Soma Feke, the Bar & Beverage Manager of BOTANIQ Castle of Tura, delivered an exceptional performance at the Nikka Perfect Serve 2023 Hungary competition, securing the championship title.

Soon, Soma will have the opportunity to showcase his unmatched talent in San Francisco, where he will compete among the world’s best bartenders for the top prize. Despite having only two months to prepare for this exciting challenge, the experiences and knowledge gained there will stay with him for a lifetime, as the first and second-place winners will embark on an exclusive cultural and whiskey-oriented journey to Japan.

The Nikka Perfect Serve is significantly different from traditional bartending competitions. Contestants are not required to prepare and present a single cocktail recipe but must be ready for a 15-minute bartending service in front of three experts. Judges randomly select the cocktails without prior notice. The tension is further heightened by the fact that the judges may assume unexpected roles, such as one being blindfolded, while others playfully test the bartender. In these situations, the assessment goes beyond the contestant’s skill, also evaluating how elegantly the bartender handles unexpected situations while serving perfect cocktails.

Congratulations to Soma on this exceptional achievement, and we eagerly anticipate him representing our country in the international competition!