CubaPLUS Magazine

Cuba will be the host country for the first-ever women's world bartending championship, "Queens of Bartending: The Global Female Championship," scheduled to take place next year. Endorsed by the International Bartenders Association (IBA), the competition aims to showcase the creativity, leadership, and skill of female bartenders from around the globe.

At a press conference held this Thursday at the Meliá Cohíba hotel in Havana, which will also serve as the event's venue, Eddis Naranjo Carrillo, President of the Cuban Bartenders Association (ACC), emphasized the significance of Cuba hosting the championship. She stated that it recognizes the country's proven track record in organizing previous events and its undeniable quality in this field.

Following several qualifying competitions leading up to the Havana event, the top 30 female professionals from over 60 IBA-member countries will be selected to participate in the championship, to be held from March 7th to 10th, 2026. Havana Club, Cuba's iconic rum brand, will be the main sponsor, with Havanatur serving as the destination management company (DMC).

Under the theme "Technical Creativity and Passion in Every Cocktail" and the IBA's slogan "Shaking The World," the competition will feature a preliminary round on the morning of March 8th, International Women's Day, to determine the winners in each of the four competing categories. The grand finale will take place that evening, where contestants will vie for the title of World Bartending Queen.

The Cuban Bartenders Association, celebrating its 100th anniversary, possesses extensive experience in organizing bartending competitions. As the oldest non-governmental organization of its kind worldwide, it is affiliated with the Ministry of Tourism and registered with the Ministry of Justice as the legal representative of the Cuban bartending school, as well as with the Formatur School of Hospitality and Tourism.

Also present at the press conference were Rider Fuentes, Vice President of the championship's organizing committee and of the ACC, along with other organization members, representatives from Havana Club International, Havanatur, other companies associated with the sector, and members of the national and foreign press accredited in Cuba.