David Spanton from the Australian Bartender magazine recently asked me to join their jury in the quest for the top 20 bars in the world. Now we got the results. The two Milk & Honeys still seem to have the biggest fan club among the bar experts. They took first and second. GSA bars didn't do bad at all. Widder Bar from Zurich got an honourable mention and Le Lion from Hamburg in its first year already scored fifth. This is the complete list of the results:

The Top 20

1. Milk & Honey, London

2. Milk & Honey, New York

3. PDT (Please Don't Tell), New York

4. Salvatore at Fifty, London

5. Le Lion de Paris, Hamburg

6. Bayswater Brasserie, Sydney

7. Death & Co., New York

8. Flatiron Lounge, New York

9. Hemingway Bar @ The Ritz, Paris

10. Shochu Lounge, London

11. The Bar @ The Dorchester, London

12. La Capilla, Tequila, Mexico

13. The Experimental Cocktail Club, Paris

14. Tommy's Mexican Restaurant & World's Best Tequila Bar, San Francisco

15. Harry's New York Bar, Paris

16. Star Bar Ginza, Tokyo

17. Montgomery Place, London

18. Trailer Happiness, London

19. Bramble, Edinburgh

20. Melbourne Supper Club, Melbourne

 

The Judging Panel

Gary Regan - Celebrated
drinks writer and legendary bartender

Angus Winchester -
The ‘walking drinks encyclopaedia'

Naren Young -
Travelling ‘tender and drinks writer

Paul Wootton -
Editor, Restaurant magazine, UK

Ben Davidson -
‘Cocktail Chef' and Pernod Ricard Spirits Ambassador

Pat Nourse -
Features Editor, Gourmet Traveller, Australia

Tomas Estes -
Tequila Ambassador to the UK
and Europe

Charlie Ainsbury -
Australian Bartender Magazine Bartender of the Year 2007

Nick Ravenhall - New Zealand
Bartender Magazine Bartender of the Year 2007

Grant Collins -
Managing Director of Bar Solutions consultancy

Jacob Briars - 42
Below Vodka Professor and Treasurer of The South Gin Club

Jason Crawley -
Maxxium Australia's
jetsetting Mixxologist

John Gakuru -
Global Brand Ambassador for Sagatiba Cachaça

Sven Almenning -
Creator of Behind Bars Industry Services

Tom Sandham -
Editor, CLASS magazine, UK

Helmut Adam -
Editor, Mixology magazine, Germany

David Spanton -
Managing Director, Spanton Media Group

Simon Difford -
Creator of Difford's Guide

Marco Faraone -
Director of Flavour Bar Services

Dre Masso -
Co-founder of Worldwide Cocktail Club

Robbie Bargh -
Founder and Director of Gorgeous Group

Xavier Padovani -
Hendrick's Gin Global Brand Ambassador

Andy Gaunt -
Diageo's Reserve Brands Group

 

Link: www.spanton.com.au