The Copy Taste festival may have only launched in 2024, but it’s already responsible for turning a big spotlight on a fast growing region in the cocktail world. Not just in Zagreb, Croatian home of the festival, but significantly further afield, taking in the wider Balkan region too.
The brainchild of Dominik Becvardi and Miลกel Posavac, co-owners of Peaches & Cream (World’s 50 Best Bars Discovery 2025) this two day event focuses on education while also bringing together local Zagreb bars with those from the wider Balkan region and international guests. All culminating in an open air cocktail celebration featuring the very best bars from Croatia, North Macedonia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro
Having just wound up a breathtaking 48 hours for this year’s festival Miลกel shares the Copy Taste story.
Okay Misel this is the third year of Copy Taste but let’s go back to 2024, tell us what was your original idea for the event?
Basically we wanted to bring together the best bars of the Balkan region in one place to allow them more international recognition. My business partner Dominik Becvardi and I saw how the cocktail bar scene was growing across the region but the people involved in the bars weren’t able to travel around Europe to visit bar shows or events, so they weren’t visible or meeting others from the wider bar industry.
So we said let’s create something to bring those bars together to show what they’re doing and, at the same time, bring in other industry people so they could exchange ideas. Our ambition for that first event in 2024 was simply to focus on making people aware of the region, that something good was going on.
So how has your ambition for the event evolved since then?
After the first year we thought it needed a touch of the international bar scene, so in 2025 we invited some of the best bars in the world to add some buzz around the event. We also wanted those bars to share knowledge about what they were doing in their countries and their individual ways of working with our Balkan region communities through seminars and guest shifts.
Coming up to date with this year’s event, whatโs been the reaction from the wider industry?
It really has felt like something special is happening. For instance, when Agostino Perrone from The Connaught visited I could see it in his eyes that he was surprised big time!
This is really important because you can ask someone about Zagreb or Croatia who is not a professional and they can say to you โyes, it was niceโ. But when a professional, who is in this business, says โCroatia is amazing and Zagreb has incredible specialty coffee places, a great cocktail scene, fantastic food and wineโ, you believe them.
And when people visit they also realise weโre not actually far away from other parts of the world, especially Europe.
So what was the focus this year?
We’re always evolving Copy Taste, so education was still really important but we structured the two days differently. We had top international bars, along with bars which we call the new wave, and another selection of bars from right across the Balkan region.
Can you talk us through how they all came together over those two days?
So the first day was very much about the education side of things. We had seminars and panel discussions with industry experts and people from the visiting bars. Then in the evening we had a series of guest shifts from the six international bars spread all around Zagreb.
Pretty impressive international bars too?
Yes absolutely, each of them is featured on The World’s 50 Best Bars List; Moebius, Milan (No. 7), The Cambridge Public House, Paris (No. 20), Mirror Bar, Slovakia (No.25), Locale Firenze, Florence (No. 22) and Barro Negro, Athens (No. 62 on the extended 51-100 list).
They all served up really great drinks which local guests could simply enjoy and local bartenders could learn from.
As for the ‘New Wave’ bars, how were they showcased?
Something interesting we’ve noticed happening here in Zagreb is the way brunch has become really important. People like to enjoy speciality coffee or homemade kombucha, eat some nice food, as well as drinks cocktails but more low or no alcohol. We wanted to incorporate this into the event, so we approached these kind of bars and asked if they were interested in hosting the new wave bars for a brunch event. They all immediately said yes and this became the focus of the morning and early afternoon on the second day.
Sounds like a nice way to spend a few hours, talk us through the brunch event
The first from Zagreb to join was Broom 44 and they partnered with Phillia from Thessaloniki in Greece. We like it very much because it’s a very trendy and cool bar, and as well as great drinks they have a really interesting food offering.
Holographik Space is a coffee shop and design studio. We put them together with Purovoku Project, also from Thessaloniki, and recognised as a 50 Best Discovery. Theyโre involved in zero-waste and are very good guys who organised the Thessaloniki Bar Show, as well really pushing the local bar community.
How we matched the Zagreb bars with the visiting ones was really important. So Cynic bar, a specialist coffee shop worked really well hosting Romaniaโs Teoria. And Hotsy Totsy, which is one of the best bars in Hungary and another 50 Best Discovery, joined Gradska Kavana, a very traditional coffee shop in a lovely old building on the main square in the city.
Copy Taste in numbers
6: guest shifts around Zagreb
5: brunch bar guest shifts
470: people attended the bar guest shifts (sold out)
450: people at brunch guest shifts (sold out)
6: regional bar pop-ups at the party
500+: guests at the party
1.300+: cocktails served
We also had another guy, who’s not from a bar, but is a very well known bartender called Atilla Bรบs also from Hungary, who’s written a great book on no and low ABV drinks. We arranged a special guest shift for him at Tender, a very cool underground place.
What was really interesting was that during the morning it was raining really heavily and we thought this was going to be a real problem. But every one of them sold out in an hour. And the guests were other bartenders and around 70% local consumers.
This was really important for us because we’re learning a lot about these consumers. Theyโre not going out to just drink a cocktail but just looking for a nice time and something which happens in the moment. I think that’s why they really liked the brunch event.
Which brings us to the second evening because this party is key to your ambition to support your region
Yes it takes place over the final evening and we think of it as the highlight of Copy Taste. Itโs very big party and this is where we brought together six really great bars from the Balkan region.
Could you tell us about why you chose them, their different styles, and what actually excites you about what they’re doing in their countries, starting with Strings Bar
Strings Bar is from Split in Croatia and it’s a very engaging place. Itโs always full of people but at the same time the service is really on the level. They just always create a fantastic atmosphere that’s not formal, itโs fun. The team are really funny, they play great music and serve perfect drinks all day. We wanted that vibe at the party.
Up next is Casa Bar from North Macedonia
We love this bar so much because North Macedonia is such an interesting region. Itโs a high level coastal area like Athens in Greece and very close to us but far away from Europe as itโs the last country in the Balkan region. And cocktail culture doesn’t really exist there at all. So Casa Bar is not in a good position, but they were the first bar to really push the limit and they did a very good job. Theyโve actually created a kind of movement in the capital Skopje, which has lead to more bars opening. And we know the passion they put in because it’s not easy in that area to sell a Negroni for four or five euros, and they’ve created something different. Now theyโve asked us about bringing Copy Taste to the area, which is really exciting.
On to Silk & Fizz
Yes, Silk & Fizz from Slovenia. Jan and Gal are great friends of ours, and they were working in different bars but knew they were always going to open somewhere together. And it finally happened two years ago. Slovenia is a developed country and sophisticated in terms of drinks culture, but not cocktails at all. In the capital Ljubljana, you have two cocktail bars, and in Maribor, you have one. That’s it for the whole country. So it’s quite difficult to work in this environment, but these guys had a vision. Now their bar is very successful, but they’re also promoting the value of Slovenian people in the industry.
What about Okosh Bokosh?
Okosh Bokosh is a bar from Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It’s very strange because this is the only bar that isnโt coming from a capital city. Sarajevo, the capital doesn’t have a cocktail bar at the same level. But these two guys are very passionate and took a big risk opening the bar because the country has a difficult political situation and people might not be able spend money in this kind of venue. They were struggling a lot in the beginning especially because they were making cocktails not just serving wine and beer. Now they’re one of the best places in Banja Luka, and it’s not just about going out for a good cocktail, but actually going there because itโs cool. Theyโve achieved a very good success.
So let’s talk about Riddle Bar
Riddle Bar has been around for five years, and when it opened the guys did something very different for a cocktail bar in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. They actually went against the wind so to speak. To be honest, Belgrade has the best cocktail scene in the region, but itโs a very old scene with classic cocktail bars that’ve been around for about 10 years. But, unlike all these others, they opened Riddle Bar in a tourist area and everyone said it wouldn’t succeed. They had their own philosophy, though, including no signature cocktail and no menu. Instead they work around what their guests want to drink, and as much as possible they use Serbian spirits. They’ve grown very fast and now theyโve opened a hotel bar called a Riddle Plaza Bar, with a completely different strategy, but the same culture. Theyโre also want to organise Copy Taste in Belgrade.
And the last of the six bars is Kokotov Rep
Kokotov Rep literally translates as โcockโs tailโ, like a cocktail. So it’s a bar in Montenegro and it’s very interesting because Montenegro is known for the seaside and that’s where everything is happening, but they opened this bar in Podgorica. This is a very small area but they’ve really pushed the boundaries. And Nicolas, the owner, just opened it with him as the bartender, his girlfriend and a bar back. Just the three of them.
They started with some easy cocktails and started to grow. Now every day they’re full and theyโve completely changed the structure of what the people are drinking. Before people were staying in their comfort zone, you know, drinking Jack and Coke or gin and tonic. So this bar was like a big revolution and they’ve created a culture. Today, I’m very happy because weโve known Nicolas for a long time, and now heโs opened different businesses around the bar, like heโs the first ice producer in Montenegro, which helps other local businesses to grow. Thatโs why we wanted to invite him because heโs really changed the scene there.
It’s really interesting to get the back stories of these bars because they’re all doing groundbreaking work
Exactly, 100%! As I say each city or country comes with its own challenges. And all of these people are pushing boundaries, doing different things and changing cultures.
Serious serves at the Copy Taste party
Riddle Bar: Devil on Your Shoulder (Patron Silver tequila, cucumber, caraway, saffron, cedarwood)
Kokotov Rep: Tears of Joy (Gin Mare, mint, Paragon Timur Berry, passionfruit, rhubarb)
Casa Bar: Zagreb (Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7, lemon, cucumber, Three Cents ginger beer, Paragon Vetiver)
Silk & Fizz: Sour Cherry & Sakura Negroni (Gin Mare, Campari, Martini Rubino, sakura, sour cherry)
Strings Bar: Berry Gimlet (Ketel One vodka, wild berries, elderflower, green apple, citrus)
Okosh Bokosh: Beet the Pressure (Bacardi Reserva Gold rum, beetroot, tonka, brown butter, acid)
Copy Taste has clearly been an incredible few days but could you pick out some personal highlights from this year?
Itโs quite difficult because there were so many nice things, but there are three things I am really proud of.
First, is the support from the bars in Zagreb. You’ve spent time here so you know about the scene and experienced many of these local bars. Throughout Copy Taste they welcomed us and they hosted all of our guests so well.
I’m also proud that the seminars and master classes were all fully all booked by bar professionals. To see them all coming together in one place, for a full day, was important, because many of them have to travel a long way and come before they start work in the evening. Dominic and me were concerned about them being able to come but it worked really well.
Thirdly is the international bar community. Weโve been inviting people from the Balkan region, and these have become our friends, who we are in contact with all the time. But to have so many international people coming and to see their reaction was amazing. They were so nice and really surprised at what they saw, such as the quality of the bars and restaurants, and the sessions that were going on. For instance, this year we gave them lessons to learn how to cook local food. They were so engaged with everything. They sent me lots of messages afterwards saying they went back full of positive things. And I know they will talk about their experiences.
All these things mean a lot to me.
You’ve mentioned interest in taking Copy Taste to other regions, where’s that at?
Honestly, weโve had a lot of requests to expand Copy Taste. And the first important thing weโve promised ourselves is that weโll continue to focus on the Balkan region bar scene. The second thing is we’re also looking to extend the concept in small virtual events.
Currently we’ve agreed to expand to Bucharest in Romania. And that’s already being promoted and guests are being invited. There will be something in Macedonia at the end of this year or next year too. These two regions are happening for sure. Maybe others too.
Youโve only just finished Copy Taste for this year in Zagreb, and youโre probably already planning next yearโs event, but tell us what’s your ambition for it in the future?
The expansion to other regions we’ve already talked about.
As for Copy Taste here in Zagreb, weโre been trying to put everything into just two days because it’s not easy to send people from your team for longer. So we’re looking at the future structure. Maybe a day full of master classes for people from the Balkan region. Then another day dedicated to sponsors from the spirits industry to showcase their products. And more focus on the local market as well. We’ll see how we can manage it. The goal, as I say, will be to continue to focus on the Balkan region, but having a little bit more space for additional activities.
Itโs definitely happening in 2027 in Zagreb and we will keep the slot in May, but we need to talk to friends in other countries like Mirror Bar, Slovakia and Nouvelle Vague, Albania, as they have their own events and we donโt want to overlap.
Whenever we talk about Copy Taste and the Balkan region you’re clearly very passionate, so could you share a final thought on both?
All the bars and bartenders involved have a real passion, real ambition, then get on and do it. Nobody has opened doors for them, they’ve all done it for themselves.
Copy Taste is about supporting this and sharing it with the world.
Copy Taste will return in 2027 โ look out for details
See also Copy Taste 2025: shining a light on Croatiaโs brilliant bar scene
