Vienna – September 13, 2026 -- Elizaveta Rîmscaia of Moldova was crowned Overall Champion at the Julius Meinl International Barista Cup 2026 Grand Finale, held September 4 in Vienna's MuseumsQuartier, beating 14 other national champions across three brewing disciplines.
Austrian barista Mario Benetseder claims cappuccino title on home turf
Benetseder secured the win in the Cappuccino discipline, judged on the interplay of espresso and milk plus latte art execution. Stefan Kot of Poland took the Espresso category, evaluated on taste, balance and crema, while Luka Darispanashvili of Georgia won Signature Drink for creativity and flavor cohesion.
Competition drew over 350 applicants across 15 countries
National qualifying rounds ran in 15 markets including Austria, Italy, Germany, China, Georgia and Croatia, narrowing more than 350 barista applicants down to 15 national champions who advanced to the Vienna final.
Four discipline winners earn coffee-origin trip to India
Rîmscaia, Benetseder, Kot and Darispanashvili will each receive a place on an exclusive coffee-origin trip to India, gaining direct exposure to cultivation, harvesting and processing. The trip includes exposure to the Julius Meinl Generations Programme, an initiative run jointly with Fairtrade to support coffee farmers' long-term livelihoods and give the winners deeper insight into the coffee value chain.
Public attendance opens for first time, over 1,000 cups served
The 2026 Grand Finale was open to the public for the first time, drawing large crowds to the MuseumsQuartier over the course of the event. More than 1,000 cups of coffee were poured on-site during the day-long competition.