Rotterdam bartender Franko Miloslavić wins Dutch World Class title

ROTTERDAM, 25 June 2026 – The first European final of Diageo World Class brought 51 bartenders from 17 countries to Rotterdam and Schiedam from 21 to 23 June. The new competition format ended with 17 national winners, including Rotterdam-based bartender Franko Miloslavić, who will represent the Netherlands at the World Class Global Finals in Scotland.

_{Image: Rotterdam bartender Franko Miloslavić wins Dutch World Class title at World Class European Award Ceremony June 2026. Photo: Albert van Beeck Calkoen}

The event placed cocktail culture, hospitality and international bartending talent in and around Rotterdam for three days. Schiedam, home of Ketel One Vodka, also played a central role in the programme.

European final lands in Rotterdam

World Class previously selected bartenders through national competitions, but this first European final brought participants from across the continent together in one shared event. The 51 bartenders competed against their own country’s finalists for a national title and a place in the global final.

The competition opened in Schiedam at the historic Nolet Distillery, where participants were introduced to the history and craft behind Ketel One Vodka before starting the first challenge. Rotterdam and Schiedam then became the setting for a programme built around cocktails, technique and the wider hospitality culture behind modern bartending.

The European final also connected neatly with Rotterdam’s own growing cocktail scene. Earlier this month, bars across the city took part in the World Class Cocktail Festival, giving visitors a public-facing route into the same cocktail world that was being tested behind the scenes during the competition.

The participating bartenders worked with brands including Ketel One Vodka, Johnnie Walker and The Singleton. Across four challenges, they were judged on taste recognition, technical skill, creativity, storytelling, innovation and hospitality.

Rotterdam bartender wins Dutch title

The Netherlands was represented by three bartenders: Luca Gislon of Hotel Okura Amsterdam, Laurynas Lazdauskas of Sonora in Amsterdam and Franko Miloslavić, a freelance bartender from Rotterdam.

Miloslavić was named World Class Bartender of the Year The Netherlands 2026. That makes him the Dutch National Champion and sends him to Scotland in October, where he will represent the Netherlands at the World Class Global Finals.

“It is a great honour to have been named World Class Bartender of the Year The Netherlands 2026. The level of the competition was incredibly high and it was inspiring to experience so much talent up close over the past few days. During the different challenges, I focused on creating cocktails that reflect my own style and vision as a bartender.

“I am grateful for this opportunity and proud of the bartending community. I look forward to representing the Netherlands during the World Class Global Finals in Scotland,” says Miloslavić.

Hospitality under pressure

The competition was assessed by an international jury of bartenders, bar owners, brand ambassadors and drinks specialists from across Europe. The jury included Tess Posthumus of Flying Dutchmen Cocktails and Belly of the Beast, World Class Global Bartender of the Year 2025 Felice Capasso, Benjamin Cavagna of 1930 and Family Group, Giacomo Giannotti of Paradiso, Sara Moullouad of Bar Nouveau and Chloe Merz of Collab Bar.

The challenges were designed to test more than whether a drink tastes good. Modern bartending also involves storytelling, guest experience, timing, technical control and the ability to create something distinctive under pressure.

“World Class is about the people who shape hospitality every day. During the European final, we saw an impressive level of creativity, passion and craft from bartenders across Europe. The fact that we brought together 51 participants and more than 300 guests underlines how strong and lively cocktail culture in Europe is. We are proud to support bartenders in their development and look forward to seeing the National Champions again later this year during the Global Finals in Scotland,” says Kevin Delaney, Global Head of World Class.

For Rotterdam, the event brought international industry attention to a city where bars, hotels and restaurants are increasingly part of the wider cultural offer. It also gave a local bartender the strongest possible route from the city’s cocktail scene to a global stage.

Next stop is Scotland

The 17 National Champions will travel to Scotland in October for the World Class Global Finals 2026. There, they will compete for the title of World Class Global Bartender of the Year. For Miloslavić, the win means Rotterdam will have a direct link to the global final. And for the city, it adds one more reason to take its cocktail scene seriously!