Class Bar Awards 2020: London’s female bartenders sweep all four top categories

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Ailis Brennan21 February 2020

For the first time in more than two decades, all four of the top accolades at the Class Bar Awards have been won by women.

The UK-wide gongs for Bartender of the Year, Bar Manager of the Year, Bar of the Year and Bar Innovators of the Year were all either given solely to or shared by key female figures on the London bar scene.

Bartender of the Year went to Pippa Guy for her work at the American Bar at the Savoy, a position she has recently left to start a role at Crown Shy in New York. Guy took the win in a category that was entirely fielded by women nominees, namely Monica Berg of Tayer + Elementary and Nicole Sykes of Lyaness and Satan’s Whiskers.

Berg went on to win the Bar Innovators of the Year award with partner Alex Kratena for their work at Tayer + Elementary, and the critically acclaimed Old Street bar also won Bar Food of the Year for a menu designed by Tata Eatery. Bar of the Year went to Swift, which is co-owned by Mia Johansson and Bobby Hiddleston, while Bar Manager of the Year was won by Anna Sebastian for her role at Artesian at the Langham, which also picked up the Drinks Menu of the Year award.

Elsewhere in the London wins, Erik Lorincz’s Kwant won best New Bar of the Year, while perennial favourite Hawksmoor Spitalfields scooped Restaurant Bar of the Year. Guy and Lorincz’s former haunt American Bar at the Savoy won Hotel Bar of the Year, while the Specialist Bar award went to whisky den Black Rock.

The full list of winners at the Class Bar Awards 2020 can be seen below:

  • Bar of the Year sponsored by Jagermeister Manifest – Swift, London
  • Bartender of the Year sponsored by Grand Marnier – Pippa Guy, ex-American Bar, London, now Crown Shy NYC
  • Bar Innovator(s) of the Year sponsored by Santa Teresa – Monica Berg and  Alex Kratena Tayer + Elementary, London 
  • New Bar of the Year sponsored by Carpano Botanic Bitter – Kwant, London
  • Hotel Bar of the Year sponsored by Asahi – American Bar, The Savoy, London
  • Restaurant Bar of the Year sponsored by RE’AL – Hawksmoor Spitalfields, London
  • Specialist Bar of the Year – Black Rock, London 
  • Bar Food Menu of the Year – Tayer + Elementary, London
  • Drinks Menu of the Year sponsored by Fentimans – Artesian, London 
  • Cocktail of the Year sponsored by Grand Marnier – Mirror Margarita, Hacha, London
  • Lifetime Achievement sponsored by Champagne Gosset – Tomas Estes, Agave Ambassador, Portland, US
  • Emerging Bartender of the Year sponsored by Patrón Tequila – Sam Boevey, London Cocktail Club, London 
  • Bar Manager of the Year sponsored by Italicus – Anna Sebastian, Artesian, London
  • Back Bar Star of the Year sponsored by Grand Marnier – Geovanni Marenco Rodríguez, Sexy Fish, London
  • Front of House Star of the Year sponsored by Lanchester Wines – Georgi Radev, Laki Kane, London
  • Social Media Presence of the Year – Cahoots, London
  • Sustainable Practices Award sponsored by Ramsbury Vodka –Terroir Tapas, Bournemouth

The best bars in London

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