Favourite hospitality memories were the theme of SLTN’s 2026 cocktail competition, SLTN Serves.
And finalists from around Scotland helped to make a few more great memories when they competed for our coveted golden shaker trophies last month.
Entrants to this year’s competition were tasked with submitting a drink that had been inspired by a favourite hospitality memory.
Five bartenders gathered in Glasgow bar Malo for the final of the competition, where they prepared their original drink as well as a second serve that was to contain at least one product from competition sponsor FUNKIN and designed to be created in large volumes.
It is this second cocktail that will be served as a welcome drink at this year’s SLTN Awards if the competitor won.
The judging panel for this year’s final included last year’s competition winner, Mairi McDowall of Sebb’s in Glasgow, Storm McMurrich and Alec Tidmarsh of FUNKIN, and SLTN’s Dave Hunter.
SLTN’S Gordon Davidson was the gregarious master of ceremonies at the event.
After two rounds of incredible drinks from some amazing bartending talent, the judges took the decision to split the top prize between Ewan Robertson of Dragonfly in Edinburgh and Luke Robertson of Kochchi in Glasgow.
Ewan won the first round of the competition for his hospitality memory-inspired serve, Apple of My Eye, with Luke’s high-volume serve, Twenty-Twenty Spritz, winning the second round.
Ewan said his drink was an evolution of the first cocktail he ever created that won a competition – and that led him to consider bartending as a career.
He said: “It was about ‘this is the drink I started with, this is where I am now’. And using all those changes in my palate, my skillset, and everything I’ve learned over the last couple of years to make a drink that sells that original story.
“It keeps all the fun of the original serve, just with a bit more sophistication this time around.”
And Luke said his cocktail – which will be served as a welcome drink at the 2026 SLTN Awards – was designed to be a ‘clean, refreshing drink’.
“It’s really exciting to know that my drink is going to be the welcome drink for the SLTN Awards in 2026,” said Luke.
“I can’t really put into words how it feels to be honest. It’s a little unexpected, but genuinely such an amazing feeling, especially with how amazing everyone’s drinks were.
“It’s really good to know that mine will be the one getting served to everyone at the SLTN Awards.”
Sponsor judge Alec Tidmarsh, sales ambassador for FUNKIN parent company AG Barr, said Ewan displayed ‘an incredible knowledge of all things cocktails, from the history of his chosen spirits to understanding how each sense interacts with the overall experience of his final cocktail(s).
“As a classically trained bartender myself, this is a skill I look out for in all bartenders and Ewan hit the nail on the head in both rounds.
“Luke’s second cocktail, the Twenty-Twenty Spritz, was simple in build, yet complex in flavour whilst also showcasing that his creation can be pre-batched for the masses.
“His display of understanding the brief is what led him to be one of my top choices to be used at the awards ceremony in November and I really look forward to sampling more of his drink on the night.”
Dave Hunter said: “Our SLTN Serves competition was a celebration of the best of hospitality – the inspirations and the memories that are unique to this incredible industry – and our finalists really delivered on the day.
“Each one of them created cocktails that were not only imaginative and delicious, but deeply personal.
“We’d like to congratulate all of the finalists on a job well done, and many thanks to the team at Malo, who once again went above and beyond as our hosts.”
