide member and logged in, we already have your name and email. If you are new to Difford's Guide, then you'll be asked to first join our community of Discerning Drinkers as a free member before uploading your cocktail recipe.
To support participation, competitors are encouraged to request a complimentary sample of Beesou Honey Aperitif on the Beesou website, delivered directly to their bar, so they can begin experimenting and bring their Hive Challenge creation to life.
By entering, bartenders become part of a community rooted in craft, education, and purposeful hospitality, united by one mission: #SaveTheBees.
Participants are encouraged to share their creation on social media using #Beesou #honeyaperitif #HiveChallenge2026 and tagging @Beesou_aperitif.
Key Dates
26 March 2026 – Challenge opens for entries
World Bee Day on 20 May 2026 – entries close at midnight GMT
The final will take place in London in 22 June 2026, with the exact date to be confirmed.
Winner 2024: Joshua Chapman from Lab22, Cardiff
Prizes
The winner will receive three prizes:
- A Holistic Bee Experience in the South of France, including visits with local master honey-fermentation producers, a two-day wellness retreat inspired by apitherapy and nature, and an exclusive honey-fermentation masterclass focused on fermentation processes. The programme also includes immersive workshops exploring Beesou's identity and production philosophy, led by the Master Fermenter and Beesou Founder, with travel and accommodation covered by Beesou.
- Attend Bar Convent Berlin 2026, representing Beesou at the international trade show, engaging with global hospitality professionals, and will have the opportunity to host a bar takeover at one of Berlin's most renowned cocktail bars.
- The winner will become an official Beesou bartender partner in the United Kingdom for one year, participating in national trade events, collaborating on cocktail development initiatives, contributing to mentorship and educational programmes, representing the brand at selected industry activations, and collaborating with Beesou on future creative initiatives. This is not a one-time prize, but the beginning of a long-term professional relationship.
As founder of Beesou, I see this competition as a way to bring together all the passionate bartenders who care deeply about flavour, nature, and responsibility. For me, it is about so much more than creating great drinks. It is about building a global community united by creativity, purpose, and a shared desire to make a difference. Together, we can celebrate low-alcohol innovation while actively supporting bees, biodiversity, and the future of our craft.
Mark Wakefield, Founder of Beesou
Judging
Entries will be judged by an industry panel that brings trade authority and low-alcohol expertise to the heart of the competition: Simon Difford (Difford's Guide), Mark Wakefield (Founder, Beesou), and Camille Vidal (Global No and Low expert).
Submissions will be evaluated on taste and balance, creativity and originality, alignment with the low-alcohol philosophy, seasonal integration, simplicity and scalability, and the strength of storytelling. The judges will select twelve finalists to compete in London for the title of Beesou Hive Master 2026.
The most delicious yet easy-to-replicate recipes will receive the highest scores, awarded for:
Taste = out of 50 points
Ease to replicate = out of 20 points
Name = out of 10 points
Photo/video = out of 10 points
Broad appeal/potential to become a contemporary classic = out of 10 points
Rules
1. The competition is open to hospitality professionals currently employed in the UK hospitality sector (cocktail bar, restaurant, hotel, members' club, or equivalent) and of legal drinking age.
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. Recipes must be submitted with an accompanying photograph, which will be included in the judge's evaluation and contribute to scoring.
4. By entering this competition, competitors agree to assign the copyright of their submitted images, videos, recipes, and related content to Odd Firm of Sin Ltd (Difford's Guide) and Beehave Beverages Ltd (Beesou).
5. The organisers reserve the right to modify the regulations for organisational reasons or force majeure; participation implies full and unconditional acceptance of the rules, and the organiser is not responsible for delays, travel restrictions, or logistical issues beyond its control.
6. The organisers reserve the right to make the final decision on any matter relating to the competition's judging.
7. Cocktail names, including rude, lurid, sexual words or words associated with narcotics or motor vehicles, are prohibited.
