A cocktail designed to “capture the soft romance of autumn by the coast” has taken out the title of 2026 AHA & Don Julio WA’s Best Cocktail following a live mix-off between four of the state’s top hospitality venues.
The Australian Hotels Association (WA) named the Don Ruby by The Sandbar Scarborough Beach as this year’s winner after a high-energy showdown at the AHA Hospitality Expo at Crown Perth today. This is the second year in the row that The Sandbar has taken the title.
In front of a packed crowd of hospitality peers, Marina Vidal recreated the cocktail live on stage, bringing to life the flavours and inspiration behind the winning creation.
The cocktail combines Don Julio tequila, dry vermouth, rhubarb syrup and shrub for a balanced sweetness and tartness.
The three other finalists were Cable Beach House from Broome’s Outback Margarita, the Exchange Hotel in Pinjarra’s Crimson Murray, and Lucky Chan of Northbridge with Con El Frutero.
The judging panel, comprising Minister for Agriculture and Food Hon Jackie Jarvis MLC, AHA(WA) Government Relations and Communications Manager Angela Beechey, food and drink journalist Simon Collins, and Diageo Australia Managing Director Dan Hamilton, evaluated cocktails against five key criteria: taste, visual appeal, creativity, narrative and promotion, with finalists scored out of 100.
AHA(WA) CEO Bradley Woods said the competition showcases the exceptional talent and innovation found in bars and hospitality venues right across Western Australia
“Cocktail culture in Western Australia continues to evolve and flourish, with venues constantly pushing the boundaries of flavour, presentation and originality,” Woods said.
“This year’s finalists demonstrated just how much talent exists across our industry, and Don Ruby by The Sandbar Scarborough Beach proved to be a worthy winner in a highly competitive field.”
