The Bar World 100 in association with Perrier list is the final product of a project that started back in April. First, we updated the Bar World 100 voting panel – a body of almost 120 people drawn from 60-or so bar scenes globally.
Each year we rotate some voters out to keep the body of opinion fresh, but retain the majority so as also to maintain some consistency. Those added are often rising talent who have come to fore in the past 12 months.
Unlike many bar industry lists, the panel leans towards those looking in, rather than out of bar operations, with the media, brand representatives, event organisers, educators and consultants making up two thirds of the panel and bartenders, bar managers and owners the remainder.
But more important than job role is the profile of the person – we select those who are thoughtful, whose opinions are worldly, independent and trustworthy. Allied to that, we try to draw voters with a varied set of voices across nationality, geography, gender and culture.
This year 66 cities are represented in our panel of 117 voters, with the large hub cities contributing a few more voters than those smaller, second-tier cities.
Each voter was asked to name who they considered to be the top 10 most influential bar world figures. More specifically:
- Those who have innovated and pushed the industry forward, setting new trends and standards globally, inspiring the industry around them.
- Those who have addressed injustices in the bar industry, using their influence to effect positive change.
A maximum of three of each voter's 10 votes could be for bar figures in their city of residence and a maximum of five from their country. That means at least half of a panel member’s votes (though potentially 10) would be for international bar figures.
There are some controls too – voters couldn’t vote for themselves, nor could they vote for anyone whose business they share an interest in.
So, that’s it, a snapshot of the bar world’s most influential figures, a few months in the making.
