Remember back in January we announced that Havana Club Cocktail Maestros was gearing up for its second edition? Well, after fierce competition over the past few months we’re happy to say that the wait is over. The 22 teams who will be flexing their mixology muscles, sharing their storytelling skills and championing their team spirit in Cuba next April have now been chosen.
Give it up for the following teams who will representing their respective countries…
Asia: Jack Li (China) & Pitt Punpiputt (Thailand)
Asia: Cynthia Li (China) & Jack Quang (Vietnam)
Asia: Alain Kim (Korea) & Nikita Jein (UAE)
Austria: Corina Tschallener & Claudia Tschallenger
Bulgaria: Anton Grigorov & Vasil Shopov
Canada: Linh Phan & Samantha Fulmer
Colombia: Andrés David Pineda Muñoz & Daniel Parra
Cuba: Mario Luis Acosta Batista & Alejandro Fleets Socarras
Czech Republic: Ondrej Cisar & Marek Simunek
Finland: Jami Kalliorinne & Casimir Snellman
France: Sara Leonor Sá de Sousa & Leandro José Alves de Sousa
Germany: Csaba Schneider & Eric Bergmann
Greece: Fotis Gavalas & Christos Sgouromallis
Italy: Raffaele Manetti & Davide Corazza
Kazakhstan: Daria Bezhina & Irina Lyulko
Mexico: Luis Miguel Cardona & Modesto Lozada
Norway: Chris Poland & Chris Pellett
Romania: Andrej Bertalan & Octavia Ripeanu
Spain: Francisco Javier Rodríguez & Camila Giraldi
Switzerland: Rafael Gloor & Dominik Fuchs
UK: Blaise Bachelier & Ryan Smith
Wild Card: Afonso Fernandes & Francisco Serrador (Portugal)
Next steps
So that’s 22 tickets to Cuba secured. But between now and April 2026, there’s work to be done. Or should we say learnings to be learned. All of which will take place during one of the three exciting Regional Challenges in Europe, Asia and the Americas.
Each of the two day workshops have been curated with mentorship in mind. Think guidance from some of the top names in the business, each imparting their knowledge to give the competitors all of the inspiration and know-how they need to smash their PBs in The Great Havana Hustle, the ultimate pop-up they’ll be tasked with curating at the Global Finals in Cuba next year.
And for the winners, there’s more than pride at stake. They’ll be the worthy recipients of a big, fat cheque for €10,000 and a set of crystal decanters housing the very precious Havana Club Icónica Máximo (valued at approx. €2,500). Plus, good times in Cuba? What’s not to love about that?
