The exodus follows the departure of co-founder and co-owner Moe Aljaff, who has left the Schmuck or Die business after professional differences emerged among the bar’s partners.   Two Schmucks was named number seven in The World’s 50 Best Bars just two days ago, with the walk-out coming after the bar’s final event during the week’s Barcelona Cocktail Experience.  Six of the bar’s seven-strong team…

The ‘world’ in The World’s 50 Best Bars list has long been the Awards’ strength – no other list has better uncovered standout venues from such a wide geographical spread. Yet there was always one inescapable fact: over the 13 lists The World’s Best Bar had always been between London or New York. Indeed, never had there been a bar from outside of these two…

It is the third year running that Berg – the co-owner of Tayer + Elementary in London – has been voted by the magazine’s international panel of judges as the industry’s most influential, with Remy Savage of London’s A Bar with Shapes for a Name up six places to second. Rising 26 places into third position is Indie Bartender Danil Nevsky, based in Barcelona,…

CLASS magazine announced its highly anticipated Awards at Oval Space in Bethnal Green, London, with a 650-strong audience of industry wellwishers in attendance.  Schofield’s Bar in Manchester headlined the night, taking New Bar of the Year sponsored by Hapusa Gin and Bar of the Year sponsored by Disaronno. Opened in spring last year, Joe and Daniel Schofield’s debut bar set in Manchester’s Sunlight…

McGarry will continue to lead The Dead Rabbit as it embarks on an ambitious roll out plan across the US, while Muldoon and beverage director Jillian Vose will move to Charleston in South Carolina to open their own venue – Hazel and Apple. As the trio speak to Drinks International – McGarry and Muldoon side by side in the bar they created…

Initially earmarked for The Dead Rabbit’s expansion, the Charleston site will now be taken over by Muldoon and Vose in their first venture as a duo. Opening in late 2022 or early 2023 on 549 King Street, Hazel and Apple straddles two rooms, an outside space and has a capacity of more than 300. Its name, inspired by a WB…

Waterworth joined the magazine in 2017 and won the Alan Lodge Young International Drinks Writer of the Year award in 2019. “Shay joined Drinks International five years ago as a reporter and has quickly climbed the ranks,” said Justin Smith, publisher of Drinks International. “A journalist with an eye for news and an award-winning feature writer, he has…

In various guises, Ukrainian bartenders are joining the fight. With dark irony, some find themselves making the one cocktail outside of their repertoire. “Bartenders are helping to make Molotov cocktails – as we have the access to bottles from bars,” says Dima Shovkoplias, bar manager of Parovoz Speak Easy in Kyiv. “There are also many bartenders among the 100,000 civilians that have joined the…

Inspired by the Michelin Guide in the world of restaurants, the new guide will look to award its first ‘Pins’ in 2023, operating in eight key markets (provisionally planned to be the UK, US, France, Italy, Singapore, Australia, Spain and Mexico), before rolling out to 50 markets in 2025. Before launch, the The Pinnacle Guide begins with a “six-month consultancy phase”,…

Beer exports were down 3% to €246m due to on-trade closures around the world, but cider enjoyed a strong rally and grew 50%.  Overall, the value of Ireland’s alcoholic drink exports increased 19% to hit a record €1.62bn.  It marks a full recovery from the pandemic. In 2019, exports increased 8% year on year to hit €1.45bn.