Club Suntory got its start back in 1986. Those of you numerically inclined will know then that this year Club Suntory turns 40. What you may not know just yet, however, is that Club Suntory is celebrating the milestone in a big way.
Enter the Suntory Cup: back for its second year since the Club Suntory team revived the format, this year the prizes on offer are bigger than ever, with a total prize pool worth $40,000.
That is huge!
I had the pleasure of judging the NSW round last year, and was blown away by the performances and the passion of the bartenders competing.
Last year’s national final was won by Reuben Beasley-Palmer and Tom Smith, and in this week’s instalment of Drinks At Work, together with Suntory Oceania group advocacy manager John Galiatsatos, they talk about this year’s brief, how to approach the competition, and share plenty more tips that just might help you get across the line and win the competition in 2026.
Celebrate 40 years of Club Suntory, and enter the 2026 Suntory Cup
The Suntory Cup is back this year with huge prizes on offer. Bartenders around Australia are invited to enter at club.suntory.com, into either the Yatta Minahare (for newer bartenders) or the Club Omoroi (for more experienced bartenders) categories. This year’s theme, fittingly, is all about celebration.
Learn more and enter at club.suntory.com before entries close on the 19th of May.
Below, we’ve got a brief, edited Q&A pulled from the episode with some great advice from John, Tom, and Reuben, but make sure you give the full podcast a listen in your podcast player of choice.
Advice on entering the 2026 Suntory Cup
BOOTHBY: The entries are open now. Can you tell us a little bit more about the comp?
JOHN GALIATSATOS: We’re super excited. This year we’ve set out a really an amazing program to celebrate our 40th anniversary. 1986 is when Club Suntory first kicked off, and we are now in our 40th year. So we thought what better time to sit back, take stock and to really celebrate our contributions and our engagement with the community than to have a 40th celebration. So this year’s theme is all about celebration. We’re really encouraging bartenders from all walks of life, every tenure to come to the table with a drink that really brings celebration to life. For those of you who are new to Suntory Cup, we have two different winners.
We really believe that segmenting entries into a bartending competition is really important. We don’t believe everyone has that same experience. That’s one of the beauties behind Suntory Cup, having these two different categories. We’re a really inclusive program.
We have two categories, and each successful bartender will win a $10,000 cash prize. We’ll be taking our winners, very similar to what we did with Tom and Reuben, overseas; this year, we’re gonna take them to Islay, to the home of Laphroaig and Bowmore, spend a little bit of time there, get to know our products and the way we do things in that very unique, Suntory way. And then you’ll have the privilege, honour of escorting me to Athens Bar Week.
BOOTHBY: Reuben — how would you tackle that theme of celebration?
REUBEN BEASLEY-PALMER: I’d be looking at what is it you are you celebrating? People are instantly going to go to really big things, but maybe you’re just celebrating catching up with a mate at the end of the week, that nice little Highball or something refreshing, something easy. Look at it from a different aspect, put a different lens on it and try to take yourself away from it. Celebration is always seen as big and crazy, but sometimes it’s the little celebrations as well.
BOOTHBY: That’s a very mindful way looking at it.
JOHN GALIATSATOS: What I really love about what Reuben’s just said is, when we look at the judging criteria of our bartending competition, 40 percent is actually about the serve, the cocktail name, and the specifications, your garnish and your methodology and all that sort of stuff. But another 40 percent is all about that storytelling, the inspiration and the narrative behind your creation. So if it is a small celebratory moment between you and a mate, tell us that story. Let us know why you’re celebrating. Storytelling is really important when it comes to these bartending competitions. And then of course there’s the presentation which makes up that last 20 percent: the beautiful composition of your cocktail, and how it’s presented in photos and live in front of the judges.
BOOTHBY: What advice do you have Tom?
TOM SMITH: Don’t leave it to the last minute. That’s when the holes really start to show in how it’s being presented and how it’s being made.
BOOTHBY: John, you’re a likely judge, what should competitors be thinking about when they’re serving you?
JOHN GALIATSATOS: Look, for me, it’s all about creating a unique drinking experience that’s going to bring people together, right? It’s about giving a nod to a great milestone, and whether that milestone be a birthday or a holiday, an anniversary, it’s just something that’s memorable. And how do you narrate that story behind [it]?
The Suntory Cup is more about a bartending competition than a cocktail competition. So I guess what turns me on from a judge’s perspective is that last year, we really focused on omotenashi and that hospitality. So it’s beyond the cocktail, right? [House of Suntory ambassador] Nat Ng famously says, half of the job is actually done outside of the glass. So what is that service? What is that bartending? How are you expressing that hospitality? What is your story behind the creation of your cocktail? It is just as important as the actual lacto-fermenting and fat-washing.
But you’ll hear it time and time again, the simplest ways are probably the best. Again, we’re talking about celebration. So I’m sure I’m gonna have a bubbly something coming down, highly carbonated. I’m expecting sparklers and smoke and you know, all the blessings that bartenders give us. I’m open and welcoming them with open arms. Just make sure it’s meaningful, right? At the end of the day, you’re there to celebrate a milestone.
BOOTHBY: Tom and Reuben, what would your advice be for people getting ready to put their entry in and thinking through it?
REUBEN BEASLEY-PALMER: Research the spirits, know the spirits, know what you’re pouring and learn all about the brand. Don’t just read about the one product you’re using. Learn the brand. You’ve got all the resources on club.suntory.com but also find out some different history — buy a book relating to the category or brand and delve right into that. Because most of the time that’ll give you help with your story.
TOM SMITH: Club Suntory is obviously a community of people. And there’s resources for people who are entering to lean on other bartenders and their local BAs. For us, it was Kevin Griffin, and he really helped us and he said just read the brief, do the research — lean on me if you need anything, lean on the people that you work with. Because more often than not, they’re going to help you.
And if you are presenting the drink, just slow down. And when you’re on stage... make sure you know what you’re saying and that you can back it up with the research that you’ve done.
Learn more and enter at club.suntory.com before entries close on the 19th of May.
