{"id":62666,"date":"2025-11-08T01:04:40","date_gmt":"2025-11-08T01:04:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enter.chocolateawards.com\/?p=62666"},"modified":"2026-01-21T14:53:41","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T14:53:41","slug":"world-craft-drinking-chocolate-competition-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enter.chocolateawards.com\/es\/competitions\/craft-drinking-chocolate\/world-craft-drinking-chocolate-competition-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"World Craft Drinking Chocolate Competition, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

World Craft Drinking Chocolate Competition, 2026<\/h2>\n

Location<\/strong>: Rimini, Italy
\nClosing date<\/strong>: 17 December 2025
\nJudging dates<\/strong>: 9 Jan 2026 – 12 Jan 2026<\/p>\n

THIS COMPETITION WAS ALREADY JUDGED.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Craft Drinking Chocolate at <\/strong>SIGEP WORLD – The World Expo for Foodservice Excellence with live Drinking Chocolate Brew Challenge, Italy<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2026, our prestigious drinking chocolate competition comes back to Rimini, Italy where chocolate drinks will be judged and the awards given during SIGEP<\/a>, one of the leading European trade shows for all things in the sweet foodservice sector, including gelato, pastry, bakery and coffee.<\/p>\n

The Craft Drinking Chocolate competition<\/strong> <\/em>celebrates the work of small chocolate makers working with the best cacao to create outstanding chocolate drinks made with traceable origin cacao and chocolate. The competition will judge drinks, chocolate preparations, cocoa powder mixes, infusions, products made from the cacao pulp or fruit and alcoholic drinks made with chocolate or cacao.<\/p>\n

The awards ceremony will be held on January 19th 4:30 – 6:00 pm in Rimini, Italy in the Sustainable District<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n

\n

Drinking Chocolate Brew Challenge<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

SIGEP is home to the Italian Barista championship, so is the perfect venue to start a revolution in creating the best chocolate drinks through technical and skilled recipes, just like a great coffee barista would use. This year we take the art and science of making great drinking chocolate to a new level, with a select group of chocolate brewmasters creating their best drinking chocolate recipes live in front of a panel of expert judges in the bean-to-bar area in SIGEP.<\/p>\n

Prizes go to the highest scoring entries in each category:<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Sunday 18 January 2026, 2.30pm<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0‘Classic Chocolate Drinks’<\/b>\u00a0– milk and water based unflavoured drinks<\/div>\n
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Monday 19 January 2026, 11.30am<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0‘Alternative Chocolate Drinks’<\/b>\u00a0– using new ingredients, flavourings and new concepts<\/div>\n
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The live competition will be open to any entrant also participating in the main Drinking Chocolate competition, plus some special guests. You will need to provide your own chocolate and any non-standard ingredients. Places are limited and rules for the live competition are available on application. Please email<\/a> us after you complete your registration for more details if you would like to participate at the live event. This is a great chance to visit SIGEP, one of the largest food service shows in the world and experience the growing chocolate sector.<\/div>\n

Sending your samples<\/strong><\/p>\n

IMPORTANT:<\/span> Samples will be received at our venue in Bucharest, Romania<\/strong><\/span> and then transported to Rimini before judging begins.\u00a0\u00a0All entries must be sent to Bucharest and must arrive by 19 December 2025<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Important \u2013 Customs information<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you are sending from outside the EU<\/u>, you MUST include a properly formatted customs invoice that includes the correct value for your entries and HS commodity codes to ensure that your entries arrive in time. We will give you this information in the correct format after you enter, please make sure you follow our format or your entries may not arrive<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

You are advised to send products in your normal retail packaging if possible, but mark each package or box with \u201cCOMMERCIAL SAMPLE \u2013 NOT FOR SALE\u201d. (This is also on the product labels we provide.)<\/p>\n

Rules for importing food into the EU are becoming stricter, particularly with foods containing any animal products, such as milk powder<\/strong> in milk or white chocolate. To avoid problems, delays and extra charges, please pay attention to the customs requirements for your shipment and make sure you complete all the correct details for your customs invoice.<\/p>\n

If your product includes milk or white chocolate made with animal milk, you are advised to declare the origin of the milk powder. The same applies if milk is listed in your ingredients. If possible, a letter from your supplier confirming that the milk powder provided comes exclusively from the declared origin will help. If you are using alternative non-dairy\/vegan milk powder, please make this clear and do NOT<\/strong> use the word \u2018milk\u2019.<\/p>\n

We will try to help as much as possible with customs problems, but if there are any delays or charges these will be your responsibility. By far the best approach is to get the paperwork right in the first place, then there is much more chance of your package going through without any problems.<\/p>\n

Cacao sourcing and origin traceability<\/strong><\/p>\n

The International Chocolate Awards is committed to full traceability and the use of origin cacao sourced from cacao growers directly by the chocolate maker, or through a cacao trader with full transparency. We believe that this provides the most sustainable type of cacao production and makes the best tasting chocolate.<\/p>\n

We will require full details of the origin and cacao sources used when you enter your products. These can be given confidentially if preferred. Details of the origin must be obtained from the chocolate maker or supplier if you did not make the chocolate yourself.<\/p>\n

\u2018Origin\u2019 means a known region, area, district, or farm recognised as a source of fine cacao, or a smaller cacao country producing less than 4000 tonnes of cacao per year. If the origin is not a specific farm or cooperative, you will need to give details of the cacao sources within the origin. You can read our rules for full details.<\/p>\n

Products made with commercial couverture chocolate with no stated cacao origin are not eligible for this competition. The rules also apply to cocoa powder used in drinking chocolate. White chocolate and cocoa butter are currently excluded from the origin rules, except for unflavoured white chocolate products.<\/p>\n

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Eligibility<\/h3>\n

The 2026 Craft Drinking Chocolate competition is open to all chocolate companies around the World. Our normal rules apply about all-natural ingredients and minimum percentages. Please see our \u201cCategories and Rules\u201d for details. <\/p>\n

Products entered in the competition must be available for retail sale in a form that consumers can take away and prepare or consume at home. Products must be on sale for at least one month in 2026.<\/p>\n

Recipe<\/strong>: You must provide a recommended recipe for your product, including recommended fat percentages and type of milk (including plant-based alternatives), if used, and for sweetening if required. The quantities in the recipe should be suitable to serve to 12 judges (4 filled cups is enough). How a drinking chocolate is made can be as important as the quality of the chocolate and other ingredients, so you are advised to provide a specific and well thought out recipe to be sure your product is consumed in the best possible format. We suggest you provide specific weights, temperatures and times for making your drinks. Recipes such as \u00abadd chocolate to hot milk\u00bb are not advised and may not have a good chance to win a prize.<\/p>\n

Please note, the only ingredients we can provide are: water, milk (including plant-based alternatives where available) and cream, heated as directed, and standard cane sugar if required. All other ingredients required for the recipe must be part of the retail drinking chocolate product.<\/p>\n

The admission fee for this competition is EUR \u20ac75<\/strong> and the fee for each entry is EUR \u20ac70<\/strong>. Prices will be converted into local currency by your credit card company, if required.<\/p>\n

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Competition status<\/h3>\n

This competition is not currently open for entries or has passed. Please check back for future competitions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Info<\/h2>\n

Address for samples<\/h4><\/div>
\n

Micrograde Sensory Services SRL
\nInternational Chocolate Awards -Drinking Chocolate
\n34E Strada Nades
\nSector 1
\nBucharest
\n013534
\nRomania
\nEORI: RO45243891<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n

Dates<\/h4><\/div>
\n

To ensure your samples are in the best condition for the competition, please do not send for delivery before the samples opening date. For fresh products such as ganaches, you are advised to send in the last week before the closing date.<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Open to receive samples<\/strong>:
    \n– 17 Nov 2025<\/li>\n
  • Registration closing date<\/strong>:
    \n– 17 Dec 2025<\/li>\n
  • Last day to receive samples<\/strong>:
    \n– 19 Dec 2025<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

    Sample quantities<\/h4><\/div>
    \n

    To ensure that we have enough products go through our Selection, Main and Grand Jury judging rounds, please send the following quantities of EACH product you enter:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • Bars<\/strong>: N\/A total weight<\/li>\n
    • Filled\/bonbons etc<\/strong>: N\/A pieces<\/li>\n
    • Spreads<\/strong>: N\/A<\/li>\n
    • Drinking chocolate<\/strong>: 400 grams \/ for 12 judges minimum<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n
      \n\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Winners’ Announcement: January 19th 4:30 \u2013 6:00 pm in Rimini, Italy in the Sustainable District at SIGEP<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4936,"featured_media":63171,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[155],"tags":[222,134,159,135,218,158],"class_list":["post-62666","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-craft-drinking-chocolate","tag-barista","tag-bean-to-bar","tag-choco-barista","tag-craft-chocolatier","tag-craft-drinking-chocolate","tag-sigep"],"yoast_head":"\nWorld Craft Drinking Chocolate Competition, 2026 - International Chocolate Awards<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Craft Drinking Chocolate at SIGEP WORLD - The World Expo for Foodservice Excellence with live Drinking Chocolate Brew Challenge, Italy In 2026, our prestigious drinking chocolate competition comes back to Rimini, Italy where chocolate drinks will be judged and the awards given during SIGEP, one of the leading European trade shows for all things in the sweet foodservice sector, including gelato, pastry, bakery and coffee.The Craft Drinking Chocolate competition celebrates the work of small chocolate makers working with the best cacao to create outstanding chocolate drinks made with traceable origin cacao and chocolate. 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