News

Dive bar All My Gods to launch in Bethnal Green

All My Gods, a “modern London dive bar” from burlesque artist, painter and tattooist Roxy Velvet and the team behind Soho's Dram, will launch on Bethnal Green’s Paradise Row in mid-to-late July.

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by Hamish Smith
03 June, 2025

News

Alex Taylor to open Low Key in Cardiff

Cardiff bar operator Alex Taylor is to open a new bar in the city: Low Key.

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by Hamish Smith
04 June, 2025

News

The Spy Bar creates Martini No.52 in tribute to Forest Collins

The Spy Bar at Raffles London at The OWO has launched Martini No. 52, a cocktail created in tribute to the late drinks writer Forest Collins.

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by Hamish Smith
04 June, 2025

News

Michter's Classroom in Manchester and London open for sign ups

The Classroom X Michter's events, taking place in London on June 16 and Manchester June 17, are open for registration.

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by Hamish Smith
04 June, 2025

News

Sophie Bratt takes on new bars manager role

Former Class Bar Awards Bar Manager of the Year, Sophie Bratt, has joined Kensington Roof Gardens in London as bars manager.

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by Hamish Smith
04 June, 2025

News

The bestselling rums at the UK's best bars

Today in The Class Report, we look at the rum brands most likely to feature in the UK's best bars.

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by Hamish Smith
02 June, 2025

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Advocacy programme Schweppes Pioneers launches with world-leading bartenders

Simone Caporale, Millie Tang, Iain McPherson and Vasilis Kyritsis have been named as the pioneering talent for a unique and world-leading advocacy platform - Schweppes Pioneers.

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by Sponsored Content
02 June, 2025

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.

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by Hamish Smith
27 May, 2025

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.

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by Oli Dodd
27 May, 2025

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Cygnet Gin Elevates the Spirit of Creativity as Exclusive Gin Partner of SXSW London

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by Sponsored Content
28 May, 2025

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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…

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by Sponsored Content
28 May, 2025

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.

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by Hamish Smith
20 May, 2025

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.

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by Hamish Smith
20 May, 2025

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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.

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by Sponsored Content
20 May, 2025

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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.

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by Sponsored Content
20 May, 2025

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.

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by Hamish Smith
16 May, 2025

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.

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by Hamish Smith
15 May, 2025

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.

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by Hamish Smith
15 May, 2025

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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.

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by Sponsored Content
15 May, 2025

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.

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by Hamish Smith
14 May, 2025

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.

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by Oli Dodd
08 May, 2025

News

The bestselling gins at the UK's best bars

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

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by Hamish Smith
08 May, 2025

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.

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by Hamish Smith
08 May, 2025

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.

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by CLASS team
06 May, 2025

News

Extra CLASS Bar Awards tickets released

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

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by Hamish Smith
01 May, 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.

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by Hamish Smith
01 May, 2025

News

The CLASS Report - how it works

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

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by Hamish Smith
01 May, 2025

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?

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by Hamish Smith
17 April, 2025

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.

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by CLASS team
14 April, 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.

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by Sponsored Content
03 April, 2025