The Croatian edition of the second international Julius Meinl Barista Cup 2026 competition took place in Šibenik, at Azimut club, once again bringing together the country’s top baristas and confirming the strength and development of Croatia’s coffee scene.
This year’s edition is part of a major international series involving baristas from 17 countries across three continents. The Croatian final was held on April 24, 2026, in a venue well known to coffee lovers – Azimut club in Šibenik, which has been serving Julius Meinl coffee for over 10 years. After an intense competition among nine of Croatia’s best baristas, the winner’s title was claimed by Kristijan Knežević from GAK Caffe in Šibenik. Second place went to Bogdan Vučković from Old City Bar in Pula, while third place and the award for best latte art were won by Šime Šarić from Living BAR Caffe in Sesvete.
With this victory, Kristijan secured his place at the grand international competition in Vienna, where he will compete in September against 16 top baristas from other countries for the title of best Julius Meinl barista. The top four finalists in Vienna will win a trip to a coffee plantation in Uganda.
Contestants used Belvedere Blend coffee, a 100% Arabica from The Originals line, carrying both Organic and Fairtrade certifications. The coffee is designed for professional preparation, with a strong focus on sustainability and high quality in every cup.
The winner, Kristijan Knežević, stated:
“This is my second Julius Meinl Barista Cup competition. The first time I competed was two years ago in Rovinj, where I placed 6th. That didn’t discourage me – quite the opposite! I kept working and practicing, and it paid off. This is a unique opportunity and a great experience that doesn’t happen often in a barista’s career. I’m proud of this moment and can’t wait for the finals in Vienna, where I’ll have the chance to learn a lot and compete with the best baristas from around the world.”
The expert jury consisted of Mario Mihelj, a renowned chef from Zagreb, Raul Juan Sorita, global Julius Meinl coffee expert, and Tihomir Ivanović and Stipe Ujević from Julius Meinl Croatia.
With this competition, Julius Meinl once again confirms its long-term commitment to the development of the barista scene in Croatia – through education, knowledge exchange, and connecting local talent with the international coffee community.
