Nikka Perfect Serve is an international bartending competition organised under the auspices of the Japanese whisky brand Nikka. In addition to the art of cocktail-making, it also emphasises the bartender’s personality, creativity and ability to create an exceptional experience for the guest. This year, the Czech Republic will be represented by three bartenders at the regional final in Athens: Prabhu Tiwari from Alcron Bar, Carola Urru from Savage Bar and Juraj Pavlík from La Casa de la Havana Vieja. They bring to the competition a variety of professional experiences, their own personal relationship with whisky and a distinctive approach to hospitality.
Three personalities, three different journeys behind the bar
Prabhu Tiwari works at Alcron Bar in Prague, where he blends Pan-Asian flavours with European influences. He hails from India, and it is precisely his experience of living among different cultures that is reflected in his approach to cocktails and guests. He was drawn to whisky by a fascination with its history, craftsmanship and the people behind it. From the Nikka range, he is particularly fond of Nikka Days, which he appreciates for its smoothness and elegance. “For me, whisky isn’t just something you pour into a glass. It’s another language through which we can talk about culture, craftsmanship and people,” he says.
Carola Urru is an Italian bartender who has been living in the Czech Republic for six years and has been co-running Prague’s Savage Bar for almost three years. She learnt the basics of her profession in London and today places particular emphasis on teamwork and personality, which she believes are the deciding factors in whether guests return. She discovered whisky later in life, partly thanks to visits to Scottish distilleries. She has been taking part in the Nikka Perfect Serve competition since 2022 and has repeatedly made it into the top three. “This competition can bring out the best in a bartender, but also the worst. It’s not just about skills, but also about personality,” she says. She sees the opportunity to represent the Czech Republic, despite being of Italian origin, as a great mark of trust and a significant professional milestone.
Juraj Pavlík comes from Slovakia and has been living in Prague since 2024, where he works at La Casa de la Havana Vieja, a bar specialising primarily in rum and Cuban bar culture. He started out as a barman at the age of sixteen and gradually found his niche mainly in cocktail bars. Whisky is his great passion: he keeps his own tasting diary, in which he has recorded more than 390 unique bottles. He discovered the Nikka brand in 2024, and it was Coffey Malt that changed his perspective on Japanese whisky. He entered the competition that very same year but was unsuccessful on that occasion. This year, he managed to progress to the next round. Although he is originally from Slovakia, he regards representing the Czech Republic as a natural recognition of the experience he has gained while working in local bars.
From Athens to the global final in Tokyo
This year’s Southern European regional round of the competition is exceptionally competitive. According to the organiser’s figures, nearly 120 bartenders from 14 countries took part. From the original field of competitors, the top fifteen were first selected, who then went on to compete in a further round. The result is a final ten, in which Czech bars have three representatives – Prabhu Tiwari, Carola Urru and Juraj Pavlík. Some of the participating countries, however, do not have a representative in this top ten.
The regional final will take place on 19 October 2026 in Athens. For the Czech trio, this will be an opportunity to showcase not only their own cocktails, but also their personal approach to hospitality and their ability to turn the preparation of a drink into an experience for the guest. In a competition that relies as much on personality as on craftsmanship, it is precisely this approach that could prove decisive.
The winner of the Athens competition will qualify for the global final in Tokyo, scheduled for 28–30 November 2026. However, the competitor who finishes second in Athens will also head to Japan. The Czech Republic therefore has three irons in the fire this year, and should the results be exceptionally successful, it is not out of the question that as many as two Czech representatives could ultimately make it to the world final.
