From Thursday, February 12 through Sunday, February 15, the “Engadine pearl” hosts the fourth edition of St. Moritz Cocktail Week. The appeal is the same one that keeps drawing people back up the mountain: a tight program of guest shifts from Italy and abroad, the town distinctive mix of cocktails and snow, and a competition that has become part of the week identity. This year, the spotlight lands on a quintessentially Italian ritual: aperitivo.
St. Moritz Cocktail Week 2026: A High-Altitude Staple
The concept was created by Annalisa Testa, building on a project that first took shape in 2019 on the shores of Lake Como before expanding to St. Moritz in 2022 and Taormina in 2025. “These events are designed to promote a culture of mindful, high-quality drinking,” Testa says. “They are rooted in the places that host them, and meant to become reference points for anyone looking for excellence in luxury hospitality and top-tier mixology.”
Aperitivo Sets The Tone For 2026
In Italian, aperitivo is traditionally defined as a drink meant to stimulate the appetite. Over time, it has come to mean something broader: a late-afternoon or early-evening ritual that marks the shift from daytime pace to nighttime energy, along with the different company and priorities that come with it.
That broader meaning becomes the guiding thread of the 2026 edition and, naturally, the St. Moritz Cocktail Competition. The contest takes place on February 13 at Hotel Reine Victoria, starting at 9:30 p.m., with bartenders competing to create a signature drink worthy of the St. Moritz Best Aperitivo Cocktail award.
Jury brings together three notable names: Tommaso Cecca, Global Head of Camparino; Armin Azadpour, Founder of the Zurich Bar Show and Lupo Bar in Zurich; and Matteo Bernardini, Bar Supervisor at Paradiso Barcelona.
The Events at St. Moritz Cocktail Week 2026
Highlights include Andrea Lanzone of Passalacqua, guest at Antons Bar at Suvretta House; teams from Moebius and Lubna shaking and stirring at Kulm Country Club; and a Paradiso guest shift at Kempinski Hotel.
Armin Azadpour and Elmir Medunjanin, Bar Manager of Botanicum Bar, also appear with an evening at Grace La Margna. Another stop brings Dada and Sam, Mohamed Daoud and Ahmed El Sayed, behind the bar at Hotel Schweizerhof. The week also includes an opening party and a closing party, and with February 14 falling during the program, there will be special attention to events tied to Valentine Day.
The full schedule, including any mandatory reservations, is available on the official St. Moritz Cocktail Week website.
Immagini courtesy St. Moritz Cocktail Week
