Winners at the Australian Bar of the Year Awards
The Australian Bartender Magazine’s Bar Awards, the Oscars of the bar industry, were held this week held at Sydney's Doltone House at Jones Bay Wharf in Pyrmont.and Sydney bars came up trumps.
Sydney venue The Baxter Inn was a big winner, picking up the Bar of the Year award.
But other venues did well too.
The Barber Shop owner Mike Enright picked up two gongs - Gin of the Year as well as Bar Operator of the Year.
Cocktail List of the Year went to PS40 and Eau de Vie picked up the Hotel Bar of the Year award.
The Lobo Plantation won Rum Bar of the Year and The Dolphin picked up New Pub of the Year. Best Bartender’s Bar went to Big Poppa’s.
The Regional Bar of the Year award went to Merimbula’s Dulcie Cottage and Tio’s Cerveceria was given the Phil Bayly Award for Tequila Bar of the Year.
And the new awards went to Sydney bars.
The inaugural award for Best Sustainable Bar Program went to Charlie Parker’s in Paddington and the owners of Restaurant Hubert took home the Restaurant Bar of the Year award.
Brisbane’s Dan Gregory from Canvas stole some of Sydney’s thunder on the night picking up the Bartender of the Year award.
He was followed by New South Wales’ Jonothan Carr from Kittyhawk and James Irvine from Swillhouse in second and third place respectively.
The full list of winners are:
Australian Bartender Magazine Bar Awards 2017 Winners
Bartender of the Year
Winner: Daniel Gregory
2nd Place: Jonothan Carr
3rd Place: James Irvine
Bar of the Year – State Awards:
ACT: Highball Express
NSW: The Baxter Inn
NT: Lazy Susan’s
QLD: Cobbler
SA: Hains & Co
TAS: Salamanca
VIC: The Beaufort
WA: Mechanics Institute
Cocktail Bar of the Year – State Awards:
ACT: Bar Rochford
NSW: PS40
NT: The Pearl
QLD: Seymour’s Cocktails & Oysters
SA: Maybe Mae
TAS: Robbie Brown’s
VIC: Black Pearl
WA: Dominion League
Cocktail List of the Year:
PS40, Sydney
Rookie of the Year:
Ella Rhodes, Cobbler
Live Music Bar of the Year:
Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall, Brisbane
Bar Operator of the Year:
Jared Merlino, Sydney
Small Bar of the Year:
Bad Frankie, Melbourne
Wine Bar of the Year:
Embla, Melbourne
Outstanding Contribution Award:
Mike Enright (The Barber Shop)
New Bar of the Year:
Above Board, Melbourne
Hotel Bar of the Year:
Eau De Vie, Sydney
Cocktail Bar of the Year:
Black Pearl, Melbourne
Whisky Bar of the Year:
Whisky & Alemen, Melbourne
Best Sustainable Bar Program:
Charlie Parker’s, Sydney
Rum Bar of the Year:
The Lobo Plantation, Sydney
Bar Team of the Year:
The Gresham, Brisbane
Bar Manager of the Year:
Dimitri Rtshiladze, Mechanics Institute
Nightclub of the Year:
The Emerson, Melbourne
Regional Bar of the Year:
Dulcie’s Cottage, Merimbula
Pub Operator of the Year:
Merivale
Best Bar Food:
Seymour’s Cocktails & Oysters, Brisbane
Training Program of the Year:
The Exchange/The Blend CCA & Beam Suntory
Brand Ambassador of the Year:
Samuel Ng, Four Pillars Gin.
Restaurant Bar of the Year:
Restaurant Hubert, Sydney
Best Specialty Beer Venue:
Boilermaker House, Melbourne
New Pub of the Year:
The Dolphin, Sydney
The Phil Bayly Award for Tequila Bar of the Year:
Tio’s Cerveceria, Sydney
Gin of the Year:
The Barber Shop, Sydney
Best Bartender’s Bar:
Big Poppa’s, Sydney
Bar of the Year:
The Baxter Inn, Sydney
by Leon Gettler, September 21st 2017
