Vienna – September 12, 2026 -- Julius Meinl named Elizaveta Rîmscaia of Moldova as Overall Champion of its International Barista Cup 2026 Grand Finale, held September 4 at Vienna's MuseumsQuartier, capping a global competition that drew more than 350 applicants across 15 countries.
Fifteen national champions competed across three judged disciplines
Baristas from markets including Austria, Italy, Germany, China, Georgia and Croatia advanced through national rounds to Vienna's finale, where an independent international jury scored competitors on Espresso, Cappuccino and Signature Drink categories.
Discipline winners split across four countries
Stefan Kot of Poland won the Espresso category, judged on taste, balance and crema. Mario Benetseder of Austria took the Cappuccino title, evaluated on espresso-milk integration and latte art. Luka Darispanashvili of Georgia won Signature Drink for creativity and flavor cohesion. Rîmscaia's combined performance across all three disciplines secured her the Overall Champion 2026 title.
Winners receive coffee-origin trip to India tied to Fairtrade program
The four category winners will travel to India for an origin trip covering coffee cultivation, harvesting and processing. The itinerary includes exposure to Julius Meinl's Generations Programme, an initiative run jointly with Fairtrade aimed at strengthening smallholder farmer livelihoods and building value-chain knowledge for the next generation of producers.
Vienna finale opened to the public for the first time
Organizers made the 2026 Grand Finale publicly accessible for the first time, drawing thousands of visitors to the MuseumsQuartier and serving more than 1,000 cups of coffee over the course of the event.
Christina Meinl, VP Group Strategies, Brand & Corporate Communication and a fifth-generation family member, said watching the 15 national champions perform highlighted the skill and creativity shaping coffee experiences in cafés, restaurants and hotels worldwide.