classmag-image

News

News

Manchester's Ego Death to close within a week

Ego Death has been forced into closure, with its last service coming this Sunday, six months after it opened in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.

News

The bestselling liqueurs at the UK's best bars

Liqueurs are a spectrum of flavours and styles, but there's only one winner in our league table. Oli Dodd reports. 

Sponsored Content

Raise Your Glasses: Manchester Rum Festival Returns in July!

The now-iconic diary date gets set for its greatest event yet – and this year, it comes as the finale to a WEEK of rum shenanigans - as Manchester Rum Week launches for the first time…

News

Bars from across the UK star at the CLASS Bar Awards 2025

On Wednesday 21st May 2025 CLASS magazine announced its highly anticipated CLASS Bar Awards 2024. Having debuted in 2003, the CLASS Bar Awards is the longest-running UK bar industry celebration. 

News

Passing Fancies to close (and reopen in new site)

Passing Fancies, the CLASS Bar Awards' Best Bar in the Midlands 2024, has announced it will close on July 31st, ahead of a move to a new Birmingham city-centre site. 

News

The bestselling vodkas at the UK's best bars

Hamish Smith talks us through the best-performing brands in the vodka category at the UK's Best Bars.

Sponsored Content

Jelena Bulatovskaja of Sexy Fish wins UK Final of the Art of ITALICUS Aperitivo Challenge

ITALICUS Rosolio di Bergamotto is delighted to announce Jelena Bulatovskaja, bartender at Sexy Fish, London, as the winner of the 2025 UK National Final of the Art of ITALICUS Aperitivo Challenge, which took place yesterday at the renowned China Tang at The Dorchester.

Sponsored Content

Avallen celebrates pollinators and cocktails for World Bee Day

Avallen Spirits — the planet-positive calvados brand founded to protect pollinators and bring back Calvados— is proud to mark its 6th anniversary and celebrate World Bee Day 2025 with a buzzing campaign of bar activations, donations, and education across the globe.

News

The bestselling scotch whiskies at the UK's best bars

Scotch is the latest category under the spotlight in our serialisation of The Class Report.

News

The bestselling American whiskies at the UK's best bars

Today in The CLASS Report, we disect the American whiskey category at the UK's best bars. 

News

The Savoy to welcome Hanky Panky during CLASS Week

The Beaufort Bar at The Savoy will welcome Hanky Panky from Mexico City for a masterclass and party on World Paloma Day on Thursday 22nd May, the day after the CLASS Bar Awards 2025.

Sponsored Content

ITALICUS Rosolio di Bergamotto Announces National Finalists for the 2025 Art of ITALICUS Aperitivo Challenge

ITALICUS Rosolio di Bergamotto today announces the national finalists for the seventh edition of the Art of ITALICUS Aperitivo Challenge, a global cocktail competition celebrating the creativity and craft of bartenders reimagining the modern spritz.

News

The bestselling brandies in the UK's best bars

Today's instalment of the CLASS Report takes us to the brandy category at the UK's best bars.

News

Diageo faces lawsuit over 100% agave tequilas

A class action lawsuit filed in the US District Court of the Eastern District of New York has alleged that Diageo North America has falsely marketed its tequila brands as 100% agave.

News

The bestselling gins at the UK's best bars

Our first category under the microscope at the UK's Best Bars is gin.

News

The bestselling tequilas at the UK's best bars

Next up in The CLASS Report we visit the tequila category in the UK's Best Bars. 

News

Equal Measures & work in CLASS among Fortnum & Mason's winners

Drinks industry non-profit Equal Measures has won the Impact Award and CLASS editor Hamish Smith the Drink Writer of the Year gong in Fortnum & Mason’s Food and Drink Awards 2025.

News

Extra CLASS Bar Awards tickets released

CLASS is releasing a limited batch of tickets for the CLASS Bar Awards 2025.

News

The bestselling spirits in the UK's best bars

In the first instalment of The CLASS Report 2025, Hamish Smith looks at the spirits that sell best in the UK's Best Bars.

News

The CLASS Report - how it works

Hamish Smith details the thinking behind The Class Report and how the poll was created.

News

The best-scoring products at the BBAs 2025

Of all the products entered into the Bartenders' Brand Awards 2025, these were the top five-scoring products?

News

Ticket registration for the Class Bar Awards 2025 goes live

UK-based bartenders can now register for tickets for the CLASS Bar Awards 2025. 

Sponsored Content

Courvoisier launches UK-wide cocktail competition with £10,000 prize and Grand Final in France

Courvoisier has announced the launch of a new nationwide cocktail competition, spotlighting the creativity, craft, and breakthrough moments of the UK’s bartending community. 

News

Business rates reform moves a step closer

New legislation enabling an overhaul of the business rates system, has been heralded as a "landmark moment" by UKHospitality.

News

Five UK bars receive Pins in Pinnacle Guide's latest list

The Pinnacle Guide - the global 1, 2 and 3 Pin recognition system for cocktail bars - has announced the latest additions to its list, now taking the total to 85 pinned bars around the world.

News

The top mixers and softs from the BBAs 2025

Today's Bartenders' Brand Awards instalment sees our Mixers & Softs products go under the microscope. 

News

The pick of the liqueurs from the BBAs 2025

In today's instalment of the Bartenders' Brand Awards is the results of the liqueurs session. 

News

The standout rums from the BBAs

Today we turn our attention to the rum brands that scored best in the Bartenders' Brand Awards.

News

Four Seasons Tower Bridge appoints new head of bars

Michele Lombardi has been appointed the head of bars at the Four Seasons Hotel London at Tower Bridge.