The twelfth edition of the prestigious World Class bartending competition has reached the Czech final stage. This culminated on 26 May and determined the three bartenders who will represent the Czech Republic at the European final in Rotterdam. Patrik Škamla from Becher’s Bar in Karlovy Vary, Peter Plieštik from Forbína in Prague, and Adam Nagy from Whiskáč na Jakubáku in Brno have secured their places.
While Plieštik’s and Škamla’s participation was expected given their long-standing performances, Adam Nagy’s name is one of the biggest surprises of this year’s competition. The trio of finalists thus combines experience with fresh energy, promising an interesting Czech presence on the European stage.
This year’s World Class also brought several changes to the format. The traditional semi-finals were replaced by evaluations held directly at the competitors’ home bars. Throughout April, a jury that included last year’s Czech winner Luca Cerqueglini and Slovak champion Sára Peštová visited the venues. Pavel Mandrla was also present in his role as ambassador of the prestigious bartending competition. Based on these visits, the final twelve were selected and then competed for a place in the final.
The final itself was preceded by a professional programme, including the “Beyond the Competition” masterclass led by two prominent figures on the global bar scene: British World Class winner Emanuel “Lele” Mensah and Johnnie Walker global brand ambassador Tim Philips-Johansson. The competitive atmosphere was further enhanced by a guest shift and the final round for the top six, which took place in front of an audience at Parnas.
From the original final twelve - Tomáš Gec (Pinkiez Espresso Bar, Karlovy Vary), Tomáš Horn (Forbína, Prague), Vilém Lánský (Forbína, Prague), Filip Bezděk (Minus One, Prague), Ondřej Cihlář (Café Datel, České Budějovice), Peter Plieštik (Forbína, Prague), Michael Rowlands (W Prague, Prague), Patrik Škamla (Becher’s Bar, Karlovy Vary), Tran Niem Tin (Beyond the Bar, Prague), Jan Lukas (Café Datel, České Budějovice), Adam Nagy (Whiskáč na Jakubáku, Brno), and Radek Zabloudil (Bar, který neexistuje, Brno)—these three bartenders ultimately made the cut.
Škamla, Plieštik and Nagy now have just under a month to prepare for the European final, which will take place at the end of June. The global final is scheduled for 10–23 October in Scotland, having been moved there from Dubai this year. The Czech trio thus enters the next stage of the competition, which has long been one of the most respected platforms shaping the global bar scene.
