On-trade Archives - The Spirits Business

Elephant Gin launches on-trade campaign

Georgie Collins — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 09:33:15 +0000

London and Berlin-based Elephant Gin has teamed up with more than 100 bars across five countries to raise funds for elephant conservation in Africa.

Marking the brand’s largest on-trade activation to date, the Wildlife Warrior campaign will see each participating bar create a bespoke Elephant Gin menu for a three-month period, running from 12 July-12 October. For every Elephant Gin cocktail sold, a donation from each bar will be made to the Elephant Gin Foundation, which will distribute the funds to Big Life Foundation. The bar that donates the most at the end of the promotional period will win a trip to Africa. The brand said the aim of the campaign was to raise awareness of the threat to African elephants and to ‘mobilise financial support for the protection of these majestic animals’. With every cocktail ordered, guests can ‘actively contribute to elephant conservation while enjoying a skilfully prepared cocktail’. As an additional incentive, there is an Elephant Gin scratch card for every cocktail ordered with various winning opportunities for consumers such as personalised gin bottles and trips to the brand's newly opening distillery near Hamburg, Germany. The Wildlife Warrior campaign will be promoted via Elephant Gin’s social media accounts and within the participating bars throughout the activation period. UK bars that have so far signed up to participate include Farzi Café, Thin White Duke, The Rosewood Holborn Dining Rooms, Fam Bar, Bottle and Rye, and Henson’s Bar. All participating bars worldwide are displayed via an interactive map at www.elephant-gin.com/wildlifewarrior. The cocktails from all participating bars will also be presented on the brand's Instagram account at the end of the campaign, where followers, friends, and supporters will be able to vote for their favourite cocktails. The bars with the most votes will win an invitation to the Elephant Gin distillery. Since it was founded in 2013, the brand has raised more than €1 million (US$1.12m) for elephant conservation by donating 15% of bottle profits to carefully selected African conservation partners to preserve this wildlife for future generations. Earlier this year, we spoke to founders Tessa and Robin Gerlach about how they combined their love of conservation with a passion for distilling.

Altos reveals Tahona Society winners

Nicola Carruthers — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 10:23:48 +0000

Jenny Teasdale and Jeffrey Garcia have been crowned the winners of Altos Tequila’s Tahona Society Competition with their initiative to increase glass recycling in Colombia.

The third edition of the Tahona Society Competition was held in Guadalajara, Mexico, from 26-29 June. Bartenders were challenged to create and present projects that aim to benefit staff, customers, the bartending community or the environment. Following local heats in markets across the globe, the winning team in each participating country was flown to Mexico to compete in the global final. Bartenders were also given specialised one-to-one Tequila training, including a trip to the Altos distillery, and workshops from industry experts during their week in Mexico. Participants from 12 countries presented projects to a panel of judges on 29 June with one team taking away a prize fund of US$50,000. Forming the judging panel were: Kirén Miret, executive producer of Mexico and Colombia's Shark Tank reality television series; Dré Masso, co-founder of Altos Tequila; Luis Antonio Espino, private strategic communications consultant; Elliot Kotek, CEO and founder of The Nation of Artists; and Michael Merolli, CEO at Pernod Ricard’s House of Tequila. Winning concept The judges were impressed by Teasdale and Garcia’s project, Green Apple: Zero Glass Waste Cartagena, which aims to shift the perception of glass waste and encourage bars in the Colombian city to recycle. The non-profit company charges a fee to hospitality businesses to collect and recycle glass, train staff and advise on commercial waste reduction. Using the prize fund, the Colombia-based duo will build the first industrial recycling centre in Cartagena, with the aim of making glass recycling more widely available. “The Tahona Society Competition will be life-changing – not just for us, but for our local community in Cartagena,” said Teasdale. “Glass waste in Cartagena has long been problematic, but our winning project, Green Apple: Zero Glass Waste, aims to recycle up to 25% of the glass waste generated by tourism in the city within two years.” From March to June, the finalists went through a coaching process with experts providing tips for creating a business plan, as well as communication and presentation strategies. In addition to Teasdale and Garcia, the other finalists were: Jason Clark (New Zealand), Dimitris Kaitalidis (Greece), Dalmiano Angelozzi (Italy), Danilo Frigulti and Davide Leanza (UK), Jeremy Blackmore (Australia), Marius Østby (Norway), Robin Abrahamsson (Sweden), Jaco Raath (UAE), Francisco Oropeza and Sandra Reyna (Mexico), Martini Fortin (Canada), and Alex Jump (US). Previous winners of the competition included Cuba-based Diana Figueroa and David Roque for their sustainable line of mixers, and Canada’s Alex Black and Makenzie Chilton with their mental health initiative. The Tahona Society is a global community of more than 1,300 bartenders. It was set up in 2009 by Masso and the late Henry Besant, co-founders of Altos Tequila. The programme is based on four pillars: education, networking, career opportunities and welfare. The biannual Tahona Society Competition was relaunched in 2018 as an opportunity for bartenders to create sustainable businesses that could improve the environment and the hospitality industry. Masso added: “The Tahona Society Competition is growing on a global scale year on year, as sustainability retains its importance as a key issue which transcends the bartending community. "We’re continually inspired by the calibre and variety of projects created by our collective of bartenders and Green Apple: Zero Glass Waste is a prime example of an initiative that embodies Altos Tequila’s core values of recycling and waste reduction.”

House of Suntory advocacy programme returns

Georgie Collins — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 11:42:39 +0000

Hibiki producer House of Suntory’s Dojo advocacy programme will return for its fourth year this month, with a UK tour of educational sessions.

In the brand’s centenary year, the programme will host masterclasses in London, as well as Edinburgh and Manchester for the first time, as part of its mission to ‘deepen bartenders’ understanding of the philosophies behind the art of Japanese bartending’. Raffaele di Monaco, UK brand ambassador for the House of Suntory, said: “The Japanese approach to bartending is unlike anything else. From the laser focus on detail, to embracing omotenashi (to ‘wholeheartedly look after guests’) and monozukuri (‘craftsmanship and striving towards perfection’), the collective approach elevates bartending to an art form. “Through the Dojo programme, we hope to bring these principles to the fore, and help bartenders enhance their repertoires as well as being able to offer unparalleled drink and hospitality experiences for their customers.” The expansion of the programme this year will enable 100 bartenders to learn about Japanese bartending and gain insights directly from Japanese craft masters and hospitality industry leaders, which can be applied to 'strengthen any hospitality career'. Devised as an immersive experience, this year’s programme will be led by Di Monaco alongside ‘authentic’ Japanese masters of craft, and will consist of two ‘tours’ in July and September. Each tour will feature two monozukuri masterclasses, which will aim to help deepen attendees’ understanding of the brand’s portfolio. Each masterclass tour will focus on two of its four core brands; the first tour on Roku gin and Haku vodka, followed by Toki and Hibiki whiskies in the second. Kaizen Challenge The programme will also include a ‘Kaizen Challenge’, inspired by the concept of Kaizen, which means ‘continual improvement’. This challenge has been designed to encourage participants to hone their newfound skills by applying them to a classic cocktail. Four of the best bartenders from each city will win a place at the Dojo finale in November where they will present their Kaizen Classic to judges James Bowker, The House of Suntory’s global advocacy manager, and bar master Hidetsugu Ueno of Bar High Five in Tokyo. They will be competing for the chance to win a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ trip to Japan in spring 2024. In addition, the 12 Dojo finalists will also be invited to two community events in October to immerse them in Japanese culture with sessions on Japanese knife sharpening and a Kanpai Sake Brewery tour. As part of the brand’s ongoing commitment to fostering the bartending community, there will also be several Japanese inspired Dojo mini events in London locations throughout the year. More information on Dojo can be found at www.suntorydojo.com. Last month, House of Suntory celebrated its 100 year anniversary with the launch of Hakushu 18 Years Old Peated Malt and an 18-year-old Yamazaki whisky aged in mizunara oak casks.

Speciality Drinks launches education series

Georgie Collins — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 09:23:22 +0000

Spirits supplier Speciality Drinks has launched a monthly education series, called Speciality Sessions, to help bar teams better understand their products.

Each session will focus on a specific drinks category or spirit, curated by Speciality Drinks’ advocacy manager, Hannah Lanfear. These advanced-level seminars will aim to give bar teams a greater understanding of the back bar, as well as open doors to develop their careers further. Lanfear said: “There has never been a more crucial time to invest in the education of the bartending community. While the importance of education and solid training programmes is known across the trade, the pressures on hospitality businesses have made it harder and harder to resource high-quality training. “That’s why we’re so excited to launch Speciality Sessions and give back to the drinks community. We haven’t forgotten about the rest of the UK and look forward to sharing our plans to extend this digitally, so if you’re not able to make the London event, watch this space.” The first event will take place at London’s Stereo bar, and will highlight the Tequila category. Bartenders will have the opportunity to strengthen their olfactory skills, using six hand-selected Tequilas that highlight the diversity of the category, and showcase the impact of regionality and production choices. This will give attendees the chance to ‘truly connect’ with how those decisions impact the spirit in the glass. Every session will culminate in an interactive digital quiz with 'big-hitting prizes' up for grabs, including distillery visits and 'money-can’t-buy' learning experiences. Bars can send their brightest and best bartenders to represent them in a bid to top the year-end leader board and win a five-star night out for their whole team. Attendance to the Speciality Sessions will be limited to two attendees per bar; the London sessions will be exclusively available for Speciality Drinks customers. The first session will be on 19 July and each consecutive session will take place on the third Wednesday of each month.

Latin Gin kicks off cocktail contest

Alice Brooker — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 09:23:30 +0000

Spanish brand Latin Gin has launched its cocktail competition in Barcelona with the prize of a trip to Miami.

The contest will see 10 ‘esteemed influencers’ work with bartenders to create cocktails at venues serving the brand's gin, including Sky Fall, Bestial, Carpe Diem, Bolivar and Agua. Consumers are encouraged to visit to participating venues during the competition’s run. The event will take place from this month (July) to August. Each cocktail will be judged based on the engagement it receives on social media platforms, with likes and shares to play a crucial role in determining the points the serve receives. Social media users can follow the journey of participants and engage with the posts. For the grand finale, five contenders will present their cocktails before the top drink is declared the winner, and its creator will receive a trip to Miami. Latin Gin is produced in the foothills of the Italian Alps. The brand's range includes Latin Secco Gin, Latin Spice Gin, Latin Lover Strawberry and Rose Flavoured Gin, and Latin Beach Gin. The gins are made with a blend of botanicals, including Italian lemons and strawberries, Ecuadorian passion fruit, rose, hibiscus and elderflower, Calabrian peppers, Brazilian limes, Tuscan juniper berries, and oranges from Argentina. The brand's gin collection launched in the UK in May, where it is available to purchase from Amazon UK for £44.99 (US$57) per 700ml bottle. Last month, The Spirits Business compiled a list of the world's biggest-selling gin brands, each selling more than one million nine-litre cases annually. Last year, sister title the drinks business reported on the rise in gin distilleries in the UK, as reported by the Office of National Statistics.

Patrón Perfectionists 2024 opens for entries

Melita Kiely — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 10:32:22 +0000

Tequila brand Patrón has launched the 2024 edition of its Perfectionists global bartending programme and is now accepting entries.

Bartenders have until 30 September 2023 to enter the 2024 programme. The process will comprise the entry challenge, educational modules focusing on the Patrón Paloma globally, and on the Patrón Margarita cocktail in the US only. In addition, 15 countries will roll out the complete Patrón Perfectionists programme, which will also incorporate the cocktail competition. Additional countries will focus on local educational events to complement the global Patrón Perfectionists platform calendar. Lauren Mote, global director of on-trade excellence at Patrón Tequila and leader of the Patrón Perfectionists programme, said: “There’s never been a more exciting time for Tequila in the global bar industry, so we have been supercharging our programme to respond to the needs and aspirations of a thriving and passionate bar community. “With an engaging platform that encompasses applied learning on our liquid and category, recipe development, techniques and rituals, and Mexican culture, we encourage participants to learn and think outside the box. “Thanks to the support of our amazing contributors from the Patrón Perfectionists community and global on-trade, we are putting premium, hand-crafted Tequila and the authentic passion of Mexico at the heart of drinks culture, welcoming more bartenders to embrace this vision with us this year.” Academia Patrón To reinforce its commitment to inspire and nurture the hospitality industry, Patrón has enhanced its digital hub, Academia Patrón. The online hub aims to be an ‘engaging educational ecosystem’ and will offer mentoring sessions with leading on-trade professionals throughout the year. Three blocks of educational modules will take place between July 2023 and March 2024, starting with the Paloma Perfecta series. Between July and September this year, the modules in this series will be hosted by Giulia Cuccurullo, of London’s Artesian and the 2020 Patrón Perfectionists winner, Yeray Monforte, of Bad Company in Madrid and the 2019 Perfectionists winner, and Kat Stanley Whyte, of the American Bar at The Savoy in London and the Patrón Perfectionists 2022 UK winner. The next two educational modules will be Mixologia de Mexico, and World of Agave, which will run from October to December 2023 and January to March 2024, respectively. In the US, Bacardi-owned Patrón has teamed up with Tales of the Cocktail Foundation to organise the 2024 edition of the programme and competition. The entry challenge will focus on the Patrón Silver Margarita, and will be supported by the Tales Margarita Masters educational module and live workshop. Additional educational and mentoring resources will be made available from now onwards. For the Paloma entry challenge, bartenders will be tasked with creating a Patrón Paloma, befitting of their favourite city. Each drink should also celebrate the Tequila brand’s commitment to high-quality ingredients. Entries must be submitted by 30 September 2023. In the US, bartenders will face a similar challenge centred on the Patrón Silver-based Margarita. Once local shortlists have been compiled from entries submitted by 30 September, each country will select up to 10 entrants, who will have been judged anonymously. They will compete in their local national final challenges, with an optional regional challenge in between. The US will host four regional final events to determine the four global finalists who will represent various parts of the country. The global final will take place at Hacienda Patrón in March 2024. Bartender Mor Koral soared to victory to claim first place in the Patrón Perfectionists 2023 cocktail competition.

Diageo opens cocktail bar in Dublin Airport

Nicola Carruthers — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 09:34:21 +0000

Tanqueray owner Diageo has opened a cocktail and spirits-only bar in Dublin Airport's Terminal 2.

Tailors Bar is described as ideal for those in search of a ‘luxurious pre-flight beverage’. Guests can choose drinks from a menu of cocktails made with three Diageo brands: Ketel One Vodka, Tanqueray gin and Roe & Co Irish whiskey. The décor of the bar is inspired by the three brands, while the design is based on the worlds of fashion and fine tailoring. Hilary Quinn, Diageo Ireland marketing director, said: “We are immensely proud to bring Irish and international travellers the first-ever cocktail and spirits-only bar to Dublin Airport. “We are thrilled to showcase the elevated drinks and luxurious experience that discerning travellers can look forward to enjoying before their journey with Ketel One, Tanqueray gin and Roe & Co whiskey at the helm of this exciting opening, just in time for summer 2023 travels.” Located next door to the Sunglasses Hut in the central thoroughfare of Terminal 2, Tailors is open every day from 10am to 7pm. The venue offers bar service and table service with limited seating managed on a first-come, first-served basis. Leonard Miller, head of media sales and brand partnerships at Dublin Airport, added: “This partnership exemplifies our commitment to enhancing the airport journey and providing an exceptional experience for our passengers. We cannot wait for travellers to immerse themselves in the allure of Tailors, where craftsmanship, flavour, and ambiance intertwine." Diageo has also opened an alcohol-free pop-up bar adjacent to Tailors, where drinkers can sample zero-ABV versions of Tanqueray, Gordon’s, Guinness and Carlsberg. Citing Kam Media data from June 2022, Diageo said Ireland was the fastest-growing alcohol-free market globally. Last month, Diageo promoted Jenna Ba to the role of global brand ambassador for its Tanqueray No. Ten gin.

Sastrería Martínez creates new menu

Georgie Collins — Tue, 04 Jul 2023 12:19:39 +0000

Peruvian speakeasy bar Sastrería Martínez has unveiled its new cocktail menu, called Collectión 2023.

Located in the Miraflores neighbourhood of Lima, Peru, Sastrería Martínez takes inspiration from America's Prohibition era and the HBO series Boardwalk Empire. To reach the bar, guests must enter through the Martinez tailor shop. The new menu, Collectión 2023, features 18 different drinks, all of which are said to ‘bring to life’ the theme of the bar, with each serve offering a twist on a classic cocktail. Each drink is either presented in ‘magical tailored vessels’ or with a garnish that ‘celebrates the work of a tailor’. The menu curation has been led by bar manager Diego Macedo and head bartender Daniel Rengifo, and collectively the Sastrería Martínez team has taken inspiration from classic serves from history, with the incorporation of Peruvian flavours. Together they have used a number of different techniques and styles, and have collaborated with local farmers to support the city’s local markets. The drinks list includes team favourite Mr. Martinez 2.0, made with Johnnie Walker Gold infused with cheesecake, blanco vermouth, thyme, bergamot, quinine and cacao mucilage. Other native fruit species are included and celebrated in the menu, such as the Peruvian passion fruit tumbo, the Andes’ mint muña, and the large variety of corn from the Andes and Macambo, known as Choclo. In addition to the list of signature drinks, the team has included a selection of non-alcoholic classics, made with the same style and techniques as the main menu. Every drink is said to taste and looks like its alcoholic counterpart, as the team wanted to ensure all guests can experience 'the real speakeasy vibe' of the bar. Sastrería Martínez was named as a top 10 regional nominee in the Best New International Cocktail Bar – Latin America & Caribbean (LATAM&C) category of this year's Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards.

Canada’s on-premise sales see boost

Alice Brooker — Tue, 04 Jul 2023 12:19:38 +0000

New research has found that nearly a third (31%) of Canadian consumers are going out more despite the cost-of-living crisis, with on-premise value velocity increasing by 7% for the year ending 24 June 2023.

CGA by Nielsen IQ has released its Canada On Premise Impact Report, and discovered that value velocity in the on-trade has reached a value of CA$79,064 (US$59,787) for the year ending 24 June. Mitch Stefani, client solutions director – Americas, said: “The latest data doesn’t shy away from the current challenges the hospitality industry is facing. "Despite this, our industry leading research for the channel continues to demonstrate steady growth in footfall with peak visitation taking place throughout the summer, coupling this with our sales reporting shows how the on-premise is set to have a successful summer period.” Just less than one-in-three (31%) consumers have said they are going out 'much more' or 'slightly more' often than usual. A third of these said this was due to the time of year, while another third said it was due to events taking place more than usual. Half (49%) of consumers are going out the same as usual, while 21% are going out much less, or slightly less, often than usual. Three in five cite the cost-of-living crisis as a cause of this, while the same proportion note the price increases in the on-trade as a factor. Analysing key provinces Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec, the report looked at consumer behaviour in the month to 16 June 2023. Yet, research does not suggest Canada's on-premise is consistently reporting positive results: the data analyst also found that 82% of respondents have been out to eat in bars or restaurants in the past month, representing a decline of three percentage points when compared to May 2023. In addition, 37% of respondents have been out to drink in bars and restaurants in the past month, which is four percentage points lower than May 2023. In March, an increase in excise duty on alcohol in Canada was temporarily capped at 2% instead of a planned 6.3% rise.

WhistlePig extends superhero rye series

Georgie Collins — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 10:32:57 +0000

Vermont-based distillery WhistlePig has unveiled the eighth edition of its superhero rye collection in the UK, called The Boss Hog VIII: LapuLapu’s Pacific.

Launched to coincide with the US' Independence Day celebrations tomorrow (4 July), the distillery has explored ‘unchartered territory in the world of rye’ to create a whiskey that is described as powerfully complex and distinctive from anything created before. The whiskey has been aged for nearly 18 years in new American oak before being double finished in high toast barrels that previously held small batch, single island-aged Philippine rum. It is the sequel to The Boss Hog VII: Magellan’s Atlantic, and continues the brand’s ‘circumnavigation’ voyage across the Pacific via its cask sourcing. With a sub-title name of LapuLapu’s Pacific, the release takes its inspiration and name historically and symbolically from the Philippines and the Filipino hero of the same name from 16^th Century. Meghan Ireland, WhistlePig blender, said: “On the heels and success of Magellan’s Atlantic, it was a great challenge to find the perfect finish for the most special rye barrels in our warehouse. “We were already tracing Magellan in depth, and when we discovered LapuLapu’s story we knew we had to track down the best Philippines rum barrels we could for the sequel. “Before maturing rum for seven-to-10 years, the barrels were coopered from American oak and originally held Bourbon. In this way, they’ve made their own circumnavigation from American whiskey to the Philippines, and back again to us in Vermont. “The whiskey rests first in seven-year-old small batch Philippine rum casks, followed by a shorter finish in 10-year-old small batch Philippine rum casks. The older rum is darker and bolder, requiring less time for its barrels to impart notes in the whiskey. The end result is an amazingly unique and delicious whiskey.” On the nose, the whiskey is said to offer lush vanilla aromas that give way to delicate tropical notes including underripe bananas, freshly picked lemon and molasses. Meanwhile on the palate, LapuLapu’s Pacific offers fresh ground cinnamon with citrus zest, butterscotch, and lights notes of toffee, leading to a rich finish of tanned leather, light brown sugar, nutmeg and allspice with a long-lasting black pepper rye spice.

The Boss Hog VIII: LapuLapu’s Pacific is available from 4 July onwards in specialist retailers for RRP £675 (US$855.22).

On-trade partnerships In addition to the new product release, WhistlePig will also marking this year’s Fourth of July celebrations with a number of on-trade partnerships in London, UK. On the evening of 4 July, Stereo in Covent Garden will open at 5:30pm local time to offer WhistlePig tastings and cocktails. Live music from DJ Abi Murray will be playing throughout the evening. At Scarfes Bar at Rosewood London, the will be an exclusive listing of the WhistlePig signature serve, The Maple Old Fashioned, as well as other signature WhistlePig cocktails that will be accompanied by a miniature doughnut. Meanwhile at The Bloomsbury Club, guests can enjoy the WhistlePig Spiced Maple Bacon Old Fashioned and Apple Pie Sazerac alongside a menu of American-themed bar bites infused with WhistlePig maple syrup. Exclusive WhistlePig cocktail listings will also be available to enjoy at Callooh Callay in Chelsea, Murder Inc, and Little Bat.

Spring’s hottest global bar openings

Georgie Collins — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 10:44:32 +0000

Now that we’ve had the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and we’re officially in the midst of summer, we’re looking back at the 10 biggest bar openings around the world this spring.

From a sky-high bar in Melbourne that champions vintage spirits, to a futuristic bar in Hong Kong that hasn't held back on luxury – the global bar scene this spring has not disappointed when it comes to fresh new venues. Here, we look at 10 of the hottest global bars that have opened their doors over the last few months. If you would like your new bar to feature in our next seasonal round-up, send details to info@thespiritsbusiness.com. For more new bar openings, check out the hottest new drinking dens from last winter.

Coya Marbella, Spain

To kick things off, we're casting our memories back to April when Peruvian luxury lifestyle group Coya opened its latest venue in one of the most luxurious residential areas along the Mediterranean coast. Located at the Puente Romano luxury resort in Marbella, Spain, Coya Marbella is the ideal place to hit up if you're looking to spend a night in a vibrant setting, with Pisco Sours and Peruvian dishes on tap. It boasts the Coya day pool, a first for the group, where guests can lounge while enjoying a range of signature Peruvian favourites that are blended with local ingredients and styles.

Fox Liquor Bar, North Carolina

Located in Raleigh, NC, Fox Liquor Bar is a subterranean drinking den from Ashley Christensen’s AC Restaurants that features classic and contemporary cocktails, a sprightly zero-proof programme, and 'craveable' bar snacks. The drinks menu is said to balance excellent but approachable libations of the spirited and spirit-free varieties, including B’s Secret Sauce, a play on the hot chicken sandwich from upstairs neighbour Beasley’s Chicken + Honey, made with with Bourbon, dry Curaçao, hot honey, and lemon; and the Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy, a non-alcoholic cocktail featuring lemongrass, Seedlip Garden 108, lemon, and soda.

Post Haste, Philadelphia

Located in Philadelphia’s East Kensington, Post Haste is a cocktail bar with a farm-to-glass beverage philosophy and robust food programme. Helmed by Gabe Guerrero (formerly of The Dandelion and El Vez) and Fred Beebe (previously found at Momofuku and Sunday in Brooklyn) Post Haste’s drinks menu exclusively features spirits, beers, wines, citrus, herbs, produce and mixers from the Mid-Atlantic. Nothing is imported in an effort to both support local suppliers and address the bar’s environmental impact by reducing food miles. An outpost helmed by musicians, the cocktail menu offers four categories, including 'Covers', featuring variations of classics made with local ingredients, 'Remixes', showcasing signature spins built on a familiar base, and 'Experimental Pop' for adventurous drinkers interested in brand-new cocktail creations, as well as robust non-alcoholic options in their 'Free Spirit' section.

Artifact bar, Hong Kong

This new Hong Kong bar is the future. Or at least, it looks like the future, with its ultra-modern, minimalist design. At Artifact, brown spirits are the focus, and the cocktail and spirit offering is a constantly evolving one that tells a story of how whisky, brandy, rum, gin, Tequila and wine are affected by age, the ocean, land and the hand of man. If you enjoy the finer things in life, you'll enjoy this bar's penchant for championing luxury products. In the Caviar Martini, you'll find a generous inclusion of the eponymous savoury ingredient, while one whisky cocktail on the menu, called Bitter, makes use of Wagyu jus.

Alba Accanto, New York

This New York spot is the latest from the innovative team at Prince Street Hospitality. Located below the High Line and on the ground floor of the Lantern House in West Chelsea, this Italian holiday bar will transport you to a dreamy Positano escape, where you can sample the pleasures of an Amalfi Coast adventure without ever leaving the city. The space embodies the grandeur of the Mediterranean with playful interiors, pastel colours, and hand-painted tableware sourced from Puglia, while the drinks, curated under the creative direction of beverage director Tristan Burnell, are all Italian-coast-inspired, such as the Calabrese, a mezcal-based punchy blood orange house beverage; and the Portofino, the signature reposado Tequila-based pineapple Margarita that has already proven itself to be a fan favourite.

Cameo Bar, Melbourne

Boasting a top-down view of Melbourne's impressive skyline, Cameo is a new intimate and luxurious destination bar that shines a light on vintage and antique spirits from the 80th floor of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Cameo is an homage to the golden age of cocktails – the period that spans 1860 to 1920 and and the era we have to thank for classics such as the Martini and Old Fashioned. At Cameo there are seven antique cocktails to try, including a 1917 Sidecar, created using Calvet Grande Champagne Cognac made in 1917; a 1930s' Old Fashioned made using Hiram Walker’s fine bourbon made in 1930; and the 1931 Manhattan which utilises Barclay Gold rye made in – you guessed it – 1931. The 30-seat space was originally set aside for a private dining room, but the restaurant's loss is every cocktail connoisseurs gain.

Superbueno, New York

More than a cocktail bar, Superbueno is described as a place for shared conviviality and joyful gatherings that pays homage to Mexican culture while distinctly reflecting its home in New York. Here, hospitality industry powerhouse Ignacio 'Nacho' Jimenez has approached cocktails in the same way a chef would approach food, focusing on quality ingredients and culinary techniques to create well-balanced drinks, hitting an array of tastes for any palate. This vibrant bar's cocktails are about pushing the boundaries and expectations of what Mexican cocktail culture can be, by highlighting noteworthy Mexican ingredients and dishes through creative creations. The carefully crafted menu features 10 cocktails alongside non-alcoholic serves and a selection of Mexican beers and wines.

Gothic Bar, London

Absinthe and eaux-de-vie are the star ingredients of the concise and sophisticated cocktail menu found at this new opulent bar in London's King's Cross. Located within the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, the ornate soaring painted ceilings and lavish details (such as the peacock-print velvet banquettes) make every corner of this bar jaw-dropping, and that's before you've looked at the menu, created by bar manager Jack Porter. The menu is split into two; The Gothic Signatures, which encompasses eight drinks and sits alongside three Grand Signatures, which best embody the wider team’s ambitions for the Gothic. Highlights include the Eau de Martini (with guests encouraged to choose their own eaux-de-vie) and the seasonally-changing Grand Royale (Champagne, strawberry trilogy, and absinthe).

Thief, New York

This new bar in New York's Lower East Side neighbourhood is the second location for the Thief brand, owned by industry heavyweight John McNulty. At this new location, McNulty pairs classic and modern art pieces, graffiti murals and a killer playlist with a distinctive cocktail menu and expansive food offering. Inspired by the thriving art and music scene of New York City in the 80s, the space is decked out with pieces sourced from some very talented artists such as Maripol and Lynn Goldsmith, and boasts a large mural opposite the bar by Bisco Smith. Some soon-to-be-favourite menu items include the Dillinger’s Downfall cocktail (rum, papaya, banana, honey, lemon), described as the perfect drink for a spring day in NYC, as well as their signature 'friesling' (frozen riesling) on tap, a popular choice for summer months.

3’6 Bar at Fortnum & Mason, London

Reimagined in partnership with pioneering French architect Arthur Mamou-Mani, 3'6 is the latest venue to open within luxury grocer Fortnum & Mason flagship store in London. 3’6 Bar is said to reflect the evolution of Fortnum’s as an experimental industry leader, not only in its approach to design, but in the way it challenges customers to engage with culture, food and drink. In the daytime, it acts as a bookable workspace serving hand roasted small batch coffee, tea, smoothies and softs; come evening, it transforms into a laboratory for Fortnum’s mixologist Mustafa Tumburi – perfect for creative cocktails and dining. Customers can experience the world of mixology, from clarifying and dehydrating ingredients to nitrogen aged spirits, and watch on as the bar teams who work across Fortnum & Mason trial new techniques.

Dante to open Beverly Hills site

Alice Brooker — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 10:18:35 +0000

US-based aperitivo bar and restaurant Dante will open its third site at The Maybourne Beverly Hills hotel in California.

The Beverly Hills site will open on 4 July 2023, and will be the first Dante venue outside of New York City. The bar will be set on the hotel’s recently renovated rooftop, and will include indoor and alfresco dining with a view of the rooftop pool. “Los Angeles was our first taste of America, travelling here as kids from Australia,” said Linden Pride, principal at Dante. “We’ve always been inspired by California’s culture, lifestyle, and cuisine – the nuances of hyper-seasonal, local California produce. "We believe Los Angeles is one of the great culinary centres of the world and we are excited to bring our shared sense of hospitality together with the Maybourne Hotel Group and grow the Dante brand in a fresh yet authentic way.” The original Caffe Dante is a century-old institution in New York, and was taken over and reopened in 2015 by husband-and-wife duo Pride and Nathalie Hudson to ‘innovate through authenticity’. The Beverly Hills site will overlook the Los Angeles skyline, offering Dante’s signature aperitivo-style cocktails to pair with Italian and Mediterranean-inspired food. Drinks to be served include Dante’s Garibaldi (Campari and fluffy orange juice); Seville Spritz (Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla, Dry Curaçao, Neroli, orange wine, orange bitters, vanilla and Prosecco); Celery Paloma (blanco Tequila, green chartreuse, St Germaine, celery bitters, and verjus, lime); and Mediterranean Tonic (Gin Mare, Manzanilla, olive bitters, pinch of salt, San Pellegrino, and citrus tonic). The venue’s design was overseen by creative director Hudson, who blended ‘European elegance with a light and fresh Californian touch’. “There’s a magical, whimsical part to the Californian colour palette, almost a patina, that evolves throughout the day,” said Hudson. You are surrounded by these luscious, or golden hued, pastels whilst on the rooftop. We wanted to pull those colours into the space and layered them with texture throughout.” Dante Beverly Hills is located on the ninth floor rooftop at the Maybourne Beverly Hills Hotel at 225 North Canon Drive. It will be open daily from 11am-11pm (PDT), with US$10 Martini Hour between 3pm-5pm. The bar will remain open until 12am. In more news of bar openings, Moët Hennessy recently opened its first bar: a five-floor venue in Paris called Cravan.

Hospitality recovers but small venues ‘fragile’

Alice Brooker — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 10:12:42 +0000

The hospitality sector in the UK is stabilising following the impacts of Covid-19 but independent venues are still at risk of closure, new data has revealed.

The Hospitality Market Monitor, compiled by CGA by NeilsenIQ and AlixPartners, recorded closures of UK-based hospitality venues over three years since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic (March 2022 to March 2023), as well as during the first quarter (Q1) of 2023 (December 2022 to March 2023). The report has revealed that the sector has witnessed ‘hundreds’ of closures of licensed premises since the pandemic, but the rate of closures is slowing. Graeme Smith, managing director, AlixPartners, said: "While the number of pubs, restaurants and other licensed venues continues to contract in UK hospitality, there is some positivity in this latest analysis of the market, given that the overall cadence, or rate of decline, has slowed significantly. "Underpinning this is the fact that the rate of closures in all major cities is reducing, as Covid-19 concerns subside, and workers and tourists steadily return to urban centres – even to a degree, on Mondays." Venue numbers down 13,793 Research shows Britain has 13,793 fewer pubs, bars and restaurants than it did in March 2020 – a 12% contraction compared to the beginning of the pandemic. In London, the hospitality sector saw a net decline of 540 licensed premises in three-year period, equating to 15.6% of the city’s pre-Covid total and equivalent to one closure every two days. The UK government’s support for energy bills has ‘undoubtedly saved many businesses’ but the cut in the support will have a major impact on ‘fragile’ venues. Inflation will impact profit and sales, making closures ‘likely’ for the rest of 2023, the report warned. The report also found contrasting results between independent venues and larger businesses. While the independent sector recorded a loss of 14.1% of venues in the three-year period, the managed sector suffered a smaller decline of 3.3% of sites. During Q1 of 2023, the independent sector saw a net decline of 583 sites, equating to a 0.9% fall, while the managed sector gained 54 sites (up by 0.3%). Smith added: "This latest study underlines the growing divide between larger and smaller operators, reflecting the varied ability to withstand the continued headwinds the sector faces. "The closure rate of independent businesses – the lifeblood and entrepreneurial driving force of the sector – continues to vastly outstrip the better-funded corporates and the branded operators. "It highlights the need for government support to be extended, especially on energy costs, if small (often family-owned) businesses are to survive." In addition, food-led venues (which fell by 1.1% in Q1 of 2023) have seen more closures than the drink-led side (down by 0.4%). Overall, drinks-led venues lost 3.6% of sites across the three-year period, yet across the presence of larger ‘managed’ drinks-led venues increased by 4.1% in this time. Comparatively, independent venues lost 4.2% of sites in this period. The club sector has also fared poorly in the last three years, as Britain has 30.6% fewer clubs than it did three years ago. Regional performance The rate of venue closures varies from city to city across the UK. During the three-year period, Aberdeen (down by 18.9%) and Birmingham (down by 17.1%) lost the most sites of the 15 cities analysed, yet gained back 0.5% and 0.3% of venues respectively during Q1 of 2023. Bristol and Liverpool lost 1.5% and 2.5% of sites respectively across the three-year period. Bristol has been the most successful of the 15 cities analysed in the first quarter, having seen a 1.1% increase in established venues in Q1 of 2023. Closures in all major cities have 'slowed since the start of the year,' the report found, as Covid-19 concerns subside and workers and tourists steadily return to centres. Smith added: "On a 12-month view, the number of closures is still very significant. "By the end of the year, the total number of licensed venues is likely to fall below 100,000 for the first time in many decades. It reflects approximately 13,000 closures since March 2020, and the many thousands of pubs that have shut in the decades prior. "This is a trend that speaks to the relative decline of high-frequency drinking occasions, which have in part made way for the explosion in [less frequent, higher spend] dining-led visits, and the rise, in recent times, of (less frequent, higher spend] competitive socialising occasions." A report by not-for-profit Be Inclusive Hospitality recently found one in three respondents have experienced discrimination while working in the hospitality sector.

Baccarat debuts Metamorphosis cocktail menu

Alice Brooker — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 11:42:10 +0000

Acclaimed London bar Baccarat, based in Harrods department store, has unveiled its new menu: Metamorphosis.

The drinks list is the first menu to launch since the bar opened its doors in July 2020. Metamorphosis explores 12 different production techniques from the world of food, drink and perfume, including fermentation, caramelisation and oxidation, in the creation of its cocktails. As a result, each cocktail's core component undergoes a transition, which allows them to evolve beyond their core ingredient and transform into a 'multi-layered experience for the palate'. The menu creation was led by bar manager Michal Janusz Maziarz, with each member of the Baccarat bar team taking charge of at least one serve on the list. It comprises 12 alcoholic drinks, as well as four non-alcoholic serves, with each drink served in Baccarat crystal glassware. To complement the drinks offering, the Baccarat menus are adorned with original illustrations from five new multidisciplinary artists, all best known for their experimental style and use of different creative techniques. Baccarat's own Valeria Coletti recently secured third place in the Italicus Aperitivo Challenge final. The Spirits Business recently sat down with Maziarz to discuss the new menu.

What makes Baccarat's new menu unique?

Unique is not what we’re aiming for, we didn't want to make different things for the sake of being different – we don’t want to fall into the trap. We wanted more emphasis on balance and approachability. Many of the drinks are easy to understand for even seasoned drinkers. They're all approachable - there is not a single drink that is difficult. Sometimes it's not about the complexity, but just an idea of [combining] ingredients. There’s no point in doing drinks no one has done before just because – it’s about the flavour. We wanted to narrow down the processes rather than using five to 10 different fermentations and distillations. There is a very gentle educational element to it.

Tell us about the artwork on the menu.

I thought it would be very exciting to get a team of artists to take the idea of 'metamorphosis' and present it in their own way – the more the merrier, the more minds contributed to the project the better, there is more diversity. We briefed them on how the drinks would taste. If any artists were London-based, they could come and taste [the cocktails]. We didn’t explicitly brief what the art should look like, beyond the flavours and colours of ingredients. One artist had a very scientific approach, using microscopic pictures of bacteria used for fermentations. Another artist used very joyful, simple approach with crayons and watercolours – it was more fun. We just wanted to enrich the whole experience and integrate their own approach.

What makes the glassware for this menu special?

The glassware makes the whole bar special – it’s a privilege to serve the drinks in some of the finest glassware in the world, for people to enjoy for a soft drink or a cocktail. The clarity, the texture – it's great to have such a big portfolio of glassware available. Some glasses call for a drink, some cocktails call for glassware. Beyond visiting the bar, you don’t really see that glassware, sometimes you can’t even buy them. It's a great opportunity to allow people to enjoy the glassware.

How does the menu fit in with both Baccarat's and Harrods' branding?

It extends the mission of what we want to achieve. Both brands [Harrods and Baccarat glassware] are more than a century old. But both keep up with the time, and do evolve, despite their classic DNA, and being internationally recognised. It shows we keep up with the times. It brings high-end and luxury for everyone to enjoy, even if you don't have crystalware at home.

What is the most popular serve in the Metamorphosis menu, and what is your favourite cocktail?

Mini Reality [gin, peach, lemon thyme, Iberico bone extract], a peach sparkling gin-based serve, is a drink that has the biggest highlight of balanced and approachable, yet nuanced, texture and flavour. My favourite is the non-alcoholic V&T [buffered reserva Sherry vinegar, pineapple, ice verjus, tonic]. I like the tonic. The fact we managed to put it as non-alcoholic, and it doesn’t have too much sugar... it is the drink you can’t stop drinking. It has the same energy as drinking a double gin and tonic. The fact that you have that experience, and you can have one before shift. Anyone can enjoy fine drinks and fine crystal without spending hundreds and hundreds. It's relatively accessible.

Are you drinking Pornstar Martinis wrong?

Melita Kiely — Mon, 26 Jun 2023 11:44:00 +0000

The debate wages on: what are you supposed to do with the side of Prosecco that comes with a Pornstar Martini?

The Pornstar Martini is the second most-searched for Cocktail on Google, behind the Margarita. Google Trends data showed searches for ‘how to drink Prosecco Martini’ have risen by 312% over the last 12 months, according to ready-to-drink (RTD) company The Cocktail Co. But Brits are apparently divided on whether you are supposed to shot the Prosecco or pour it into the cocktail. Abby Matthews, director of The Cocktail Co, a Manchester-based, family-run business that makes RTD cocktails, has set the record straight. “A Pornstar Martini is the perfect combination of passionfruit, vanilla, vodka and citrus, so it has a very sweet yet tangy flavour,” Matthews said. “It is served best with a Prosecco chaser and garnished with half a passionfruit. “A chaser is a drink of a different kind taken immediately after or before another drink – it’s usually a milder drink that is designed to freshen the palate. “Little do people know, the Prosecco shot should actually be sipped before drinking the Pornstar Martini, to cleanse the palate before enjoying the cocktail. “If you’ve been shotting the Prosecco before, after, or even pouring it in – you’re doing it wrong. “Pouring the Prosecco can actually ruin the flavours – it alters the taste as it unbalances how the ingredients complement each other. As for drinking it after, who’d want to cleanse their palate after a delicious drink?” The Cocktail Co director offered three tips to enjoy Pornstar Martinis: first, chill with ice to just about ‘out of the fridge’ temperature, roughly six or seven degrees Celsius. Secondly, she recommends eating the passionfruit garnish; scoop out the middle of the passionfruit and eat it to complement the sweetness of the cocktail with a citrus burst between sips. Thirdly, Matthews encourages drinkers to properly shake the cocktail to ensure a ‘smooth blend’.

Thousands head to Bar Convent Brooklyn

Melita Kiely — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 11:19:16 +0000

More than 4,500 visitors flocked to Bar Convent Brooklyn (BCB) this month as the show celebrated its fifth edition.

BCB took place at Industry City in Brooklyn, New York, from 13-14 June. Over the two-day event, 198 exhibitors from 51 countries and 46 US states were available to discover. Furthermore, BCB hosted 55 education sessions featuring 121 speakers. More than 475,000 drinks and spirits samples were poured throughout the show. Jackie Williams, event director for BCB, said: “Bar Convent Brooklyn continues to raise the bar with each passing year. “The event offers an essential platform for professionals to come together, share knowledge and shape the future of our industry. “We were excited to welcome back everyone to Industry City, as it once again provided the perfect location to host this dynamic group of exhibitors, attendees and speakers.” Education seminars included a presentation by Juan José Méndez-León, a sixth-generation agave farmer and mezcal distiller, called: Sustainability and innovation in mezcal production while honouring ancestral knowledge. During the talk, Méndez-León warned how the increased popularity in mezcal, combined with no innovation on the supply side, would equate to “irresponsible progress”. This year’s education committee, which changes each year, was collaboratively led by Bar Convent Brooklyn’s head of education, Lynnette Marrero; co-founder of Speed Rack, MasterClass host, and award-winning bartender, liquid creative director Aplós; and partner and chief mixologist, Delola, plus additional industry professionals. Workplace wellbeing and safety were additional areas of interest for the education seminar. Amie Ward hosted a discussion, called ‘Creating safe hospitality spaces’, which looked at how companies can lower sexual assault statistics. The dates for the 2024 iteration of BCB have already been announced: 11-12 June 2024. The show’s organisers have promised to introduce ‘fresh concepts, immersive experiences and unparalleled opportunities’ for the trade next year.

Moët Hennessy opens its first bar

Nicola Carruthers — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 09:26:28 +0000

The wine and spirits arm of LVMH, Moët Hennessy, has invested millions of euros into opening a five-floor bar in Paris.

Headquartered in Paris, Moët Hennessy's portfolio of spirits includes Hennessy Cognac, Belvedere vodka, Eminente rum, and Scotch brands Ardberg and Glenmorangie. The new venue, called Cravan, is located in 165 Saint-Germain boulevard in the sixth district of Paris. It is based on the original Cravan bar in Paris’ 16^th district, opened by cocktail and restaurant expert Frank Audoux. Moët Hennessy has teamed up with Audoux to open a larger Cravan site in a Parisian building from the 17^th century. Philippe Schaus, chairman and CEO of Moët Hennessy, told The Spirits Business that the project had been in development for around two years. “For some time, we have been thinking about creating a very novel bar concept for different reasons,” he explained. “Moët Hennessy is in the world of bars and a supplier to many bars in the world, but we don’t actually operate one ourselves. It is a way to gain more credibility, knowledge and a place to test ideas and concepts. We wanted to create a complete experience for consumers.” Schaus said the company came across Audoux’s bar by chance and decided to “elevate” the "unique concept to the next level” by opening a larger version in a more central Paris area. He added that the location of Cravan is based in a “highly touristic part of Paris” that is popular with British and American visitors because of the history of the area. He noted that the new Cravan bar is located almost opposite to Café De Flore, a historic venue once frequented by writers Ernest Hemingway and Oscar Wilde. Audoux named his bar after Arthur Cravan (1887-1918), a poet and boxer, and a well-known devotee of Dadaism. 'Elevated cocktail experience' The venue allows Moët Hennessy to 'interact directly with consumers through a new and elevated cocktail experience'. The site takes inspiration from the worlds of art, fashion, literature, and cinema. It includes three cocktail bars, a bookstore in partnership with New York publishing house Rizzoli, and an invitation-only private atelier and mini Parisian kiosk on the top floor, where films will be screened on summer nights in the ‘world’s smallest cinema’. Schaus describes the concept of the new venue as “something in-between a luxurious bar in a top hotel and a high-end British club”. Of the cocktails offered at the site, Schaus said these are made using a few ingredients, including the company’s portfolio of wine and spirits. It is also priced at an “affordable level”, ranging from €15 to €50 (US$16-US$54). Classic cocktails will be offered, including a twist on an Old Fashioned using Hennessy XO Cognac. The cocktails and food will vary from each floor, with cocktail pairings offered to compliment the dishes. The new site allows the company to “experiment, train people and develop recipes”, Schaus said. Schaus also didn’t rule out bringing the concept to other countries. “We believe this concept will be successful [and] will be profit generating on its own because of its attractiveness, location, etc," he said. "After that the sky is the limit. You could imagine having this in another city in the world. Every floor has a slightly different concept, so there’s also the element of being able to provide our hotel partners with a new solution or idea." From tomorrow (24 June), Cravan will be open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 5pm to 2am. The spirits segment of LVMH saw revenue fall by 5% in the first quarter of 2023 as Hennessy Cognac struggled in China and the US.

Spirited Awards names top four finalists 2023

Melita Kiely — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 11:07:24 +0000

Tales of the Cocktail Foundation (TOTFC) has named the top four finalists for the 17th annual Spirited Awards.

In partnership with Forbes, the official media partner of the Spirited Awards, the winners will be announced during the TOTCF festival in New Orleans from 23-28 July. Charlotte Voisey, Spirited Awards overall chair, said: “For an industry that has for so long looked to the past for tutelage, I believe we are firmly in an era where today’s best bars, bartenders, writers, and distillers work with original thought and exciting new ideas, and I am grateful for the light we get to shine on our nominees in each region around the world. “A very big thank you goes to our 24 co-chairs and 250 judges of the Spirited Awards. Your time and integrity ensures this process is the best it can be and the most representative of our dynamic industry.” Scroll down to discover the top four finalists for each category in alphabetical order.

International categories

International Bartender of the Year presented by The Busker

Gina Barbachano — Hanky Panky, Mexico City, Mexico
Giorgio Bargiani — Connaught Bar, London, UK
Daniel Schofield — Schofield's Bar, Manchester, UK
Luke Whearty — Byrdi, Melbourne, Australia

Best International Bar Mentor presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation

Simone Caporale
Danil Nevsky
Agostino Perrone
Christina Veira

Best International Brand Ambassador presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation

Caitlin Hill — Rémy Cointreau
Daniyel Jones — House of Angostura
Dave Mitton — Lot 40 / J.P. Wiser's
Nicola Riske — The Macallan

Best International Bar Team presented by Angostura Caribbean Rum

Alquímico — Cartagena, Colombia
Atwater Cocktail Club — Montreal, QC, Canada
Jigger & Pony at the Amara Hotel — Singapore
Paradiso — Barcelona, Spain

Best International Cocktail Bar presented by Patrón Tequila

— London, UK
Alquímico — Cartagena, Colombia
Atwater Cocktail Club — Montreal, QC, Canada
Sips — Barcelona, Spain

Best International Hotel Bar presented by Perrier

Argoat the Four Seasons — Hong Kong, China
BKK Social Club at Four Seasons Bangkok — Bangkok, Thailand
Botanist at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel — Vancouver, BC, Canada
Jigger & Pony at the Amara Hotel — Singapore

Best International Restaurant Bar presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation

Analogue Initiative — Singapore
Arca Restaurant & Bar — Tulum, Mexico
Bar Kismet — Halifax, NS, Canada
Danico — Paris, France

Best New International Cocktail Bar presented by Diageo Bar Academy

Last Word — Singapore
Line Athens — Athens, Greece
Mahaniyom Cocktail Bar — Bangkok, Thailand
Night Hawk — Singapore

US categories

US Bartender of the Year presented by Pernod Ricard USA

Caer Maiko Ferguson — DrinkWell / Daijoubu, Austin, TX
Kapri Robinson — Allegory at the Eaton Hotel, Washington, DC
Masahiro Urushido — Katanna Kitten, New York, NY
Christine Wiseman — Marygold’s Brasserie / Broken Shaker, Miami, FL

Best US Bar Mentor presented BarSmarts

Anu Apte
Colin Asare-Appiah
Nectaly Mendoza
Chris Patino

Best US Brand Ambassador presented Libbey

Kiowa Bryan — Spiribam
Chris Cabrera — Bacardi USA
Cameron George — Ardbeg Single Malts
Vance Henderson — Hendrick's Gin

Best US Bar Team presented by William Grant & Sons

Happy Accidents — Albuquerque, NM
Nickel City — Austin, TX
Pacific Cocktail Haven — San Francisco, CA
Yacht Club — Denver, CO

Best US Cocktail Bar presented by Absolut Vodka

Century Grand — Phoenix, AZ
Double Chicken Please — New York, NY
Overstory — New York, NY
Service Bar — Washington, DC

Best US Hotel Bar presented by Grey Goose

Allegory at the Eaton Hotel — Washington, DC
Dear Irving on Hudson at the Aliz Hotel — New York, NY
Hey Love at The Jupiter — Portland, OR
Little Rituals at the Residence Inn/Courtyard by Marriott — Phoenix, AZ

Best US Restaurant Bar presented by Amaro Montenegro and Select Aperitivo

Café La Trova — Miami, FL
Cleaver Butchered Meats & Seafood — Las Vegas, NV
Kumiko — Chicago, IL
Palomar — Portland, OR

Best New US Cocktail Bar presented by Diageo Bar Academy

Chez Zou — New York, NY
Martiny's — New York, NY
Milady's — New York, NY
Pacific Standard at the KEX Portland — Portland, OR

Writing and media categories

Best Cocktail & Spirits Publication presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation

Class Magazine
Difford’s Guide
Punch
The Cocktail Lovers Magazine

Best Broadcast, Podcast, or Online Video Series presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation

Black and Brown Podcast
Radio Imbibe
Shōshin Art Club
The Speakeasy Podcast

Best Cocktail & Spirits Writing presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation

"The Drinks Industry Has an Ageism Problem" by Betsy Andrews, for SevenFifty Daily
"The Great Mezcal Heist" by Emma Janzen, for Eater
"The Secrets to the Best Dry Martini You’ll Ever Have" by David Wondrich, for The Daily Beast
"This Is What Decolonizing a Spirit Looks Like" by Adaorah Oduah, for Punch

Best New Cocktail or Bartending Book presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation

Mindful Mixology: A Comprehensive Guide to No- and Low-Alcohol Cocktails with 60 Recipes by Derek Brown
Modern Classic Cocktails by Robert Simonson
The Bartender’s Manifesto by Toby Maloney with Emma Janzen
The New York Times Essential Book of Cocktails – Elevated and Expanded, edited by Steven Reddicliffe

Best New Book on Drinks Culture, History, or Spirits presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation

A Sense of Place: A journey around Scotland's whisky by Dave Broom
Doctors and Distillers: The Remarkable Medicinal History of Beer, Wine, Spirits, and Cocktails by Camper English
Modern Caribbean Rum: A Contemporary Reference to the Region's Essential Spirit by Matt Pietrek and Carrie Smith
Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara

Global categories

Best New Spirit or Cocktail Ingredient presented by Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic

Martini & Rossi Floreale Non Alcoholic Aperitivo
Patrón El Alto Tequila
Saint Benevolence Aged Rum Clairin
The Fords Gin Co. Sloe Gin

World’s Best Cocktail Menu presented by Diageo Bar Academy

Alquímico — Cartagena, Colombia
Double Chicken Please — New York, NY
Handshake Speakeasy — Mexico City, Mexico
Panda & Sons — Edinburgh, Scotland

World’s Best Spirits Selection presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation

Baba Au Rum — Athens, Greece
In Situ Mezcalería — Oaxaca, Mexico
Raised by Wolves — San Diego, CA
Swift Soho — London, UK

Helen David Lifetime Achievement Award presented by William Grant & Sons

Desmond Payne MBE

Timeless International Award presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation

Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel Singapore — Singapore

Timeless US Award presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation

Tiki-Ti — Los Angeles, CA

Visionary Award Presented by Johnnie Walker

Tiffanie Barriere

One-third see discrimination in hospitality

Alice Brooker — Mon, 19 Jun 2023 11:21:37 +0000

A new report by not-for-profit Be Inclusive Hospitality has found that one in three respondents have experienced discrimination while working in the sector.

The third edition of the Inside Hospitality Report 2023 report surveyed 3,120 hospitality workers across the UK. The data was collected between 31 January to 31 March 2023. The topics explored within this report include careers in hospitality; culture and leadership; lived experience; and training and education. Lorraine Copes, founder and CEO of Be Inclusive Hospitality, said: “Over the last three years, we have seen the number of respondent numbers increase from over 300 in 2020 to over 3,000 today. "I believe that this increase positively marks a growth in awareness and support for the work that we do. What is concerning is that the results surrounding discrimination, education at all levels, and the building of trust have remained stagnant. With this robust data set, my hope is that leaders now take heed and take action.” The report has found that one-in-three overall have ‘witnessed and experienced’ discrimination at work. For Black and Asian respondents who answered ‘yes’ to witnessing discriminatory behaviour, 62.4% of Asian and 62.6% of Black respondents cite racial bias as the most prevalent form of discrimination. Furthermore, 84.1% of respondents at the director level have seen discriminatory behaviours. Higher proportions of respondents in nightclubs, pubs and bars report experiencing and witnessing discrimination, with 43% saying they have ‘low levels of confidence’ in the company’s ability to address discrimination in the workplace; this is especially the case for ethnic minorities. Only 52.4% of participants who encountered discriminatory behaviour in their workplace had the ‘opportunity’ to report this. Meanwhile, a third of respondents who did file a complaint were satisfied with the handling of this complaint. Varying contracts The report also found that Black respondents were more likely to be on zero-hour contracts, while Asian workers are most likely to be on part-time contracts. In addition, 44.2% of Asian respondents have a length of service of under six months. Black and mixed race respondents have worked in the sector for longer periods. Despite this, higher proportions of ethnic minority groups are more likely to hold entry-level positions and earn the least. The report is sponsored by the employee experience platform Harri, and delivered in partnership with Ulster University and the University of West London. Jennifer Ravalli, Harri chief marketing officer, said: "Harri is proud to represent a client base as diverse as our teams and believes strongly in the Be Inclusive Hospitality initiative. Having helped power this year's report, it is our hope that the findings continue to spark positive changes across the hospitality sector as we move toward a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive future." Rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs recently filed a lawsuit against Diageo, for allegedly neglecting their co-owned Tequila brand DeLeón because of his race. In December 2022, Karen Hoskin, owner and founder of Colorado-based Montanya Distillers, said that diversity has a "long way to go" in the rum category.

Artesian debuts futuristic cocktail menu

Alice Brooker — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 09:07:52 +0000

Acclaimed London bar Artesian has created a new cocktail list composed of 16 serves, called Ingredients of the Future.

The creation of the new cocktail list was led by Artesian's head bartender Giulia Cuccurullo; bar manager Lorenza Pezzetta; and assistant bar manager Nikos Tachmazis. Each serve celebrates a single ingredient that presents 'versatility and adaptability', and looking to a healthier future for the planet. Cuccurullo said: “We are excited to launch our new cocktail menu, Ingredients of the Future. As a team we wanted this menu to combine both our creative and progressive mixology approach, whilst also offering the potential to have a positive impact on our world through a series of future ingredients mixed into delicious and unique cocktails.” Ingredients featured include vegetables and fruits, such as sweet potato, beetroot, mushroom, date, jackfruit, and pea; and plants and trees including amaranth, moringa, pandan, and nopales. Other 'unexpected elements' have also been worked into the drinks, including soil and insects. The cocktail Insects is made with crickets mixed with Michter’s Bourbon, Campari, Nixta corn liqueur, chicatanas, coffee, and lime. It is described as a celebration of 'the unusual becoming usual', similar to a Whiskey Sour with dry and smokey notes. Meanwhile, the Beetroot cocktail is made using the natural sugars of beetroot to form a vivid, peppery cocktail, which has been combined with Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum, Asahi lager, and Sichuan peppercorn. Another serve, the Moringa, is a Margarita-inspired drink that boasts herbal notes and a hint of bergamot through Casamigos blanco, Italicus, moringa, lime, and aduki beans. The cocktails range from £22-£25 (US$27.66-$31.44), aside from the non-alcoholic Jackfruit serve, which is priced at £15 (US$18.85). Last year the team created a drinks menu called Duality, featuring seven pairs of cocktails. It featured 14 cocktails, each paired with another to represent ‘two sides of the same coin’. Prior to this in 2021, the team introduced Connections, a cocktail menu inspired by the shared experiences that brought people together during lockdown in 2020. In the January 2021 issue of the The Spirits Business magazine, we caught up with Pezzetta to discuss her work at Artesian and her career history in the hospitality industry.

Nightcap buys Dirty Martini

Georgie Collins — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 08:46:49 +0000

Bar investment group Nightcap has agreed to purchase UK cocktail bar chain Dirty Martini for £4.65 million (US$5.85m).

The deal includes the acquisition of 10 Dirty Martini bars, including five in London, and an additional five located in Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Manchester, and Cardiff. Furthermore, the agreement includes the purchase of Tuttons Brasserie in London, and Nightcap has employed all staff working at the 10 Dirty Martini bars and Tuttons restaurant as part of the acquisition. The Dirty Martini brand is said to have ‘significant roll-out potential’, with the Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff sites complementing Nightcap’s ‘cluster model strategy’. Sarah Willingham, CEO of Nightcap, commented: “We couldn’t be happier to welcome Dirty Martini to the Nightcap family. These are long-established, well-run bars that fit well with our existing portfolio and our model of running multiple brands in clusters in London and around the country. “Dirty Martini’s late-night bars operate in a similar way to ours. They have great bars in excellent locations with impressive fit-outs, following over £10 million (US$12.59m) of capital investment. “We will embed the Dirty Martini site operations into our existing head office infrastructure and expect to see synergies across the business as we continue to grow. “This is the fourth acquisition in under three years and marks yet another important strategic step toward building the UK’s leading bar group.” This deal is in line with Nightcap’s strategy of making ‘selective acquisitions within the drinks-led premium bar segment of the UK hospitality sector’, which saw it acquire The Cocktail Club (formerly The London Cocktail Club) in January 2021, the Adventure Bar Group in May 2021, and the Barrio Bar Group in November 2021. Prior to this acquisition, Nightcap owned and ran 36 bars including Disrepute, Cocktail Club, Barrio, Tonight Josephine, and Blame Gloria. The board believes that the Dirty Martini brand is a 'compelling and complementary acquisition for Nightcap', and ‘a good fit’ with the company’s existing portfolio, increasing the group’s presence in its already established locations and expanding Nightcap’s portfolio of bars into further key cities. Full-year 2023 While Nightcap's sales during the first half of 2023 hit £23.2m (US$28.3m), the influence of train strikes has been the main source of disruption to the group’s trading in the year ending 2 July 2023. The board currently predicts revenues to be broadly in line with current market expectations, with adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortisation) expected to be below current market expectations. Management currently estimates that the 28 train strike days over 2022-2023 have cost the group a total of approximately £2.9m (US$3.65m) in revenue. “Whilst the rail strikes have been detrimental to our current year performance, we are extremely proud of Nightcap’s successful new openings, the growth we have achieved and the foundation we have built for the future,” said Willingham. “Without the impact of rail strikes we would have had an exceptional year, which bodes well for next year. “With the acquisition of Dirty Martini, we have a sizeable late night bar group with significant potential for further growth in the years ahead and we therefore look to FY 2024 with increased confidence.”

Jägermeister Meister Hunter competition returns for 2023

Georgie Collins — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 08:30:49 +0000

Mast-Jägermeister UK has opened entries for its 2023 Meister Hunter cocktail competition.

Running for its sixth year, the annual competition has asked bartenders to create a cocktail using a minimum of 25ml of Jägermeister, Jägermeister Cold Brew Coffee or Jägermeister Manifest. Mast-Jägermeister UK brand ambassador Florian Beuren said: “The competition is about changing the perception of bartenders as it showcases Jägermeister from a different angle. Most people know Jägermeister as a shot, which is what we are, but also a lot of people don’t know that Jägermeister is a fantastic mixing spirit which is super versatile and adds layers of flavour to drinks and cocktails due to its 56 botanicals. “The Meister Hunter competition was designed to send bartenders on a six-month journey where we get to showcase to the competitors the value of the brand as well as provide insight about the rich heritage and history of our German herbal liquor. “Over the years the competition has grown, and we have created memories and friendships, which is fantastic as even though it’s a competition, we want the competitors to have a good time and give something back to the bartending community.” Each entrant’s cocktail submission may contain a maximum of five ingredients, without garnish. Entries must be made via Instagram and include a video or image of the cocktail, plus its name and specification. Posts must tag the Meister Hunter Instagram page @meisterhunter and use the hashtag #meisterhunter23. Spot prizes, such as cash, bespoke bar tools, and bottles from the Jägermeister portfolio, will be awarded for the best creative pictures or videos submitted in the first round. Judges will be looking for high levels of work and effort put into the visual entries. The deadline for entries is 10 July. Successful applicants of the first round, all of which takes place online, will go through to the heats that will take place in Cardiff, Edinburgh, Manchester, and London in August. As well as competing to be named Meister Hunter Champion 2023, entrants will also be contending to win a share of £4,500 (US$5,610) prize money, with first place winning £3,000 (US$3,740), second place taking home £1,000 (US$1,246) and £500 (US$623) for third place. Carrie Smith, Meister Hunter 2022 winner, said: “Meister Hunter was the most fun competition I have ever competed in. The whole experience taught me so much and I was made to felt like joining a family. The whole competition also spurred my love for Jägermeister even more.” The 2023 finals will be hosted in London this autumn.

De Kuyper debuts UK cocktail campaign

Nicola Carruthers — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 07:59:55 +0000

Dutch liqueur brand De Kuyper has created a new campaign in the UK that pairs cocktails with moods and occasions.

The multi-channel campaign, called Colourful Cocktail Vibes, will launch on 30 June and run for 13 weeks. Through the campaign, De Kuyper aims to inspire consumers to ‘find their perfect serve for any occasion’. The campaign includes PR, social media, influencers, digital, on- and off-trade activations, and Amazon amplification. Consumers visiting Stonegate, Marstons, and Mitchells & Butlers venues will be invited to discover their ‘colourful cocktail vibe’ through a personalised quiz. Accessible on menus and online, the quiz has been designed to ‘unlock’ the cocktail personality of drinkers, matching their mood and occasion with a recommended De Kuyper serve. Among the cocktails and occasions are a Blue Lagoon (holiday vibes), Kir Royale (celebration), Margarita (party), and the ‘fruity’ Passionfruit Martini. Each is made with De Kuyper's extensive range of liqueurs. Godelief van Erve, De Kuyper global marketing director, said: “We’re excited to be bringing our Colourful Cocktail Vibes campaign to the consumers via social/digital media and on-trade and off-trade activations this summer, with a variety of vibrant and delicious serves, perfectly matched to suit any mood or occasion. “Whether it’s a refreshing Blue Lagoon, a sophisticated Kir Royale, or fruity Passionfruit Martini, there’s a serve to suit everyone’s cocktail vibe. With more than 325 years of distilling experience and a commitment to use the best possible quality ingredients, we create the best liqueurs that we know bartenders and customers love using in their cocktails.” In addition, the brand is offering a deal through wholesaler Matthew Clark until 31 August, where operators can receive a free ROS (return on sale) driving kit, including cocktail recipe inspiration booklets to gift customers that order De Kuyper cocktails. Point-of-sale activations will include branded glassware, cocktail shakers, jiggers, and strainers along with menu clips, a frame and tabletop chalkboards, and posters to help bring the campaign to life in venues. De Kuyper has also partnered with UK supermarkets Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons, which will offer the quiz via QR codes and promotions in stores and online. From 9-10 September, the Dutch brand will showcase its cocktails alongside Michelin-starred chefs at The Home of Food festival at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. Festival attendees will have the opportunity to book a cocktail masterclass with De Kuyper’s global brand ambassador, Max de Smit. De Kuyper also launched its first cocktail terrace with Delta Hotels by Marriott in Liverpool on 30 April. The space will be open until the end of September, offering cocktails throughout the summer. The liqueur brand is distributed in the UK by William Grant & Sons. In May this year, De Kuyper rolled out five bottled cocktails to the on-trade.

Scandic Bar: elevating bartending with Scandinavian style and quality

admin — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 10:38:45 +0000

In the world of mixology, where craftsmanship and innovation go hand in hand, Scandic Bar has emerged as a prominent Scandinavian/Nordic brand known for its commitment to quality, Nordic style, and design.

With a mission to support bartenders and promote the art of cocktail making, Scandic Bar has become a trusted name in the industry, setting new standards for excellence. At the core of Scandic Bar's philosophy is the belief that bartenders are the heart and soul of the craft. Recognising their passion and dedication, Scandic Bar proudly proclaims its motto: "From bartenders to bartenders." The company understands the challenges faced by bartenders and aims to empower them through its range of premium products and education. One of Scandic Bar's key initiatives is the drive to bring production back to the European Union. By prioritising local manufacturing, the brand ensures superior quality control while supporting the European economy. This commitment to authenticity and transparency sets Scandic Bar apart, making it a brand that both bartenders and consumers can trust. When it comes to their product offerings, Scandic Bar excels in delivering the essence of Nordic style and sophistication. Drawing inspiration from cultural heritage of the Nordic region, Scandic Bar's products embody the essence of Scandinavian aesthetics. In addition to their dedication to quality and style, Scandic Bar also prioritises sustainability. Understanding the importance of reducing environmental impacts, the brand focuses on using eco-friendly materials and sustainable packaging. By adopting responsible practices, Scandic Bar aims to contribute to a more sustainable future for the bartending industry and beyond. Scandic Bar goes beyond simply providing exceptional products; it actively fosters a sense of community among bartenders. The brand organises bartender competitions, where talented mixologists can showcase their skills and creativity. These events not only serve as a platform for recognition but also foster collaboration and camaraderie within the bartending community. As Scandic Bar continues to grow, it remains dedicated to its core values: quality, the Nordic region, and sustainable practices. Through its unwavering commitment to bartenders and the pursuit of excellence, Scandic Bar is shaping the future of the industry, inspiring bartenders worldwide to reach new heights in their craft. In conclusion, Scandic Bar stands as a testament to the rich traditions of Scandinavian craftsmanship and design. With its focus on quality, Nordic style, and sustainability, Scandic Bar has become a trusted ally for bartenders, providing them with the tools and support they need to excel. As the brand expands its reach, it will undoubtedly continue to shape the bartending industry, while remaining true to its motto: “From bartenders to bartenders.”

London Essence Co debuts Sustainable Spritz

Nicola Carruthers — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 09:36:40 +0000

Mixer producer The London Essence Co has teamed up with Avallen Calvados and spirits distribution system EcoSpirits to create the ‘ultra-low-waste’ Sustainable Spritz.

The Sustainable Spritz is made using London Essence’s White Peach & Jasmine Crafted Soda from the producer’s Freshly Infused dispense system. It marks the first time the system has been engineered to include London Essence sodas. The ’world first’ dispense system works by using patented micro-dosing technology which gently infuses freshly distilled botanicals into carbonated chilled tonic water at the point of serve. The soda is then blended with Avallen Calvados sourced from EcoSpirits’ EcoTote, a fully-reusable, refillable 4.5-litre glass packaging format, which replaces a standard six-bottle case of spirits. This saves approximately 2.7kg of carbon waste. The Spritz eliminates the need for single-use glass. Iain McPherson, sales director for Europe, EcoSpirits, said: “The Sustainable Spritz taps into the consumer trend for refreshing drinks while appealing to the increasing number of consumers making planet-positive buying choices, and it’s also a great example of how technology can be used to create sustainable solutions. "The Sustainable Spritz represents a collaboration between three businesses working together to make a difference.” In 2021, B Corp-certified Avallen partnered with EcoSpirits to be dispensed in venues using the reusable EcoTote format. Avallan was one of EcoSpirits’ first global partners. Avallen co-founder Tim Etherington-Judge said: “Sustainability is high on the agenda for many as we all strive to reduce waste and be more planet friendly in the hospitality industry. “This new serve, which in time I hope will become as well-known as a Margarita or Daiquiri, is the answer to anyone who wants a sustainable cocktail that tastes amazing.” Last month, Pernod Ricard acquired a minority stake in EcoSpirits through its venture capital fund. The London Essence Co said it became the fastest-growing mixer company in Great Britain last year with a retail sales value of almost £15 million (US$18m).

Spirited Awards unveils 2023 nominees

Georgie Collins — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 15:46:05 +0000

Tales of the Cocktail Foundation (TOTCF) has revealed the top 10 nominees for its 2023 Spirited Awards, with The Spirits Business named as one of the finalists for Best Cocktail & Spirits Publication.

Founded in 2007, the Spirited Awards seeks to put the spotlight on a range of industry talent from bartenders, journalists, and ambassadors, to brands and media. The annual New Orleans-based festival is preparing to host its 21st edition on 23-28 July. All winners will be celebrated on 27 July at the 17th Annual Spirited Awards Ceremony, to be held at the Fillmore New Orleans. Spirited Awards Ceremony tickets will be available via the TOTCF website on June 8 2023. Jacob Briars, Spirited Awards international chair, said: “The Tales Spirited Awards shortlist shows that in spite of ongoing challenges, our industry is in incredible health, with bars and bartenders continuing to create extraordinary guest experiences and elevate their craft in so many ways. “I think it is also heartening to see the wide range of nominees from so many different towns and cities across the US and around the world. Great cocktails can now be found anywhere, and that is a wonderful opportunity for cocktail lovers across the globe.” The 'top four' finalists will be announced on 21 June. Scroll below to see the list of top 10 finalists of this year's Spirited Awards.

International categories

International Bartender of the Year presented by The Busker

Gina Barbachano — Hanky Panky, Mexico City, Mexico
Giorgio Bargiani — The Connaught Bar, London, UK
Aaron Diaz — Carnaval, Lima, Peru
Kate Boushel — Atwater Cocktail Club / Milky Way Cocktail Bar, Montréal, QC, Canada
Giacomo Giannotti — Paradiso, Barcelona, Spain
Martin Hudak — Maybe Sammy, Sydney, Australia
Uno Jang — Jigger & Pony at the Amara Hotel, Singapore
Alessandro Palazzi — Dukes at Dukes Hotel, London, UK
Daniel Schofield — Schofield's Bar, Manchester, UK
Luke Whearty — Byrdi, Melbourne, Australia

Best International Bar Mentor* presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation

Lorenzo Antinori
Simone Caporale
Evelyn Chick
Shingo Gokan
Trevor Kallies
Jose Luis Leon
Dre Masso
Iain McPherson
Danil Nevsky
Agostino Perrone
Christina Veira

*denotes 11 nominees due to a tie Best International Brand Ambassador* presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation

Jenna Ba — Diageo
Jordan Bushell — Hennessy Cognac
Dickie Cullimore — Bacardí Rum
Caitlin Hill — Rémy Cointreau
Daniyel Jones — House of Angostura
Ally Martin — Hendrick’s Gin
Dave Mitton — Lot 40 / JP Wiser’s
Léa Messier — Dandurand Spirits
Tim Philips-Johansson — Johnnie Walker
Nicola Riske — The Macallan
Claudia Cabrera Rodriguez — Fernet-Branca
Charmaine Thio — Hendrick’s Gin

*denotes 12 nominees due to a tie Best International Bar Team presented by Angostura Caribbean Rum

Alauímico — Cartagena, Colombia
Atwater Cocktail Club — Montreal, QC, Canada
Coa — Hong Kong, China
Handshake Speakeasy — Mexico City, Mexico
Hanky Panky — Mexico City, Mexico
Jigger & Pony at the Amara Hotel — Singapore
La Factoria — San Juan, Puerto Rico
Paradiso — Barcelona, Spain
Tayēr + Elementary — London, UK
The Clumsies — Athens, Greece

Best International Cocktail Bar presented by Patrón Tequila

(A Bar With Shapes for a Name) — London, UK
Alquímico — Cartagena, Colombia
Atwater Cocktail Club — Montreal, QC, Canada
Byrdi — Melbourne, Australia
Coa — Hong Kong, China
Maybe Sammy — Sydney, Australia
Panda & Sons — Edinburgh, Scotland
Paradiso — Barcelona, Spain
Satan’s Whiskers — London, UK
Sips — Barcelona, Spain

Best International Hotel Bar presented by Perrier

Argo at the Four Seasons — Hong Kong, China
BKK Social Club at Four Seasons Bangkok — Bangkok, Thailand
Botanist at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel — Vancouver, BC, Canada
Bulgari Bar at the The Bvlgari Resort — Dubai, UAE
Charles H. at the Four Seasons Hotel — Seoul, South Korea
Dean & Nancy on 22 at the A by Adina hotel — Sydney, Australia
Fifty Mils at the Four Seasons Hotel — Mexico City, Mexico
Jigger & Pony at the Amara Hotel — Singapore
Side Hustle at The NoMad Hotel London — London, UK
The Donovan Bar at the Brown’s Hotel — London, UK

Best International Restaurant Bar presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation

Analogue Initiative — Singapore
ARCA Restaurant & Bar — Tulum, Mexico
Bar Kismet — Halifax, NS, Canada
Cochinchina — Buenos Aires, Argentina
Continental Deli Bar Bistro — Sydney, Australia
Coya Dubai — Dubai, UAE
Danico — Paris, France
Le Mary Celeste — Paris, France
No Sleep Club — Singapore
Zuma Dubai — Dubai, UAE

Best New International Cocktail Bar presented by Diageo Bar Academy

Bar Planet — Sydney, Australia
Caretaker’s Cottage — Melbourne, Australia
Cata Agave Bar – Tamarindo, Costa Rica
Ergo Cocktail Bar & Restaurant — Dubai, UAE
Gucci Giardino 25 — Florence, Italy
Last Word — Singapore
Line Athens — Athens, Greece
Mahaniyom Cocktail Bar — Bangkok, Thailand
Night Hawk — Singapore
Seed Library at One Hundred Shoreditch hotel — London, UK

US categories

US Bartender of the Year presented by Pernod Ricard USA

Chris Elford — Navy Strength / Here Today Brewery & Kitchen, Seattle, WA
Abigail Gullo — loa at the International House hotel, New Orleans, LA
Caer Maiko Ferguson — DrinkWell / Daijoubu, Austin, TX
Shauna O’Neil — Sweet Liberty, Miami, FL
Jessi Pollak — Spoon and Stable, Minneapolis, MN
Kapri Robinson — Allegory at the Eaton Hotel, Washington, DC
Christian Suzuki-Orellana — Wildhawk, San Francisco, CA
Masahiro Urushido — Katanna Kitten, New York, NY
Takuma Watanabe — Martiny’s, New York, NY
Christine Wiseman — Marygold’s Brasserie / Broken Shaker, Miami, FL

Best US Bar Mentor* presented BarSmarts

Bridget Albert
Anu Apte
Colin Asare-Appiah
Jason Asher
Julio Cabrera
Alex Day
Touré Folkes
Kate Gerwin
Anne Louise Marquis
Nectaly Mendoza
Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Chris Patino

*denotes 12 nominees due to a tie Best US Brand Ambassador presented Libbey

Kiowa Bryan — Spiribam
Chris Cabrera — Bacardi USA
Tad Carducci — Gruppo Montenegro
Cameron George — Ardbeg Single Malts
A-K Hada — Bacardí Rum
Vance Henderson — Hendrick’s Gin
Benny Hurwitz — Wild Turkey
Anna Mains — Monkey Shoulder
Jenna Murray — The Glenlivet
Mary Palac — Campari Mexican Spirits

Best US Bar Team presented by William Grant & Sons

Allegory at the Eaton Hotel — Washington, DC
Attaboy Nashville — Nashville, TN
Century Grand — Phoenix, AZ
Happy Accidents — Albuquerque, NM
Nickel City — Austin, TX
Overstory — New York, NY
Pacific Cocktail Haven — San Francisco, CA
Service Bar — Washington, DC
The Roosevelt Room — Austin, TX
Yacht Club — Denver, CO

Best US Cocktail Bar presented by Absolut Vodka

Bar Goto — New York, NY
Bitter & Twisted — Phoenix, AZ
Century Grand — Phoenix, AZ
Double Chicken Please — New York, NY
Manolito — New Orleans, LA
Nickel City — Austin, TX
Overstory — New York, NY
Service Bar — Washington, DC
Thunderbolt — Los Angeles, CA
Yacht Club — Denver, CO

Best US Hotel Bar presented by Grey Goose

Allegory at the Eaton Hotel — Washington, DC
Bar Marilou at the Maison de la Luz — New Orleans, LA
Champagne Bar at The Surf Club Miami — Miami, FL
Dear Irving on Hudson at the Aliz Hotel — New York, NY
Hey Love at The Jupiter — Portland, OR
Libertine Social at the Mandalay Bay — Las Vegas, NV
Little Rituals at the Residence Inn/Courtyard by Marriott — Phoenix, AZ
Midnight Rambler at The Joule — Dallas, TX
Raines Law Room at the William — New York, NY
White Limozeen at The Graduate — Nashville, TN

Best US Restaurant Bar presented by Amaro Montenegro and Select Aperitivo

Arnaud’s French 75 Bar — New Orleans, LA
Bicyclette Bistro — Los Angeles, CA
Bresca — Washington, DC
Café La Trova — Miami, FL
Cleaver – Butchered Meats, Seafood & Classic Cocktails — Las Vegas, NV
Crown Shy — New York, NY
Jaguar Sun — Miami, FL
Kumiko — Chicago, IL
Manhatta — New York, NY
Palomar — Portland, OR

Best New US Cocktail Bar presented by Diageo Bar Academy

Amazonia — Washington DC
Chez Zou — New York, NY
Khla — Phoenix, AZ
Martiny’s — New York, NY
Marygold’s Brasserie at the Arlo Wynwood — Miami, FL
Milady’s — New York, NY
Pacific Standard at the KEX Portland — Portland, OR
Refuge — Houston, TX
The Butterscotch Den — Sacramento, CA
UnderTow — Gilbert, AZ

Writing & media categories

Best Cocktail & Spirits Publication presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation

Boothby
CLASS Magazine
Difford’s Guide
Drinks International
Guest Check by SPILL
Liquor.com
Punch
The Cocktail Lovers Magazine
The Mix With Robert Simonson
The Spirits Business

Best Broadcast, Podcast, or Online Video Series presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation

Agave Road Trip
Black and Brown Podcast
Freepour
Japan Distilled Podcast
Perspectives by Campari Academy
Radio Imbibe
Shōshin Art Club
The Modern Bar Cart Podcast
The Sipping Point
The Speakeasy Podcast

Best Cocktail & Spirits Writing presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation

“A Rum Deal” by Dave Broom for Club Oenologique
“How Americans ruined tequila — and the true believers saving it” by Lilah Raptopoulos, for Financial Times
“How the Four Seasons Became an Incubator for Asia’s Best Bars” by Jake Emen, for VinePair
“The Drinks Industry Has an Ageism Problem” by Betsy Andrews, for SevenFifty Daily
“The Good, the Bad & the Artificial: How Big Data & Tech Are Infiltrating the Alcohol Industry” by Jake Emen, for VinePair
“The Great Mezcal Heist” by Emma Janzen, for Eater
“The Secrets to the Best Dry Martini You’ll Ever Have” by David Wondrich, for The Daily Beast
“This Is What Decolonizing a Spirit Looks Like” by Adaorah Oduah, for Punch
“Untold Story” by Yolanda Evans, for Imbibe
“What is a Bar Without a Backbar?” by Danny Chau, for Punch

Best New Cocktail or Bartending Book presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation

A Bartender’s Guide to the World by Lauren Mote & James O. Fraioli
Black Mixcellence: A Comprehensive Guide to Black Mixology by Tamika Hall with Colin Asare-Appiah
Drink Lightly by Natasha David
Mindful Mixology: A Comprehensive Guide to No- and Low-Alcohol Cocktails with 60 Recipes by Derek Brown
Modern Classic Cocktails by Robert Simonson
Mueble Bar by François Monti
The Bartender’s Manifesto by Toby Maloney with Emma Janzen
The Cocktail Cabinet: The art, science and pleasure of mixing the perfect drink by Zoe Burgess
The Cocktail Edit: Everything You Need to Know About How to Make All the Drinks that Matter by Alice Lascelles
The New York Times Essential Book of Cocktails – Elevated and Expanded, edited by Steven Reddicliffe

Best New Book on Drinks Culture, History, or Spirits presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation

A Sense of Place: A journey around Scotland’s whisky by Dave Broom
Brand Mysticism: Cultivate Creativity & Intoxicate Your Audience by Aaron Goldfarb and Steven Grasse
Dicktales (or Thankyou and Sluggings) by Dick Bradsell
Doctors and Distillers: The Remarkable Medicinal History of Beer, Wine, Spirits, and Cocktails by Camper English
Drink Like a Local New York: A Field Guide to New York’s Best Bars by Amanda Schuster
Exploring the World of Japanese Craft Sake by Nancy Matsumoto and Michael Tremblay
Gurú. Manual (multisensorial) de Coctelería by Diego Cabrera
Modern Caribbean Rum: A Contemporary Reference to the Region’s Essential Spirit by Matt Pietrek and Carrie Smith
The Art of Whisky by Ernie Button
Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara

Global categories

Best New Spirit or Cocktail Ingredient presented by Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic

Contraluz Cristalino Mezcal
Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin California Orange Citrus
Hendrick’s Neptunia
Martini & Rossi Floreale Non Alcoholic Aperitivo
Martini & Rossi Vibrante Non Alcoholic Aperitivo
Mijenta Añejo Gran Reserva
Nocheluna Sotol
Patrón El Alto Tequila
Saint Benevolence Aged Rum Clairin
The Fords Gin Co. Sloe Gin

World’s Best Cocktail Menu presented by Diageo Bar Academy

Allegory at the Eaton Hotel — Washington, DC
Alquímico — Cartagena, Colombia
Bitter and Twisted — Phoenix, AZ
Botanist at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel — Vancouver, BC, Canada
Double Chicken Please — New York, NY
Handshake Speakeasy — Mexico City, Mexico
Jigger & Pony at the Amara Hotel — Singapore
Licorería Limantour — Mexico City, Mexico
Panda & Sons — Edinburgh, Scotland
Paradiso — Barcelona, Spain

World’s Best Spirits Selection presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation

Baba Au Rum — Athens, Greece
Barro Negro — Athens, Greece
In Situ Mezcalería — Oaxaca, Mexico
Kol Mezcaleria — London, UK
Origin Bar at the Shangri-La Hotel — Singapore
Raised by Wolves — San Diego, CA
Salón de Agave at Casa Prunes — Mexico City, Mexico
Sexy Fish London — London, UK
Swift Soho — London, UK
The Office — Chicago, IL

The Spirits Spirits was also nominated for the Spirited Awards 2022.

Italicus reveals Aperitivo Challenge winner

Georgie Collins — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 15:22:23 +0000

Italian aperitivo Italicus Rosolio de Bergamotto has crowned Fabrizio Candino, of Italy’s Sartoria Cocktail Bar, as the global winner of its Art of Italicus Aperitivo Challenge 2023.

At the final hosted in Rome, Italy on Sunday 28 May, Candino impressed the competition’s jury with his winning cocktail, In-Vite, which paid homage to the Mediterranean vine and incorporated the concept of invitation and conviviality. The cocktail, which was a twist on a Spritz, combined Italicus infused with stale bread with aperitivo wine and citron juice. The unconventional use of bread 'captivated' both the judges and the audience. Giuseppe Gallo, founder and CEO of Italicus, commented: "The Art of Italicus Aperitivo Challenge is a programme that discovers and showcases emerging talents in our industry year after year. The competition serves as a creative platform through which bartenders have the opportunity to express their artistic sensibilities while staying rooted in the Italian aperitivo cocktails tradition. “This year, we had the honour of experiencing a competition with highly skilled bartenders, from their technique to the style of their presentations and their sustainable approach. We feel honoured to have so many talents from around the world participating in this programme with the goal of improving and growing within the industry in a more sustainable world." Candino has won a mentorship programme with Giacomo Giannotti, owner of Paradiso bar in Barcelona. In second place, Johannes Sæterbø, of Svanen bar in Norway, presented the Apples & Bergamot cocktail, which aimed to express the connection between independent artistic scenes by using objects created by local artists. Valeria Coletti, of Baccarat Bar in London, secured the third place with her cocktail Bee the Action, inspired by the Red Earth Environmental Art Group, a UK-based collective focused on sustainability through installations and artistic performances. The final brought together bartenders from Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Hungary, the UK, and the US. Each participant was tasked with crafting an aperitivo using Italicus as a key ingredient. The competition aimed to highlight aperitivo drinks that drew inspiration from various forms of art, such as sculpture, design, painting, fashion, music, literature, dance and more. This year, participants were also required to create their cocktails with sustainability in mind, avoiding waste and promoting the use of locally sourced ingredients.

Campari Academy unveils livestream project

Georgie Collins — Wed, 31 May 2023 08:30:10 +0000

Educational platform the Campari Academy will launch its livestream project at Cocktail Spirits Paris on 4-5 June.

Campari Academy France will host a dedicated stand as part of Le Bar Rouge, the trade show’s celebrated programme of talks that reflect on the current trends within the bar trade, all of which will be live-streamed as part of the new launch. Designed as ‘a space for sharing’, the Campari Academy stand, in partnership with Le Bar Rouge, will host four seminars by international experts and bartenders each day, each of which will be streamed live on the platform. The partnership marks the first time Le Bar Rouge has ever collaborated with a brand. The livestream project will be hosted by Campari’s creative director, Monica Berg, and Dean Callan, director at the Bartenders Broadcast Network. It will be made up of two separate elements: ‘The Bar Show’ and ‘The Bar Show Show’. The former will comprise six episodes of live talks from a studio space, while the latter will spotlight the highlights and key moments from global bar shows live to the bartending community, bringing them to life for those who cannot attend the shows themselves. Campari Academy said it was launching the project to bring ‘a new and even more engaging format’ to the platform’s offering, while providing more space for interaction, communication and authenticity for its audience. To take part in the livestream, bartenders will find a live YouTube link, which will be available via the Campari Academy Instagram channel: @CampariAcademy. In addition to the debut of the livestream project, several international bars will attend the event to represent their establishment and share what distinguishes them at Le Bar Rouge. New to this year, non-bartending experts will speak on broader topics such as inclusion and diversity, giving the next generation of bartenders the tools they need to develop their careers ‘in an ever-changing world’. Berg will also be present to facilitate discussions and meet professionals who would like to learn more about the Campari Academy system and platform. Campari Academy opened its UK education hub in February.

Train strikes could cost hospitality £3.25bn

Nicola Carruthers — Tue, 30 May 2023 10:14:36 +0000

Rail strikes this week are expected to cost the UK hospitality industry £132 million (US$164m), bringing the total impact on the sector to £3.25 billion (US$4bn).

Members of trade union Aslef are planning industrial action tomorrow (Wednesday 31 May) and Saturday 3 June as part of a pay dispute. Meanwhile trade union RMT will stage a strike on Friday 2 June. The eye-watering figures were revealed by trade body UK Hospitality, which previously warned that the combined rail and tube strikes in March could cost the on-trade £600m (US$727.9m) in lost sales. Strike action has been ongoing since 2022, with the most recent action held on 13 May, the day of the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool. The latest strikes coincide with the week-long half-term school holidays and the FA Cup Final between Manchester City and Manchester United on 3 June. UK Hospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “The May half term normally represents a bumper week for hospitality, with typically sunny weather encouraging families to head out on activities, visits and staycations. “Unfortunately, we’ve seen time and time again that rail strikes put a significant dampener on any sales as visitors are deterred from booking visits or eating and drinking out. This time around that means families staying at home and football fans travelling to the capital for the FA Cup final disrupted.” Nicholls called for a resolution to the dispute as soon as possible. The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) said this week’s strike action could cause the night-time and events industries to lose more than £200m (US$248m) in revenue across the three days. Michael Kill, NTIA CEO, warned the industry would be "crippled by industrial action". “With the summer festival and events season just getting underway, some festivals are suggesting strike action could have a substantial impact on the season, with some suggesting it could take them to breaking point,” he continued. “Businesses are suffering heavily with recent figures, showing a 40% increase in operating costs and a 15% downturn in trade, alongside interest rate rises and financial support drying up from government.” “The difficult trading environment coupled with further strike action expected to last until the end of the summer will stretch most business owners' resilience.” Train strikes in March caused a double-digit decline for spirits sales in the UK on-trade over a week-long period, according to data from CGA.

American Bar debuts new menu

Georgie Collins — Thu, 25 May 2023 09:17:58 +0000

London’s American Bar at The Savoy hotel has launched a new cocktail menu that pays homage to the ‘unique process of bartending’.

The Savoy: American Bar Journal has launched at the hotel bar today (25 May), and is the first menu created by head bartender Chelsie Bailey since her appointment last summer. As a nod to The Savoy Cocktail Book by former Savoy alumni Harry Craddock, the menu is set out simply, with an index detailing the inspiration behind each cocktail. Bailey and her team have turned to ‘interesting techniques’ to create contemporary interpretations of classic cocktails. Bailey said: “Andrea Di Chiara (bar manager) and I are very proud to be launching our first menu for the American Bar. Our aim was to create a menu that was easy to navigate and that focused on the ingredients. While the inspiration for each cocktail is based on an individual story, we wanted guests to choose their beverage based on their favourite flavours and then discover the tale behind them.” The menu is also said to commemorate moments in time that are ‘logged in liquid form’, celebrating the past, present and future of bartending at The Savoy. The menu has seen cocktails from the past updated with modern methods and styles, and adapted to suit a modern palate, such as the New York Cherub, which is based on the classic Angel Wings cocktail, a drink so sweet that Craddock advised: “If the girl does not like it, do not drink it, but pour it quickly into the nearest flower vase.” Bailey’s version is a balanced combination of Rabbit Hole rye whiskey, Bowmore 15 Year Old Scotch whisky, raspberry, discarded vermouth, maraschino liqueur and spiced violette bitters. Historical commemorative cocktails have been reimagined too. The Coffee Black Velvet is a modern take on the Black Velvet, originally created in 1861 to mourn Prince Albert, and uses Guinness coffee whey, crème de cassis, and roasted barley to provide richness and complexity. The menu also celebrates ‘momentous moments of today’. Homecoming, a blend of Lion’s Botanical, dry vermouth, St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur and Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé, celebrates the Euro 2022 victory of the The Lionesses, England's national football team, and shows support for them in the upcoming 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The menu has also paid homage to some of the hotel’s guests. Maggie, one of the bar’s 'most charismatic' guests, has her own cocktail, the Fine & Fancy. The name is a play on her famous saying "fine and dandy", and the serve is also an ode to her first visit to The Savoy, when Peter Dorelli, head bartender of the American Bar from 1979 to 1993, offered her daughter her first glass of Champagne. Maggie’s favourite drink, whisky and ginger with no ice, has therefore been elevated with the addition of thyme, honey, Suze gentian and Nyetimber Classic Cuvee. For this menu, The American Bar team has worked with EcoSpirits, the low-waste, low-carbon technology that uses a closed-loop system to eliminate more than 90% of the carbon emissions footprint associated with cocktails. The EcoSpirits drinks can be found by locating the green tree pictured next to them on the menu. Franck Arnold, managing director at The Savoy, commented: “Chelsie and the team have worked tirelessly to create an incredible portfolio of cocktails that celebrate the true craftsmanship and essence of mixology. "The dynamic process of developing cocktails that look beautiful, taste exceptional, evoke emotion, and resonate with our patrons is a skill that only a few possess. “This menu demonstrates our team's skill and also toasts the previous 130 years of skilled individuals who have come before them in this iconic bar.” The curation of the bar's previous menu, which launched last summer, was overseen by bar consultant Anna Sebastian.