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Hamish Smith

Hamish Smith

The CBAs' Hotel Bar of the Year 2023
With so many hotel bars in the conversation to be our favourites, making a finalists’ list of four in the Hotel Bar of the Year (sponsored by Everleaf Drinks) category is an achievement in itself.
—
31 May, 2023

Hamish Smith

Meet our Bar Manager of the Year
To many the biggest individual award of the Class Bar Awards, Bar Manager of the Year sponsored by Italicus, was won by James Wheeler, a finalist in the category last year.
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31 May, 2023

Hamish Smith

Chelsie Bailey's first Savoy menu revealed ahead of launch
The American Bar at the Savoy has launched its new cocktail menu - the first by its new head bartender Chelsie Bailey.
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24 May, 2023

Hamish Smith

Class Bar Awards winners announced
CLASS magazine has announced its highly anticipated CLASS Bar Awards 2023, with bars from Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and London taking the largest share of awards. 
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23 May, 2023

Hamish Smith

Review: Velvet at Corinthia London
Velvet was one of the big launches of the last six months. Hamish Smith dropped by this spring to review Corinthia London's latest bar. 
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23 May, 2023

Hamish Smith

World Class GB announces top 10 finalists

Diageo GB has announced the top 10 finalists of its 2023 World Class competition. 
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11 May, 2023

Hamish Smith

Chairman's Reserve's Spice Lab comp opens for entries
Chairman’s Reserve Rum has announced the return of its competition: The Chairman’s Spice Lab.
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11 May, 2023

Hamish Smith

International spotlight: Class explores Himkok in Oslo
Continuing our series of spotlights on pioneering international bars, Hamish Smith visits Himkok in Oslo, Norway. Bar manager Maroš Dzurus talks us through what makes this bar so different. 
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10 May, 2023
Julio Bermejo

Hamish Smith

Julio Bermejo: how I make the Tommy's Margarita
Hamish Smith gets the full skinny on the Tommy’s Margarita from the creator himself, Julio Bermejo.
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04 May, 2023
Renais

Hamish Smith

Jack Sotti partners with Watson family to launch Chablis-inspired gin
Drinks consultant Jack Sotti has partnered with Alex Watson, actress sister Emma Watson and winemaker father Chris Watson to launch the Chablis-inspired gin, Renais, this summer.
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03 May, 2023

Hamish Smith

Matthew Dakers to open 11th & Social in Norwich
London bartender Matthew Dakers is to open his first venue, 11th & Social, in Norwich. 
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27 April, 2023

Hamish Smith

Fortnum & Mason's revamped bar to allow guests to create cocktails
Fortnum & Mason in London is to relaunch its third-floor bar 3’6 on May 1st, and in doing so will throw open the cocktail-making process to its guests.
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19 April, 2023

Hamish Smith

The best American whiskies from the BBAs 2023
Next up in the BBAs 2023 is a big one in the bar world - American Whiskey. Here's how it went...
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20 March, 2023

Hamish Smith

The best brandies from the BBAs 2023
Now in its sixth year, the Bartenders' Brand Award is our annual product testing - by bartenders, for bartenders. First up in our serialised results is the top-five products in the brandy category.
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20 March, 2023
BBAs

Hamish Smith

The BBAs 2023 - how does it work?
The Bartenders' Brand Awards 2023 results are in but how does the competition work? Hamish Smith takes us through the bartender-led judging process. 
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20 March, 2023

Hamish Smith

"The Dorchester has awoken" writes Hamish Smith in his review of the hotel's new Vesper Bar
Hamish Smith heads to The Dorchester and the grande dame hotel's new semi-themed Vesper Bar.
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17 March, 2023

Hamish Smith

Seamless: the story of Connaught Bar's quest for greatness as it turns 15
For the Connaught Bar, excellence has become the daily routine. Hamish Smith catches up with Ago Perrone, Maura Milia and Giorgio Bargiani to understand better how, after 15 years of the bar, the guest experience only gets better.
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16 March, 2023

Hamish Smith

CLASS Spring 2023 edition launches
Access the digital magazine here. Not subscribed? Bartenders can sign up for a digital or hard copy here.
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16 March, 2023
Stuart McCluskey

Hamish Smith

McCluskey leaves Bon Vivant Group
Stuart McCluskey has left Edinburgh-based Bon Vivant Group, which he founded in 2008.
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14 March, 2023

Hamish Smith

Leeds’ Hedonist Bar closes
Leeds’ Hedonist Bar has closed its doors, the venue’s social media announced on Saturday.
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13 March, 2023

Hamish Smith

Ten Locks introduces vodka made from peas

Spirits agency Ten Locks is launching its first in-house produced and owned spirit brand this month - Pod Pea Vodka. 
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10 March, 2023

Hamish Smith

Masons launches tropical gin
Masons of Yorkshire is launching a tropical gin, marking ten years of the brand.
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10 March, 2023

Hamish Smith

Mitsuhiro Nakamura joins The Churchill Bar as head mixologist
The Churchill Bar & Terrace has announced the appointment of Mitsuhiro Nakamura as head mixologist.
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09 March, 2023

Hamish Smith

Satan's Whisker's Kevin Armstrong on Roundbuilding - a book about the bartending method
Hamish Smith catches up with Satan’s Whiskers owner Kevin Armstrong, who tells us about his and Daniel Waddy’s book Roundbuilding – a rare attempt to document the bartending method
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08 March, 2023

Hamish Smith

Sweeties at The Standard “relaunches”
Sweeties at The Standard – reviewed in the Winter edition of CLASS – has “relaunched” with a new beverage consultant and menu.
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16 January, 2023

Hamish Smith

Registration for CLASS Bar Awards tickets opens
Bartenders based in the UK can register for tickets for the CLASS Bar Awards 2023 from today.
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06 January, 2023

Hamish Smith

CLASS Bar Awards 2023 opens for entries
The CLASS Bar Awards, which returns on Tuesday 9th May in London, is now open for submissions. 
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05 January, 2023

Hamish Smith

Cavitation in spirits? Just don't call it ageing
When reduced to the goal of speed ageing, the process of hydrodynamic cavitation became taboo. Highlight its other uses – as some brands have – and it’s just another tool for creating flavour. Hamish Smith reports.
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16 November, 2022

Hamish Smith

Schofields to take over Tom Kerridge’s Stock Exchange Hotel restaurant
The Schofield brothers will enter the restaurant space, taking over Tom Kerridge’s restaurant at the Stock Exchange Hotel in Manchester from February 2023.
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16 November, 2022

Hamish Smith

The Portuguese fortified you haven't tried: Moscatel de Setúbal
Port isn’t the only world class fortified from Portugal. Joe Wadsack has another up his sleeve – and the best bit is Moscatel de Setúbal is great value for money. 
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14 November, 2022