On 30 March 2026, ten of the island’s most celebrated bartenders took the stage for the first-ever ‘Spirit of Bali’ bartender competition, presented by Three Peaks Gin and Black Rock Vodka – two premium, locally-made spirits from Bali. This live, Grand Final moment took place at Klymax Discotheque at Desa Potato Head.
Having survived two earlier rounds, the ten bartenders were all that were remaining of the 151 initial competitors. The Grand Final would be the ultimate test, requiring them to present a signature cocktail of their creation to a jury of expert judges: Aris Sanjaya from Beyond Cocktails, Nicholas Leong from Singapore’s NATIVE; Dining Editor of Tatler Indonesia, Eve Tedja; and Dicky Hartono from Firefly Bar at the Sindhorn Kempinski Bangkok.
Each finalist – young, inspired Balinese and Indonesian – had to come up with a cocktail that celebrated a ‘local hero’, be it a local supplier, ingredient, artist, initiative, etc. Each cocktail creation had to showcase how it could support their local hero, on top of being a flavourful, balanced cocktail that the judges would enjoy. Every contestant set a high standard, featuring research, storytelling and flavour creations at the highest level.
After the judges’ scores, the winners of the first-ever Spirit of Bali Bartender Competition were: Krisna Jack from Red Light Legian (First Place), Man Arik from Desa Potato Head (Second Place) and Dony Adi Permana, from The Apurva Kempinski Bali (Third Place). Each podium winner was given a cash prize, with the first-place winner also receiving a bar-hopping tour around Bangkok.
More than a competition, this was a platform for local talent, spearheaded by Three Peaks Gin and Black Rock Vodka, who aim to make this an annual event going forward.
To find out more, visit @threepeaksginbali or @blackrockvodkabali on Instagram.
