BARTENDERS Luke Robertson and Ewan Robertson were named winners of this year’s SLTN cocktail competition after a hard-fought final in Glasgow.
Luke, of Kochchi in Glasgow, and Ewan, of Edinburgh’s Dragonfly, were named joint winners of the SLTN Serves competition after competing at Malo on Glasgow’s Bothwell Street.
Entrants to this year’s contest were challenged to submit a drink that was inspired by a favourite hospitality memory. At the final, competitors prepared and presented this drink as well as a second cocktail created using products from competition sponsor FUNKIN.
Ewan’s entry drink, Apple of My Eye, was named the winner of the first round, with Luke’s Twenty-Twenty Spritz winning the second round.
The final was judged by a panel that 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.
Dave 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. After much deliberation, the judges decided it wasn’t possible to name a single winner this year, with Ewan and Luke both taking home trophies.
“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.”
Luke will now serve his cocktail as a welcome drink at the 2026 SLTN Awards, while both bartenders will be able to choose between a place in the top six shortlist of either Mixologist of the Year or Bartender of the Year.
