To cap off yet another busy Bar Week, the industry came together last night at the 16th annual Bartender Magazine Australian Bar Awards to celebrate the past 12 months of outstanding bars across Australia. Always an authoritative lens through which to examine the massive scale of quality bars across the country, the awards ceremony celebrated those who have performed extraordinarily across a large number of categories, providing a comprehensive snapshot of where the industry is at right now, and which drinking dens have been kicking all the right goals.
Big winners from the night include Bulletin Place in Sydney, which was named Cocktail Bar of the Year in addition to seeing their own Pail Hammond named the 1st runner up for Bartender of the Year. It was also a big night for the Swillhouse Group, being that their stunning Restaurant Hubert picked up New Bar of the Year in addition to them being named Bar Operator of the Year, and their Toby Hilton named Bar Manager of the Year. Though it wasn’t Sydney which ended up home to the current Bar of the Year (national), that honour traveled up coast to Brisbane with stalwart bar The Gresham.
See below for the full list of winners and take note, these bars should definitely be on your to-do list for the next 12 months, at least!
New Pub of the Year
Hotel Palisade, NSW
Rookie of the Year
Dale Schoon, Earl’s Juke Joint, NSW
Best Live Music Bar
Lefty’s Oldtime Music Hall, QLD
Regional Bar of the Year
Coal & Cedar Newcastle, NSW
Cocktail List of the Year
Eau de Vie Melbourne, VIC
Gin Bar of the Year
The Barber Shop, NSW
Rum Bar of the Year
The Lobo Plantation, NSW
Most Outstanding Contribution
Tash Conte (Black Pearl VIC)
Phil Bayly Award for Tequila Bar of the Year
Tio’s, NSW
Whisky Bar of the Year
Boilermaker House, VIC
Hotel Bar of the Year
Grain, Four Seasons Hotel NSW
Small Bar of the Year
Cobbler, QLD
Bar Operator of the Year
Swillhouse, NSW (The Baxter Inn, Frankie’s Pizza, Shady Pines Saloon, Restaurant Hubert)
Pub Operator of the Year
Merivale
Bar Team of the Year
Ramblin’ Rascal Tavern, NSW
New Bar of the Year
Restaurant Hubert, NSW
Nightclub of the Year
Family, QLD
Wine Bar of the Year
Bar Liberty, VIC
Best Bar Food
Dead Ringer, NSW
Training Program of the Year
The Blend, Beam Suntory
Brand Ambassador of the Year
Richard Blanchard, William Grant & Sons
Bar Manager of the Year
Toby Hilton, Swillhouse NSW
Best Beer Venue
Petition Beer Corner, WA
Best Bartenders’ Bar
Heartbreaker, VIC
Bar of the Year – State Awards
ACT: Hippo Co, Canberra
NSW: The Baxter Inn, Sydney
NT: Hot Tamale, Darwin
QLD: The Gresham, Brisbane
SA: Hains & Co, Adelaide
TAS: Robbie Browns, Hobart
VIC: Heartbreaker, Melbourne
WA: Varnish on King, Perth
Cocktail Bar of the Year – State Awards
ACT: Molly, Canberra
NSW: Bulletin Place, Sydney
NT: Chow, Darwin
QLD: The Bowery, Brisbane
SA: Maybe Mae, Adelaide
TAS: IXL Long Bar, Hobart
VIC: Black Pearl, Melbourne
WA: The Dominion League, Perth
Cocktail Bar of the Year – National
Bulletin Place NSW
Pub of the Year – National
Coogee Pavillion, NSW
Bar of the Year – National
The Gresham, QLD
Bartender of the Year
Michael Chiem (PS40, NSW)
1st runner up: Pail Hammond (Bulletin Place, NSW)
2nd runner up: Dan Gregory (The APO, QLD)
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For more information head to Australian Bartender HERE.
Headline image: Grain Bar at Four Seasons Hotel, Sydney
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