Hamish Smith

Angel's Treasure - the spirit world's lesser-known phenomenon of divine evaporation

Hamish Smith explores the distilling world in search of Angel’s Treasure.

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24 October, 2023

Hamish Smith

Sips takes The World's 50 Best Bars crown as London named cocktail capital

Sips from Barcelona has taken top spot at The World’s 50 Best Bars sponsored by Perrier – announced in Singapore tonight - while London became the cocktail capital 2023, contributing more bars to the list than any other city.

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17 October, 2023

Hamish Smith

Review: Lucky 7, Birmingham

Ellen Manning passes by Rob Wood and Kyndra Vorster’s latest Birmingham creation.

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17 October, 2023

Hamish Smith

Veronica Di Pietrantonio and Pietro Collina on the reboot of Viajante 87

Veronica Di Pietrantonio, formerly of Dandelyan/ Lyaness, and Pietro Collina, ex-Eleven Maddison Park/ Nomad, have relaunched Viajante 87 in Notting Hill. Hamish Smith caught up with them.

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16 October, 2023

Hamish Smith

Nico de Soto readies Wacky Wombat for launch

Nico de Soto of Mace in New York and Danico in Paris is days from opening Wacky Wombat, a new bar in London’s Soho.

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12 October, 2023

Hamish Smith

Review: Mama Funki and the rise of the neighbourhood bar

Are neighbourhood bars now as good as their inner city contemporaries? Hamish Smith hasn't got far to go to find out.

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11 October, 2023

Hamish Smith

What's on at London Cocktail Week? CLASS speaks to its organisers

Hamish Smith chats to London Cocktail Week’s Hannah Sharman-Cox and Siobhan Payne about this year’s festival.

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10 October, 2023

Hamish Smith

The Class Bar Awards 2024 opens for entries

The Class Bar Awards - which aims to recognise the bars and bartenders who set the standard for hospitality and innovation across the UK - is now open for entries.

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10 October, 2023

Hamish Smith

Five UK bars make 50 Best's 51-100 list

The UK has once again had a strong showing in The World's 50 Best Bars 51-100 list, with London's Lyaness leading the quintette of English bars.

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10 October, 2023

Hamish Smith

Fine drinks and high jinks - the making of Passing Fancies

Hamish Smith is at the New Bar of the Year, Passing Fancies. He chats to owners Matt Arnold, Eve Green and Tommy Matthews about what increasingly feels like Birmingham's flagship bar.

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04 October, 2023

Hamish Smith

CTC owners open The Royal Cocktail Exchange

The owners of Cocktail Trading Co and Murder Inc, Elliot Ball, Andy Mil and Olly Brading, have opened the doors to The Royal Cocktail Exchange near Goodge Street in London.

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04 October, 2023

Hamish Smith

Atelier Coupette to launch in Soho

Atelier Coupette, the sequel to the famed Bethnal Green bar Coupette, is launching in mid October in Soho, London.

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04 October, 2023

Hamish Smith

Jack Wakelin and Tom Aronica open The Pearl

Jack Wakelin and Tom ‘Ronnie’ Aronica of Bench have launched The Pearl at Park Hill in Sheffield.

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04 October, 2023

Hamish Smith

Paolo Scialpi joins Altamura from Connaught Bar

Paolo Scialpi – formerly of Connaught Bar - has joined Altamura vodka as brand advocate for luxury hospitality.

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04 October, 2023

Hamish Smith

CLASS Autumn 2023 magazine launches

Access the digital magazine here. Not subscribed? Bartenders can sign up for a digital or hard copy here.

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03 October, 2023

Hamish Smith

Sly Augustin and Maiko Neill to launch Notting Hill venue

Trailer Happiness’ Sly Augustin and hospitality consultant Maiko Neill are to launch restaurant Portobello 177 in Notting Hill on October 4th.

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29 September, 2023

Hamish Smith

Canadian Martin takes World Class Crown

Jacob Martin from Canada has been named the 2023 World Class Global Bartender of the Year.

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29 September, 2023

Hamish Smith

Alex Kratena and Simone Caporale to reunite

Alex Kratena of Tayēr + Elementary and Simone Caporale of Sips & Boadas will work under the same roof again this autumn - it's the first time they have bartended as a pair since 2015.

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22 September, 2023

Hamish Smith

Century Bar launches menu inspired by Scottish countryside

The Gleneagles Hotel’s Century Bar has launched The Great Adventure Book, drawing on the Scottish countryside as inspiration.

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21 September, 2023

Hamish Smith

How to make The Dark Horse's Infinite Daiquiri

Photo: Amanda Wan Winchester

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21 September, 2023

Hamish Smith

Five UK hotels make first World's 50 Best Hotels list

Five UK hotels - each boasting leading hospitality venues - have made the inaugural World's 50 Best Best Hotels list, which was unveiled at London's Guildhall last night.

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20 September, 2023

Hamish Smith

International spotlight: Class explores Sastrería Martinez in Lima

Bars in Peru have discovered a new frontier of native flavour. Hamish Smith visits Diego Macedo's Sastrería Martinez in Lima to find out more.

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20 September, 2023

Hamish Smith

Raffles London at The OWO unveils The Guards Bar

Raffles London at The OWO – the first UK outpost of the famous Singaporean hotel - has unveiled The Guards Bar and Lounge, the first of three bars to launch at the site.

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14 September, 2023

Hamish Smith

Bars to sell wristbands among new LCW initiatives

Venues can now sell London Cocktail Week wristbands, keeping all of the revenues, as part of a raft of initiatives introduced to support the London bar industry.

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05 September, 2023

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