In the Olinda Bar in Vienna, the Austria final of the international Meister Hunter Competition 2026 took place on September 28. Steven Daevel from DASHXDROP emerged victorious.

For the Viennese, this is already the second Austrian title: Daevel won the national final back in 2024. Now he has once again secured the ticket for the international final in London from November 15 to 17, 2026.

Phillip Cortez from Vienna’s Miss Saigon took second place. The Salzburg bartender Stefan Egger landed in third place.

To win, Daevel had to master two tasks.

In the first challenge, Jägermeister Manifest was a given. At least 30 milliliters of the spirit and exactly three other ingredients had to be combined into a drink.

Daevel competed with „Mast Be Remembered“ and incorporated an unusual connection to the brand’s history: His drink referenced Mast-Jägermeister’s former football jersey sponsorship.

Appropriately, he presented the creation in the Jägermeister football jersey against the backdrop of a mini football stadium.

The second task had significantly less to do with a prepared signature creation. The finalists were sent to the Vienna Naschmarkt.

Their requirements: 60 minutes time and a 40 euro budget. From this, they had to select three ingredients that, together with Jägermeister Orange, should create a highball.

Back at the Olinda Bar, a balanced drink had to be created from the spontaneous purchases.

Daevel also won this challenge and convinced the four-member jury.

That Daevel is familiar with the stage is shown by his first Austrian victory in 2024. Two years later, he once again made it to the international final.

According to the organizer, it was not only about taste, but also about creativity, craftsmanship, and presentation.

„Winning the Austrian title for the second time after 2024 means an incredible amount to me,“ said Daevel after the final. In London, he now wants to represent Austria internationally once again.

With Phillip Cortez, second place also went to a Viennese bartender. For his creation „Meister Hunter: Far from Home,“ he used ingredients such as jackfruit, smoked pineapple, calamansi, and ube.

The drink was heavily inspired by Cortez’s Filipino heritage.

Third place was claimed by Stefan Egger from the Hochkönig Edelbrennerei Grünegg in Dienten. His first drink „Wilde Tracht“ combined ingredients such as forest honey, coffee, black currant, and Austrian pumpkin seed oil.

The Austrian finale has thus been decided. For Steven Daevel, the next stage awaits.

At the international finale from November 15 to 17 in London, the Viennese will compete against bartenders from participating countries worldwide. There, the competition will once again be with Jägermeister Manifest for the international title Meister Hunter 2026.

(Red)

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