After all, this is a list of the loved – the brands that bartenders not only drink, but cherish. Interestingly, you don’t see too many Flash Harry brands, more world class liquids that don’t cost the earth.
This league has no category boundaries – it is across all spirits – but even with such a wide scope, fewer than 50 brands have appeared in this list over the 13 years we’ve been polling. Where bartenders are concerned, there definitely are favourites.
So, to the top. Once again it is Tanqueray which plants its flag at the summit of the spirit world. Be it the classic Tanqueray, the augmented Tanqueray No. Ten or the off shoot limited editions, this is a love affair that goes way back. It hasn’t been Bartenders’ Choice since 2018, but this is the sixth time the Diageo gin has taken the title. It has also made our Top 10 list 12 out of 13 times.
If Tanqueray competes with any brand in this ranking, it is Plantation. The Maison Ferrand rum finds the balance between quality house pour led by its 3 Stars line and higher-end blends that take in the gamut of styles from rum producers around the world. It topped our list three years straight but for 2021 places second.
In third is Diplomatico, which surprisingly makes its debut in this list of bartenders’ favourites. Surprising in that it hasn’t been here before. The Venezuelan rum brand has long-targeted bartenders with its rich, sweet-style rums, making frequent appearances on menus of top bars.
In fourth is the family-owned Michter’s, which follows up last year’s second spot with another strong showing. This is very much about the liquid, with the Kentucky-based American whiskey brand garnering a following for its No.1 Straight Whiskey flagship, which heads up a stable of fine higher-ticket lines. It might not always be the bestseller, but when it comes to the bourbon and ryes bartenders love, Michter’s is always in the conversation.
The Macallan also makes its debut this year, and though more of a luxury single malt, it is appreciated by bartenders as much as collectors. Which is something that could be said for Suntory too – it takes sixth place in our list. Del Maguey, in seventh, is a craft brand that has come to define the international mezcal category, while Johnnie Walker has long been a power in the bar world globally. Monkey 47, which makes its fifth appearance in a row, still has cult status, while Ocho in 10th was a bartender brand from birth.
Methodology
The results of this report are the culmination of a questionnaire of 106 bars around the world, each cherry-picked to take part based on their performance in global bar awards. We aim to find out not only which brands sell best but also what’s trending. These two data sets give us an insight into the brands that are doing the most volume and the brands that are hot right now.
To read more on the methodology of the Brands Report click here.
