Eight establishments take part in the fifth edition of the ‘Cocktail Competition’ as part of Benidorm Gastronómico
The competition will take place from September 11 to 20, with participating venues offering alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails in a bid to win over both the public and the judging panel
The mayor highlights the quality of the proposals and notes that the cocktail “makes the extraordinary ordinary.”
Eight hospitality establishments from Benidorm will take part this year in the fifth edition of the ‘Cocktail Competition’, the third-to-last event in the Benidorm Gastronómico 2026 programme. The competition was presented this lunchtime at the Domingo Devesa Tourism Development Centre (CDT), where Mayor Toni Pérez, Abreca president Francisco Javier del Castillo and current Benidorm Gastronómico ambassador Mariano Sanz, together with other members of the City Council and representatives of the local hospitality sector, were the first to discover the proposals from the participating establishments. The venues will compete for the votes of both the judging panel and the public in the competition, which will run from September 11 to 20.
Toni Pérez once again highlighted the high standard of the entries and congratulated Abreca for organising this type of event for another year. He stressed that such initiatives “help broaden the range of experiences our city has to offer, extend it beyond the peak tourist season and raise its overall quality.”
Each participating establishment will enter two cocktails in the competition: one alcoholic and one non-alcoholic, priced at €9 and €7 respectively, in accordance with the competition rules.
To vote, customers must visit one of the participating venues and try the cocktail entered in the competition. They can then scan the QR code using their mobile phone and rate the cocktail from one to five stars. Voters can also provide their phone number to enter a draw for six vouchers, each redeemable for a cocktail, among all those who take part in the voting. These public votes will also determine the ‘2026 Special Public Mention’ for the most popular cocktail, whether alcoholic or non-alcoholic.
The competition also features a judging panel made up of experts from the hospitality and cocktail-making sectors, who have already had the opportunity to taste and assess the different creations. According to the organisers, the cocktails receiving the highest scores from the experts will win the ‘2026 Judges’ Award for Best Cocktail’ and the ‘2026 Judges’ Special Mention for Best Non-Alcoholic Cocktail’.
The establishments taking part in this fifth edition are Camarote Club Coctelería, Diva 15, Ku Lounge Café, La Pinta Beach, La Terrasse (Port Benidorm Hotel & Spa), Malaspina, Pinocchio Playa, Shija Sabores de los Balcanes and Urban Beach.
Javier del Castillo congratulated all the participating establishments and highlighted the sector’s ability to “showcase and promote our cocktail culture.” He said they are “wonderful creations that make great use of imagination.” The Abreca president also noted that this year “we once again have some outstanding cocktails, with unrivalled creativity that shows how this competition continues to grow and improve every year.”
For his part, Benidorm Gastronómico ambassador Mariano Sanz described the event as “a must for lovers of a great atmosphere” and praised the master mixologists, who “surprise us with unique recipes.” These creations, he added, “are perfect for sharing with friends.”
Mayor Toni Pérez brought the presentation to a close by highlighting the event’s “consolidation” and pointing out that the city is moving beyond August “in the middle of the peak tourist season, which does not end until after the October 12 bank holiday, while others who seek to compare themselves with us have already closed their doors as of August 31.”
In this regard, he stressed that Benidorm “introduces new initiatives during the quieter periods of the year, which has enabled us to avoid having a low season.” “Benidorm did not invent cocktails, but it has given them a different stage,” he added.
The mayor stated that cocktails, like Benidorm, “turn the extraordinary into something ordinary.” He concluded by thanking Abreca and all the participating establishments for their commitment to making this latest Benidorm Gastronómico event possible, adding that “we remain committed to making our leading destination better every day because we are in the best hands.”
Following the ‘Cocktail Competition’, which will take place from September 11 to 20, the 2026 Benidorm Gastronómico programme will continue from October 16 to 25 with the ‘15th Rice Dishes from the Land Culinary Days’. The final event will take place from November 26 to 29 with the second edition of the ‘Menjars del Nostre Poble’ Culinary Days.
