Trieste Cocktail Week 2026: Tiziano Schorn of Pier Inn is the best bartender in Trieste

IN SHORT

• Tiziano Schorn of Pier Inn wins the fifth edition of Trieste Cocktail Week, beating Gaia Dell'Agnola of Antico Caffè Torinese.
• The event involved 25 venues and for the first time the venues were divided into cocktail bars and dining bars.
• The finalists prepared five iconic cocktails in five minutes, judged on technique, tasting, and appearance.
• Filippo Neri of Mor wins in the cocktail bar category, while Francesca Babici and Vittorio De Filippis of Viezzoli triumph in the dining bar category.
• The event saw the participation of sponsors such as Nonino, Martini and Espolon, with the support of Freshmedia and the Municipality of Trieste.

Tiziano Schorn, bartender at Pier Inn, is the winner of the fifth edition of Trieste Cocktail Week. The grand finale took place on Sunday, September 6th, for the first time, in Piazza della Borsa, as part of the Trieste Cocktail Show, open to the public.

Schorn, 25, has been working in the restaurant industry for about ten years. His passion for cocktails has developed over the past three years. In the decisive match, he beat out Gaia Dell'Agnola, 25, of Antico Caffè Torinese, who has also been passionate about mixology for about two or three years.

The evening opened with greetings from Deputy Mayor Serena Tonel, the President of Fipe Trieste Stefano Lonza, and Filippo Vidiz of Freshmedia, the event's organizer.

The 2026 edition involved 25 venues. For a week, participants offered special drink lists, highlighting local products. For the first time, the venues were divided into two categories: cocktail bars and dining bars.

THE FINAL

The two finalists were chosen throughout the evening through mystery box challenges. Tiziano Schorn and Gaia Dell'Agnola excelled in preparing cocktails made with surprise ingredients. To compete for the title of best bartender in the city, the two finalists had to prepare five iconic cocktails in five minutes.

The evaluation took into account three elements: technique, tasting, and appearance, as well as scenography, entertainment, and interaction. The decisive challenge rewarded Tiziano Schorn of Pier Inn.

THE CATEGORY WINNERS

First place in the cocktail bar category was Filippo Neri of Mor, with a drinks list celebrating the venue's tenth anniversary. In the dining bar category, first place went to Francesca Babici and Vittorio De Filippis of Viezzoli.

The event also awarded other prizes. IES magazine evaluated the service, atmosphere, location, and design of the venues, choosing the best lifestyle bar in Trieste. The award went to La Muta, in the Cavana neighborhood. Bartender Mattia Ventura accepted the prize.

The awards for best Nonino cocktail went to Nicholas De Michele of the Azur Lounge Bar Tivoli in Portopiccolo and to Raffaele Giovannazzi of 040 Social Food. The awards for best Negroni Triestino went to Filippo Neri of Mor and Tiziano Schorn of Pier Inn.

THE JURY

The technical jury consisted of Simone Baggio, who evaluated the drink lists throughout the week, along with Dania Catto of the Experimental Cocktail Club in Venice, Valentina Mircea of ​​the Skyline Rooftop Bar Hilton Molino Stucky Venice, and Giovanni Gozzi, founder of Classy Cocktails. They were joined by Antonella Nonino, of the eponymous company and the event's main sponsor, and Francesco Minucci, owner of Blu Lie and other brands.

The public jury was composed of journalist Lorenzo Degrassi of Il Piccolo, Francesca Busolini of RadioPuntoZero, and Federico Prandi, editor of IES magazine. Also key to this edition was Matteo Pizzolini, Field Account On Trade Fvg for Bacardi Martini and Bronze Sponsor of the Dining Bar category.

IL TRIESTE COCKTAIL SHOW

The evening was hosted by Mattia Bossi and Micol Brusaferro and organized in collaboration with Creativa. Alessio Andreutti and Davide Bencich, well-known Trieste bartenders with extensive experience in the industry, also performed during the event.

Trieste Cocktail Week is organized by Freshmedia and Intraprendi, in co-organization with the Municipality of Trieste, with the support of "Io sono Friuli Venezia Giulia", the Trieste Convention and Visitor Bureau, Confcommercio, Fipe, the Venezia Giulia Chamber of Commerce, and Aries.

The event also involved Trieste Trasporti as mobility partner and Creativa.

PARTNER E SPONSOR

Among the sponsors of the fifth edition is Nonino, which has supported Trieste Cocktail Week since its first edition and featured at least one cocktail on the drink lists of all participating venues.

The event's partners include Martini, participating for the third consecutive year, and Espolon, participating for the first time. Local companies include Blu Lie Italian Spirits (Silver Sponsor), Zerocento Distribuzione, Grace Bronze, Theresianer Gin, and Xedequa (Gin Premium Sponsor).