The bar "Manel & Naiara", located in Sant Feliu de Llobregat (Barcelona), was proclaimed this Tuesday the winner of the IV Tiraje de Estrella Damm Competition, held as part of the Gastronomic Forum Barcelona 2026, which is taking place these days at Fira de Barcelona Gran Via, in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat.
The winning pitcher is Manel López, who has obtained the first prize endowed with 2,000 euros, according to what Estrella Damm, organizer of the competition, detailed in a statement, to "highlight the work of hospitality professionals".
The second place, awarded with 1,000 euros, went to Xavier Jiménez, from "Xavi's Frankfurt" in Terrassa (Barcelona); the third prize was for José Roldán, from the bar "Un Punt Nou" in Sant Joan de Vilatorrada (Barcelona), and the fourth went to Eric González, from Hotel Celimar, with an endowment of 250 euros for each of these last two ranked.
In addition, a special recognition was awarded to the venue most appreciated by attendees: the chosen one was Juan Pajares, from the Restaurant Cal Pajares in Gironella (Barcelona).
The final, conducted by Quim Masferrer, brought together this Tuesday 16 contestants, selected by a professional jury from more than 470 Catalan bars and restaurants that submitted their application through a video in which they showed their beer-pouring technique.
The registration period opened in September through the Bar Manager application, the platform that connects Damm with hospitality professionals.
How to pour a beer correctly
The beer service in a glass, always clean and properly rinsed, begins by fully opening the tap, letting the first pressure escape and filling the tilted glass at 45 degrees; when the beer reaches approximately three quarters of its capacity, the tap is closed and opened again to gently let the foam that completes the head fall.
The jury takes into account the way of opening the tap, the angle of the glass, and pressure control, as well as the amount and size of the bubbles, the proper rinsing of the glass, and the final presentation of the service.
The evaluation panel included Damm’s beer master, Karen Peiró; the Horeca commercial manager at Damm for Catalunya, Baleares, Aragón and Andorra, Jordi Remacha; the Director of Quality at Damm, Jesús Salvador; the food journalist Rosa Rodon, director of "Mengem!" of the newspaper Ara, and the content creator and gastronomy specialist Andrea Gandrom.