MONIN Cup 2026 — Eight bartenders. One ticket to Paris.
By Mike Gorman, The Best Drink Ever Presented by MONIN
Published Aug 31, 2026
Meet the Competitors of the 2026 MONIN Cup U.S. Regional Finals
The MONIN Cup was designed to give up-and-coming talent a stage to show what they can do, tell their story through a glass, and compete alongside some of the most exciting new faces behind the bar.
We’ve been around enough cocktail competitions to know the drill. Bottles lined up. Judges with notebooks. Bartenders trying not to look nervous. Someone inevitably looking for something they swear they put down five minutes ago.
But the good ones quickly stop feeling like competitions. They become opportunities for people who are still making a name for themselves to step into the spotlight and show the industry what they’re capable of.
That was the case when The Best Drink Ever x Thirsty joined Monin in Tampa for the 2026 MONIN Cup U.S. Regional Finals. Eight emerging bartenders came in from across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, each carrying a different story, a different idea of what makes a great drink, and a suitcase containing more bar tools than clothing.
This year’s theme was Timeless Twists: take something from the past and make it yours. Not by throwing twelve ingredients into a glass for the sake of being clever, but by digging into the flavors, places, traditions and memories that actually mean something.
And that’s where things got interesting.
There was sotol and sherry. Ube and coconut. Guava and cachaça. Espresso and banana. Hibiscus and mango. Mushroom flavoring even found its way into a cognac cocktail.
But the ingredients were only part of it. The MONIN Cup is ultimately about the people behind the drinks—giving emerging bartenders a chance to take a swing, put their ideas in front of the industry, and maybe leave with a few more people knowing their name.
Here are the eight bartenders we had the pleasure of spending time with in Tampa—and what they poured.
Remington Curtin
Tempe, Arizona | Drop Dead Gorgeous
Originally from central Ohio, Remington began bartending at 21 and discovered a passion for craft cocktails after moving to Arizona in 2022. He draws inspiration from cocktail history and the bold flavors of the Southwest.
Sotol Has Entered the Villa
Ingredients
4 drops saline
1 bar spoon Fino Sherry
0.75 oz Monin Pineapple Syrup
0.50 oz Monin Exotic Citrus Syrup
0.25 oz Monin Hot Honey Syrup
0.25 oz Monin Tart Cherry Syrup
0.25 oz Monin Yuzu Pineapple Syrup
0.75 oz Old Tom Gin
0.25 oz Sotol
2 oz soda water
Hard shard garnish
Nahommy Ortiz
Old San Juan, Puerto Rico | Scryer Rum & Barrelhouse
With a background in graphic design, Nahommy brings an artist’s perspective to bartending. Her cocktails are inspired by her Puerto Rican heritage, family traditions, and the flavors that shaped her childhood.
El Comado
A spicy, Puerto Rican take on a classic Sherry Cobbler.
Ingredients
2 oz Amontillado Sherry
1 oz aged Chichaito made with Palo Viejo Rum & anise
0.50 oz Monin Hot Honey Syrup
2 dashes HellFire Bitters
Grapefruit peel
Tamarind paste
Papa Cheese Foam
Sesame candy crumble
Megan Wardell
Chattanooga, Tennessee | Unknown Caller
After moving from Utah to Tennessee in 2024, Megan discovered a passion for craft cocktails that quickly led to a role as bar manager. Inspired by classic cocktail builds and personal memories, she creates drinks that are playful, refreshing, and inviting.
Twilight Zone
Ingredients
1 egg white
0.75 oz lemon juice
0.50 oz Monin Violet Syrup
1 oz Ube Oatmilk Syrup
1.50 oz coconut fat-washed gin
Natalia Carbonell
Miami, Florida | Lovecat
Natalia is a Miami-born bartender and hospitality student whose Cuban and Costa Rican heritage inspires her approach to cocktails. Blending tropical flavors with modern beverage techniques, she draws inspiration from music, culture, and hospitality.
Split Skies
Ingredients
0.50 oz GOYA Guava Juice/Nectar
0.50 oz Monin Pineapple Syrup
Approximately 5 oz homemade Monin Ginger Beer Soda
1 oz Chairman’s Reserve Legacy Rum
0.50 oz lime-infused Brabo Cachaça
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Monin Lime Air garnish
Benjamin Janneck
College Station, TX | Thanks Walt!
Ben’s passion for connecting with people through food and drink has taken him from Cuban family recipes to kitchens, farms, food chemistry, and environmental education. Today, he runs Thanks Walt!, a cocktail club focused on sustainable craft cocktails and community education.
Oh the Habanera
Ingredients
2 oz milk-washed, smoked tea Agricole Rhum
0.50 oz Monin Sugar-Free Vanilla Syrup
0.50 oz grapefruit
0.50 oz lime juice
0.375 oz Monin Guava Purée
0.25 oz Monin Vanilla Syrup
Absinthe rinse
Nick Paik
Tampa, Florida | Kosen
A lifelong foodie, Nick is passionate about exploring familiar flavors in new ways. As a bartender at a Michelin-starred Japanese omakase concept, he combines fermentation, technique, and hospitality to bring a fresh perspective to cocktails.
Ripe Intentions
Ingredients
2 oz Appleton 8 Year Jamaican Rum
1 oz Monin Banana Syrup
0.50 oz Lustau Oloroso Sherry
0.25 oz Amaro Montenegro
1 oz fresh espresso
Kitzia Torres
San Juan, Puerto Rico | Antiguo 26 Alta Coctelería
Known as “La Gitana,” Kitzia is a Puerto Rican bartender who brings personal memories and local flavors into her cocktails. Her style blends storytelling, sustainability, and techniques that honor both tradition and innovation.
Meringue del Alba
Ingredients
Condesa Xoconostle & Azar
Heavy cream infused with hibiscus
Sour orange and lime juice
Egg white
Salty mango soda
Meringue powder
Star sprinkles
Natural orchids
Michael Cortez
San Antonio, Texas | Bubbles & Bourbon
Michael is a San Antonio bartender with more than eight years of experience and a passion for pushing flavor boundaries. His cocktail style combines simplicity, precise balance, and intentional hospitality, with every drink telling a story.
The Quiet Earth
Ingredients
Jujube-infused brown sugar simple syrup
Monin Exotic Citrus blend with Meyer lemon and Makrut lime
Fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Martell VS Cognac
Cygnet 22 Gin rinse
Egg white
Xocolatl Mole Bitters
And the Winner Is...
Eventually, of course, somebody has to win.
Congrats to Michael Cortez on taking first runner-up, and to Kitzia Torres, your 2026 MONIN Cup U.S. champion. Next stop for Kitzia and Merengue del Alba: Paris.
But after spending time with this group, the final rankings feel like only part of the story. What stood out just as much was the talent, creativity, and personality behind every drink that hit the bar.
Eight bartenders came to Tampa from College Station, Tempe, Old San Juan, Chattanooga, Miami, Nashville, Tampa, San Juan and San Antonio. Different backgrounds. Different techniques. Different ideas about what belongs in a cocktail.
And each put something personal on the bar.
That's really the opportunity a competition like the MONIN Cup creates. For an emerging bartender, it's a chance to get outside your own bar, put your ideas in front of the industry, meet people doing the same thing in other cities and see where your work can take you.
Kitzia's advice to bartenders thinking about entering the next one might be the best way to put it:
"Do it before you feel ready. Competitions are not only about winning—they challenge you to grow, teach you who you are, and open doors you never expected. Your first competition doesn't have to be perfect. Be brave enough to step behind the bar and tell your story."
Sometimes one of those doors happens to lead to Paris.
To Remington, Nahommy, Megan, Natalia, Benjamin, Nick, Kitzia and Michael: congratulations. Thanks for sharing the amazing cocktails that you have been working on with us.
And Kitzia—we'll see you in Paris.
