Bar Champs 2026 culminated in spectacular fashion as K.G. Achintha Oshada of Cinnamon Lakeside was crowned the winner of Sri Lanka’s premier bartending competition at the grand finale held on 27 July at Shangri-La Colombo.
Powered by The Rockland Group, in partnership with Colombo Hotel Show and the Sri Lanka Hospitality Graduates Association (SLHGA), the sixth edition of Bar Champs brought together the country’s most promising bartenders in a celebration of creativity, technical excellence, and hospitality.
This year’s competition attracted over 300 aspiring bartenders from across the island who participated in an extensive series of regional workshops and competitions. Demonstrating the industry’s growing diversity, the programme also recorded its highest-ever female participation, with 67 women taking part in the regional workshops.
Following regional competitions held across the South, Deep South, Negombo, Kandy, Sigiriya, Cultural Triangle, North & East, and Colombo regions, more than 50 participants advanced to the semi-finals. The top nine finalists earned their place in the grand finale: Ishara Dharmarathne (Cinnamon Citadel), Kalindu Pigera (Independent), K.G. Achintha Oshada (Cinnamon Lakeside), Eshan Rajika (Cinnamon Bentota Beach), Mohamed Hameed (Waters Edge), Prageeth Wijesundara (Cinnamon Citadel), Prageeth Madhawa (Cinnamon Wild Yala), Sathira Subhath (Cocosa), and C.G. Tania Perera (Cinnamon Lakeside).
Following an exciting display of innovation and technical skill, K.G. Achintha Oshada emerged as the Bar Champs 2026 Champion, with Sathira Subhath of Cocosa named First Runner-up and Kalindu Pigera securing the title of Second Runner-up.
The finalists were evaluated by an esteemed judging panel comprising Trevine Gomes, Chairman of Hotel Show Colombo and Managing Director of Cargills Retail; Nelaka Darmawansha, Co-Founder, Kampong; and Angad Gandhi Singh, Founder of Drams with Drama India. The blind tasting round was judged by Niroshan De Silva, CEO and Sector Managing Director – Retail of LAUGFS Holdings, and Ashaka Harith, Beverage Manager at Dots Hiriketiya.
Now in its sixth year, Bar Champs continues to serve as Sri Lanka’s leading platform for nurturing bartending talent, equipping aspiring hospitality professionals with industry knowledge, practical skills, and invaluable exposure. The competition reinforces Rockland Group’s commitment to developing the country’s hospitality sector while inspiring the next generation of bartenders to pursue excellence and innovation.
