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Hamish Smith

Hamish Smith

The best food in bars? This is our winner
This award recognises the venue that offers delicious food which complements the drinks and enhances the bar experience – no bar does that better than Tayer + Elementary in London’s Old Street.
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04 July, 2023

Hamish Smith

Who won the CBA's Drinks Menu of the Year?
In a tightly contested final, Lyaness took the title of Drinks Menu of the Year (sponsored by Franklin & Sons).
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04 July, 2023

Hamish Smith

Review: Creating your own cocktails at Fortnum's 3'6

Fortnum & Mason's 3'6 has relaunched, promising guests they can create their own cocktails. Hamish Smith takes the golden lifts to the department store's third floor to check it out. 
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04 July, 2023

Hamish Smith

Agile Media to bring back The Sommelier Wine Awards
Agile Media, owner of CLASS, has agreed an exclusive deal with Imbibe Live to bring back The Sommelier Wine Awards for 2024.
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03 July, 2023

Hamish Smith

Who won the CBA's Bar Employer of the Year?
Next in our series of profiles on the winners of the Class Bar Awards 2023, is our Bar Employer of the Year. 
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03 July, 2023

Hamish Smith

Passing Fancies' Matt Arnold takes World Class GB crown
Matt Arnold, co-owner of Passing Fancies in Birmingham, was named the World Class Great Britain champion yesterday.
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29 June, 2023

Hamish Smith

How classics are born - and remain relevant

Classic cocktails are as relevant now as they’ve ever been, says Hamish Smith, but is their creation slowing?
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29 June, 2023

Hamish Smith

London’s Monica Berg heads most influential list
Monica Berg has topped Drinks International’s Bar World 100 in association with Perrier, which celebrates the most influential bar industry figures globally.
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27 June, 2023

Hamish Smith

Find out which bar has the best Social Media Presence
With an ever-more important part to play in a bar’s operation, the Social Media Presence category (Sponsored by Villa Sandi) saw some of the best showcases of connecting the online world to real-life experiences.
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26 June, 2023

Hamish Smith

Have you tried the Class Bar Awards' Cocktail of the Year?
Of all the cocktails in all the bars around the UK, there can be only one Cocktail of the Year (sponsored by Lanique). For 2023 our Class Bar Awards panel said it was the Swift Irish Coffee.
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26 June, 2023

Hamish Smith

Hear all about the Specialist Bar of the Year
There was a Mexican air to our Specialist Bar of the Year (sponsored by Sipello) category, with Hacha from London winning once again.
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22 June, 2023

Hamish Smith

The man, the hat, the legend - the story of Ian Burrell
Outstanding Contribution winner at the Class Bar Awards, Ian Burrell, has dedicated his life to rum. Hamish Smith hears his story. 
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22 June, 2023
Class magazine Summer 2023

Hamish Smith

CLASS Summer 2023 magazine launches

Access the digital magazine here. Not subscribed? Bartenders can sign up for a digital or hard copy here. INSIDE CLASS
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21 June, 2023

Hamish Smith

Review: Erik Lorincz's Kwant 2.0 takes CLASS' first 10/10 score
Erik Lorincz's award-winning Kwānt has finally reopened in a new location. Hamish Smith wasted no time in heading there to review. 
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15 June, 2023

Hamish Smith

Who is the CBA's Bartender of the Year?
Our Bartender of the Year (sponsored by Savoia Americano) finalists are four of the best drinks-makers in the UK. Mia Kumari - at the American Bar at the Savoy of time of voting - and now Satan's Whiskers took the most votes of any across the country.
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13 June, 2023

Hamish Smith

The Class Bar Awards' Best Bar in the UK
The new Best Bar in the North category at the Class Bar Awards was off to a promising start with a strong list of contenders. Schofield's in Manchester prevailed, then went on to win Best Bar in the UK. 
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13 June, 2023

Hamish Smith

Check out the Class Bar Awards' New Bar of the Year
Passing Fancies took our award for Best Bar in the Midlands & East Anglia (sponsored by The Busker) and also the nationwide gong for New Bar of the Year (sponsored by Hapusa Gin).
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09 June, 2023

Hamish Smith

Hear all about the CBA's Best Bar in Scotland
In the Class Bar Awards' new Best Bar in Scotland & Northern Ireland category (sponsored by The Busker), Glasgow and Edinburgh fought it out, with Hey Palu taking the honours.  
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08 June, 2023

Hamish Smith

And the Best Bar in Wales and the West is....
With bars from Cardiff, Bournemouth, Bristol and St Ives in Cornwall making up our top four, this new Wales and West category at the Class Bar Awards was very competitive, with Lab 22 prevailing.  
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06 June, 2023

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.
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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