The award is voted for by the head bartenders at venues on this year’s list of North America’s 50 Best Bars, who are asked to name one peer who pushes the boundaries of what it means to be a great bartender.
Mark Sansom, content director for 50 Best, said: “Christine is a bartending force of nature whose cocktails electrify her legions of fans across the US and beyond. She is known around the globe for her work at the celebrated Broken Shaker bars, where the high-energy vibe is a beacon of all-embracing hospitality in New York, Miami, Chicago and Los Angeles.
“Besides taking exemplary care of her guests and nurturing her bar teams from coast to coast, Christine is a dedicated mentor to many aspiring bartenders. We congratulate Christine on winning the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award, the ultimate peer-voted accolade,” Sansom added.
Wiseman started on the culinary side of the hospitality industry as a chef and eventually got a bartending position at Virtue Feed & Grain in Alexandria, Virginia, where she trained under craft cocktail innovator Todd Thrasher.
In 2012, Wiseman relocated to Los Angeles to work at Chef Michael Voltaggio’s newly opened restaurant, Ink and went on to work at Los Angeles bars and restaurants such as La Descarga and led the innovative beverage program at Break Room 86. Now Wiseman oversees cocktail creation and team training for Broken Shaker’s bars, including outposts in New York, Miami, Los Angeles and Chicago.
On winning the award, Wiseman said: “This award means so much to me since it is the only one voted for by 50 Best Bars bartenders. I have long admired all the people that have received this award, and I’m honored to be included in this group. But I could not have achieved this by myself. Bar Lab Hospitality has one of the best teams in the game and is an integral part of my success.
“Winning this award will drive me to continue to be a better mentor and leader. It has also given me the time to self-reflect. I feel that everyone sees me for who I am, someone who leads with their heart, gives my all to the people around me and creates safe spaces for people that need and want it,” Wiseman added.
This is the second in a series of pre-announced awards in the month leading up to the second annual announcement of North America’s 50 Best Bars 2023, a live awards ceremony taking place at Hacienda Los Picachos in San Miguel de Allende in Mexico on 4 May 2023.
