Hamish Smith
Hamish Smith
Tequila trailblazer Tomas Estes passes
Tomas Estes, one of the drinks industry's most loved and respected figures, has passed away peacefully at his home in Oregan.
—27 April, 2021
Hamish Smith
The best of the best from the BBAs 2021
The Bartenders' Brand Awards, now in its fourth year, is our annual product testing - by bartenders, for bartenders. We finish this series with the best of the best, including the BBA's 2021 Supreme Champion.
—27 April, 2021
Hamish Smith
The best of the rest from the BBAs
The Bartenders' Brand Awards, now in its fourth year, is CLASS’ annual product testing - by bartenders, for bartenders. Our penultimate article of the series rounds up the highlights of the smaller categories in this year's BBAs.
—27 April, 2021
Hamish Smith
The best non-abvs from the BBAs 2021
The Bartenders' Brand Awards, now in its fourth year, is CLASS’ annual product testing - by bartenders, for bartenders. The fast-growing category of non-abv aperitifs, spirits and wines is next.
—26 April, 2021
Hamish Smith
Havana Club enters spiced market under lure of Gen Z
Havana Club has finally entered the spiced rum market with the launch of its new Cuban Spiced spirit drink.
—23 April, 2021
Hamish Smith
McClintock named World Class GB champion
Mark McClintock has been named Diageo World Class GB Bartender of the Year 2021.
—22 April, 2021
Hamish Smith
The best softs and mixers from the BBAs 2021
The Bartenders' Brand Awards, now in its fourth year, is CLASS’ annual product testing - by bartenders, for bartenders. Next up is the highly competitive softs and mixers category. The BBAs follows a three-step process to mirror buying behaviour, with each product blind-tasted, judged on value for money and finally by design. For more on the methodology behind the BBAs, read more here.
—22 April, 2021
Hamish Smith
The best ciders from the BBAs 2021
The Bartenders' Brand Awards, now in its fourth year, is CLASS’ annual product testing - by bartenders, for bartenders. It's cider's turn to go under the microscope - here's our top five.
—21 April, 2021
Hamish Smith
Hospitality tops unemployment charts
The Office for National Statistics has revealed that hospitality businesses suffered the most jobs losses in the last year, accounting for 43% of the national total.
—20 April, 2021
Hamish Smith
The best beers from the BBAs 2021
The Bartenders' Brand Awards, now in its fourth year, is CLASS’ annual product testing - by bartenders, for bartenders. Up next is the beer top five.
—19 April, 2021
Hamish Smith
The best cognacs from the BBAs 2021
The Bartenders' Brand Awards, now in its fourth year, is CLASS’ annual product testing - by bartenders, for bartenders. Here we unveil the results for cognac.
—15 April, 2021
Hamish Smith
The best American Whiskies from the BBAs 2021
The Bartenders' Brand Awards, now in its fourth year, is CLASS’ annual product testing - by bartenders, for bartenders. Next up in our results, is a key category for some of the most popular classic cocktails: American Whiskey.
—14 April, 2021
Hamish Smith
Bacardi Legacy returns after pandemic break
Bacardi Legacy will take place in June, the rum company has announced.
—13 April, 2021
Hamish Smith
The best rums from the BBAs 2021
The Bartenders' Brand Awards, now in its fourth year, is CLASS’ annual product testing - by bartenders, for bartenders. In our next instalment of results, the top scorers in the rum category.
—12 April, 2021
Hamish Smith
Schofield’s Bar: the exclusive story of 2021’s biggest opening
Schofield’s Bar – the long and globally anticipated debut venue of bartender brothers Joe and Daniel Schofield - will open for service on Wednesday 14 April.
—09 April, 2021
Hamish Smith
Registration opens for CLASSROOM ft. Edrington-Beam Suntory
CLASS is now taking registrations for its next digital tasting event: CLASSROOM in association with Edrington-Beam Suntory.
—08 April, 2021
Hamish Smith
The best liqueurs from the BBAs 2021
The Bartenders' Brand Awards, now in its fourth year, is CLASS’ annual product testing - by bartenders, for bartenders. In the fourth article of our serialised results, we reveal which liqueurs fared best.
—08 April, 2021
Hamish Smith
The best brandies from the BBAs 2021
The Bartenders' Brand Awards, now in its fourth year, is our annual product testing - by bartenders, for bartenders. In the third of our serialised results, we look at brandy.
—08 April, 2021
Hamish Smith
The government to consult hospitality on rent debt
The government has called for evidence on commercial rent debts, signalling a step forward in addressing arrears accumulated by hospitality tenants during the pandemic.
—07 April, 2021
Hamish Smith
Welsh hospitality poised for May indoor reopening
Hospitality in Wales could reopen indoors in May if Covid cases remain low, its government has said.
—01 April, 2021
Hamish Smith
Firms urged to turn down "derisory" pandemic pay outs
Hospitality business owners have been urged not to accept “derisory” initial offers from insurers who previously denied them pandemic pay outs.
—01 April, 2021
Hamish Smith
Poll: Londoners more likely to brave bad-weather socialising
Londoners may be about to debunk their ‘Southern Softies’ moniker, with a recent poll suggesting inhabitants of the capital are the most likely Britons to socialise outdoors in bad weather.
—31 March, 2021
Hamish Smith
Imbibe Live 2021 to go ahead – and not virtually
Imbibe Live 2021 will go ahead from 13-14 September at Olympia London, organiser Reed Exhibitions has announced.
—30 March, 2021
Hamish Smith
UKBG's first female president eyes revolution
The UKBG, the world’s oldest surviving bar guild, has appointed a female president for the first time in its 87-year history.
—25 March, 2021
Hamish Smith
Parliament to debate further support for hospitality
Image: Parliamentlive.tvMPs will debate the issue of ‘Support for the Hospitality Industry during Covid-19’ tomorrow (March 24) in the House of Commons.
—23 March, 2021
Hamish Smith
Midlands trade calls for staff background checks
The Midlands trade has called for compulsory DBS checks for staff of family-oriented hospitality venues in the wake of the sentencing of a Leicester bar owner for sex offences.
—22 March, 2021
Hamish Smith
Sacha Lord to begin legal action over hospitality lockdown
Sacha Lord, the Night Time Economy Adviser for Greater Manchester, has started legal action against the Government over the lockdown of hospitality.
—18 March, 2021
Hamish Smith
Mentors and sponsors announced for Equal Measures programme
Equal Measures and The Mixing Class have secured funding for the first round of their jointly organised Education and Mentorship Programme.
—16 March, 2021
Hamish Smith
Celebrate Her calls for industry safeguarding measures for women
Celebrate Her has called on the hospitality industry to do more to ensure the safety of female staff, following a poll that revealed 91% of women in hospitality feel unsafe travelling home from work.
—15 March, 2021
Hamish Smith
Rod Eslamieh on the lockdown gains that funded a new venue
The pandemic was catastrophic for the hospitality industry, but between the cracks, there have been pockets of success. London Bridge’s Chapter 72 was one such triumph, enabling husband-and-wife owners Rod and Ellie Eslamieh to launch a second venue next week. Hamish Smith speaks to Rod Eslamieh about how it all happened.
—11 March, 2021