Hamish Smith

Veronica Di Pietrantonio and Pietro Collina to relaunch Viajante 87

Veronica Di Pietrantonio and Pietro Collina of Fine Drinks Co are to relaunch Markus Thesleff’s Viajante 87 tomorrow, having joined the London bar in leadership roles.

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04 September, 2023

Hamish Smith

A bartender's guide to sake

Co-owner of London sake bar Moto, Erika Haigh offers her guide to the various styles of Japan’s national drink and explains why it’s a perfect food pairing.

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31 August, 2023

Hamish Smith

The Bartenders' Brand Awards 2024 opens for entries

The Bartenders’ Brand Awards - CLASS's unique blind tasting, design and value-tested competition for drinks products available to the UK bar industry - has launched for entries.

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31 August, 2023

Hamish Smith

Over-proof Bounty rum arrives on UK shores

Spiribam-UK has introduced an over-proof edition of its Saint Lucian rum brand, Bounty, to the UK.

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23 August, 2023

Hamish Smith

Ashley Saxton on Baccarat and the changing face of luxury retail bars

Hamish Smith chats to Ashley Saxton, director of restaurants & bars at Harrods, about the emerging trend of luxury retail bars.

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10 August, 2023

Hamish Smith

Durum wheat vodka launches in the UK

Altamura Distilleries has announced the UK arrival of its flagship vodka, a product believed to be the first wholly made from Italy’s protected Altamura durum wheat.

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02 August, 2023

Hamish Smith

Connaught Bar’s Bargiani and Perrone star at Tales’ Spirited Awards 2023

Bartenders from Connaught Bar in London took two of the top awards at Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards last night in New Orleans (Thursday 27th July).

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28 July, 2023

Hamish Smith

Vintage cocktails: a tasting of 1,000 years of history

Salvatore Calabrese has amassed a treasure trove of vintage spirits. Hamish Smith tries some of his ancient collection in cocktails tasted against their latter-day equivalents.

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20 July, 2023

Hamish Smith

Entries to Hacha's cocktail competition open

Agave bar Hacha is bringing back its competition to find Britain’s best tequila and mezcal cocktails, with the grand final to be held on Monday 18th September.

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18 July, 2023

Hamish Smith

Bench owners to open The Pearl at Park Hill in Sheffield

Owners of Bench in Sheffield, Jack Wakelin and Tom ‘Ronnie’ Aronica, will open their second venue in August, The Pearl at Park Hill.

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17 July, 2023

Hamish Smith

The winner of the CBA's Sustainable Practices Award is...

Many bars now employing sustainable practices, but some go deeper than others. One such bar is our winner: Ugly Butterfly by Adam Handling in St Ives, Cornwall.

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12 July, 2023

Hamish Smith

This institution bar is about to reopen

Hamish Smith catches up with Tim Fitz-Gibbon, the co-owner of much-loved Oxford cocktail institution Raoul’s, which recently reopened.

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12 July, 2023

Hamish Smith

Hannah Lanfear to host new category education series

Speciality Drinks is to launch a new category education series, Speciality Sessions, headed up by new advocacy manager Hannah Lanfear.

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10 July, 2023

Hamish Smith

Bar Antoine opens at Four Seasons Park Lane

Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane in Mayfair has opened the doors to Bar Antoine.

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04 July, 2023

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

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