2025 AHA & Don Julio WA’s Best Cocktail CompetitionÂ
To take part in WA’s Best Cocktail Competition nominate your cocktail by 15 April 2025.
Customers will then vote to identify the top four cocktails based on the judging criteria. Â
These venues will be invited to a live mix-off on stage in front of an audience and a judging panel, on Tuesday 24 June 2025 at Crown Perth. The judges will then crown WA’s Best Cocktail!Â
The winner of the WA’s Best Cocktail competition will receive four exclusive tickets for one of RAC Arena’s luxurious corporate boxes inclusive of premium food and beverages worth more than $7,000 courtesy of RAC Arena and the AHA! Â
 We will promote the competition via our social media channels and PR to encourage traffic to your venue. We will also provide you with materials that you can use to promote your venue and encourage your customers to vote for you. We encourage you to get your teams involved and have a bit of fun drumming up the excitement factor!Â
Â
Nominations now open!
To enter the AHA & Don Julio WA’s Best Cocktail Competition please read the rules (see below), then fill in an online nomination form by clicking here or the button below.
Key dates
NOMINATIONS CLOSE – 15 APRIL 2025Â
VOTING OPENS – 17 APRIL 2025Â
VOTING CLOSES – 13 MAY 2025Â
FINALISTS NOTIFIED – 16 MAY 2025Â
Competition rules
- One cocktail per venue can be submitted.Â
- For the purpose of the competition, a cocktail is defined as a mixed drink incorporating one of the following bases mixed with other ingredients such as juices, flavoured syrups, tonic water, shrubs, bitters, etc.Â
- The cocktail can contain:Â
-
-
- any single spiritÂ
-
-
-
- any combination of spiritsÂ
-
-
-
- a Non-Alcoholic Spirit EquivalentÂ
-
-
-
- a maximum of the equivalent of two standard drinks per serve.Â
-
- The cocktail must be available and its composition remain the same throughout the competition period.Â
- Any marketing by the participating venues must not depict or encourage irresponsible service or consumption of alcohol or contravene any WA liquor laws or guidelines. This includes ensuring the naming conventions of any cocktail remain appropriate. Â
How does the competition work?
- Eligible venues self-nominate their cocktail for free onlineÂ
- Nominated cocktails are promoted via each venue (social media platforms, in-venue), while the competition is publicly promoted by the AHA and Diageo.Â
- Cocktail finalists are determined using a combination of public votes and mystery judge visits who determine four finalists from across WA.Â
- Finalists are then invited to compete in a live mix-off at the 2025 AHA Hospitality Expo on Tuesday, 24 June 2025, recreating their cocktail on stage and explaining the story behind them.Â
Judging criteria
The four finalists are judged using the following criteria:Â
- Taste (30 points) – Taste, appeal, balance of flavour and aroma, harmony between the ingredients, mouthfeel, and finish.Â
- Aesthetic (20 points) – How the cocktail presents visually.Â
- Authenticity/Creativity (20 points) – Considering the ingredients, garnish, ice or glassware.Â
- Narrative (15 points) – The story behind the cocktail or a connection to the venue or to the state of WA.Â
- Promotion/Price (15 points) – How the cocktail was promoted and price point.Â
Total = 100 PointsÂ