Meet the Winners of Battle of the Babes 2026

Six years in, the talent at Battle of the Babes keeps getting sharper.

The 6th Annual Battle of the Babes Cocktail Competition brought eight mixologists behind the bar and more than 150 guests together for an afternoon of cocktails, creativity, competition, and community. By the end of the day, four names stood out: Bug of The Crunkleton took first place, Mikyia of Dram & Draught earned second, Justina of Little Mama's took third, and Aniah of Fumee won the People's Choice Award.

Each winner brought a completely different perspective to the competition, but they had one thing in common: their cocktails gave the judges and guests a reason to remember them.

First Place: Bug of The Crunkleton

Bug is your 6th Annual Battle of the Babes Cocktail Competition champion. For Bug, stepping into the competition was already a big move. It was their first cocktail competition, and they had spent years developing a creative approach to bartending that blends adaptability, experimentation, and a deep appreciation for cocktail history. It’s the combination that came through in their winning cocktail. Representing The Crunkleton, Bug took first place with IslandJon Vodka, creating a drink that gave the judges exactly what they were looking for. The standout cocktails this year used their featured spirit well, allowed the individual ingredients to come through clearly, and told a story in the glass.

Bug's cocktail did all three.

Their adventurous and methodical approach behind the bar often involves reverse-engineering food and desserts into cocktail components and exploring unexpected flavor combinations. At The Crunkleton, they've also developed a deeper appreciation for classic cocktails, whiskey, and the history behind the craft. On competition day, that curiosity translated into a cocktail that was complex without losing clarity.

Second Place: Mikyia of Dram & Draught

Mikyia of Dram & Draught took home second place at this year's competition. Mikyia has built her bartending career across a range of environments, from fast-paced bars to cocktail-focused spaces, eventually finding her way to Dram & Draught and its deep whiskey program. Her approach is ingredient-driven, creative, and influenced by her love of food and fresh flavors. She enjoys unexpected combinations, but the goal is always to make the ingredients work together. Her discipline showed up in her Battle of the Babes cocktail.

Mikyia put Moët Hennessy, our Official Cognac Partner, at the center of her drink and allowed the Cognac to shine. The judges could identify the layers and pick out the individual ingredients, while the story behind the cocktail brought everything together. It was a thoughtful execution of a spirit-forward cocktail, and it earned her second place.

Third Place: Justina of Little Mama's

After 21 years in hospitality and 17 years behind the bar, Justina knows that a great cocktail is only part of the guest experience. Her approach is what she calls "familiar meets elevated." She believes in respecting classic cocktails while adding her own personality and just enough creativity to make them feel special. Her philosophy was on full display at Battle of the Babes.

Justina was the only mixologist competing with Edmond's Honor Madagascar Vanilla Bourbon, and she made the spirit the star of her cocktail. The drink brought forward the bourbon's vanilla and warm spice, giving the judges a clear sense of its character from the first sip. That clarity, paired with her years of experience and thoughtful approach to cocktail creation, earned Justina third place. For a bartender competing for the first time, it was a meaningful recognition of the craft she's spent nearly two decades developing.

People's Choice: Aniah of Fumee

Then there was the award decided by the people in the room. Aniah of Fumee is your 2026 People's Choice winner. Aniah's connection to hospitality began long before her career as a mixologist. Growing up around her grandparents' Caribbean restaurant, she learned early that hospitality is about more than what you serve. It's about making people feel welcomed and creating an experience they want to remember. That has stayed with her at Fumee, where her cocktails often draw from her Jamaican heritage and her love of bold, tropical flavors.

At Battle of the Babes, she brought that same personality to the competition with her Humano Tequila cocktail. Guests kept coming back for it. They tasted it, talked about it, and came back for another. When the votes were counted, Aniah had won the crowd.

Six Years In, the Standard Keeps Rising

Four winners. Four very different cocktails. Four different approaches to the craft. But the biggest takeaway from Battle of the Babes 2026 wasn't simply who took home a title. It was the level of creativity behind every cocktail poured that afternoon.

To every mixologist who stepped behind the bar: thank you for the late-night R&D, the experimentation, the nerves, and the creativity you brought into the room. You didn't just compete. You raised the standard for what women behind the bar are creating in Charlotte.

And to Bug, Mikyia, Justina, and Aniah: congratulations. Your cocktails gave us plenty to talk about.