High West crowns competition Grand Champion
Joeri D’Heuvaert, co-owner of Little Red Rooster in Belgium, has won the fourth edition of the High West Mountain Experience cocktail competition.
The finals of the competition took place in Chamonix in the French Alps in January, and blended competition with a range of immersive mountain experiences to reinforce High West’s position within European cocktail culture.
Ten bartenders from across Europe came together to compete in the finals, each of whom had emerged from their respective European heats at the end of last year.
After competing across multiple challenges, including cocktail creation, a dinner pairing, and a High West Whiskey brand knowledge test, D’Heuvaert was crowned High West 2026 Grand Champion for his cocktail Forest Walk.
The cocktail combined High West Double Rye with a house-made forest liqueur infused with porcini and morel mushrooms, thyme, rosemary and juniper berry, along with chocolate bitters and a touch of umami solution.
D’Heuvaert said: “Creating Forest Walk was about translating the alpine landscape into glass. I started by thinking about the aromas I enjoy when walking my dog through the forest, and from there, the cocktail took shape.
“To bring that landscape to life here in Chamonix, surrounded by mountains and such inspiring bartenders, made this win truly special. I’m excited to continue that journey with a visit to High West Distillery in Utah and to experience firsthand the mountain culture that inspires the whiskey.”
As well as the honour of being named Europe’s top High West Mountain Bartender, d’Heuvaert’s prize includes an all-expenses-paid trip to High West’s home in Park City, Utah.
The judging was led by High West’s master blender Tara Lindley, managing director of Wet & Dry UK Russell Burgess, and editor-in-chief of The Spirits Business, Melita Kiely.
Lindley said: “The 2026 High West Mountain Experience showcased the very best of European bartending talent. What stood out this year was the creativity and confidence with which competitors worked with our whiskeys.
“Joeri’s winning cocktail was a brilliant expression of High West Double Rye, capturing both the spirit of the mountains and the craft at the heart of our distillery.”
Callum Berney of Dr Jekyll’s Pub in Norway, and Markku Lohmus of Barify in Estonia, placed second and third respectively.
The seven other finalists were Dennis Sadovyak of The Wolseley, UK; Olga Hesse of Le Stoefer, Belgium; Dawid Stoch of Art Katowice, Poland; Matas Botyrius of Knygnesys, Lithuania; Morten Skipper of MUMMA, Chamonix; Beatrice Ceccarelli of Carnale Roma, Italy; and Ilze Kate Gest of Pavāru, Latvia.
High West was established in 2006 by David and Jane Perkins, making it the first legal distillery in Utah since 1870. The brand was acquired by Constellation Brands in 2016.
In January, High West’s senior director of sales, Christian Bottegal, spoke to us about what cocktail contests can offer for both brands and bars.
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