Thoughts

Bar terroir - why do bars so rarely have a sense of place?

Why are cocktail bars so drawn to a catch-all, international drinks offering, when they could represent something unique - a showcase of place, says Hamish Smith.

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15 January, 2025

Thoughts

Are cocktails too expensive?

Marcis Dzelzainis talks through the cost breakdown and offers some suggestions on how not to price yourself out of the market.

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10 January, 2025

Thoughts

Review: Atomeca Spinningfields, Manchester

Dave Marlsand visits Atomoca the sequel - this time in Manchester's Spinningfields.

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16 January, 2025

Thoughts

How to make Natillas Manhattan, winner of Hacha's Mezcal Cocktail Competition

Sweet, citrus, complex

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16 January, 2025

Thoughts

Why do cocktails look the same?

Kevin Armstrong, asks whether bars have run out of ideas when it comes to how their serves appear.

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07 January, 2025

Thoughts

Kate Nicholls on the financial forecast for 2025

UK Hospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls outlines the hard truths about the financial difficulties the Budget has delivered to the industry.

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19 December, 2024

Thoughts

Jake O'Brien Murphy on cold weather, hot drinks

Jake O'Brien Murphy delivers his verdict on the steaming seasonal favourites.

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19 December, 2024

Thoughts

The unexpected joy of Martini and fries

John Ennis has found his perfect combination - have you tried a Martini and fries?

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12 December, 2024

Thoughts

How drinks balance changes market by market

There’s probably no one better than Nico de Soto to explain how cocktail tastes change market by market. When bartending abroad, you have to tailor your drinks to your audience, he says.

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21 November, 2024

Thoughts

My Martini - Jake O'Brien Murphy on the enduring classic

There’s one cocktail that Jake O'Brien Murphy is deeply passionate about – and it’s personal.

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07 November, 2024

Thoughts

Anna Sebastian: community groups need to join forces

Anna Sebastian says cause-led communities and action groups should find new and creative ways to work together.

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28 October, 2024

Thoughts

Sophie Bratt on why hospitality is the greatest show

Sophie Bratt, the Class Bar Awards Bar Manager of the Year and bar manager at Nobu Hotel London Portman Square, loves show-stopping drinks, but says we need to be focused on the whole performance.

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28 October, 2024

Thoughts

Iain McPherson: Why we should all think globally

Iain McPherson presses home the importance of growing a bartending community and explains how to build your network.

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25 October, 2024

Thoughts

Europe's back door - how to recruit from the EU

Although neither speedy nor cheap, there are still ways to recruit talented staff from the EU. Edmund Weil offers some pointers and outlines the positives of doing so.

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22 October, 2024

Thoughts

Monica Berg: Re-thinking our relationship with ingredients

A recent study shows an alarming number of plants have become extinct – and humans have had a big hand in this. Monica Berg says we need to have better connections with our precious ingredients.

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21 October, 2024

Thoughts

World Mental Health Day: Learning from a tragedy

When mental health issues threaten to overwhelm, there are people and places who can help - and the death of Craig Scott has highlighted that the community needs to work together to support each other. Blythe Robertson reports ahead of World Mental Heath Day on Thursday 10th October.

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08 October, 2024

Thoughts

World Mental Health Day: How bartenders can manage stress

Not all stress is bad for us, but when it is negative, there are ways to combat its effects, says Merly Kammerling, writing ahead of World Mental Heath Day on Thursday 10th October.

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08 October, 2024

Thoughts

Kate Nicholls: How tipping legislation is changing

UK Hospitality chief Kate Nicholls updates us with news on tipping legislation and work undertaken on international recruitment.

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10 October, 2024

Thoughts

Giulia Cuccurullo: how to make drinks that tell stories

Giulia Cuccurullo, head bartender at Artesian, says making memorable drinks is about telling stories.

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30 September, 2024

Thoughts

Monica Berg: the power of admiration

Admiring the achievements of others can help you to learn and grow. Monica Berg certainly subscribes to that theory.

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30 September, 2024

Thoughts

Page turners - Jake O'Brien Murphy's must-read drinks books

Of the plethora of drinks related books available, Jake O'Brien Murphy finds a handful indispensable.

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24 September, 2024

Thoughts

Innovation nation: Iain McPherson on the creative imperative

It’s time for the UK bar scene to up its game and get back into the creative groove it has always been known for, says Iain McPherson.

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12 August, 2024

Thoughts

Why your bar should adapt to a changing locale

Edmund Weil has seen Shoreditch morph in front of his eyes. What should an operator do when their bar’s surroundings change he asks?

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31 July, 2024

Thoughts

Why we need to de-industrialise the guest shift

Hamish Smith can’t seem to escape guest shifts. We must de-escalate this trend, he says.

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31 July, 2024

Thoughts

The Kate Nicholls column: Building the next generation of bartenders

If anyone knows what’s coming down the road for hospitality, it’s Kate Nicholls, CEO of UK Hospitality. In a new column for CLASS, she enlightens us about the spots on the horizon that could soon become the bigger picture

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22 July, 2024

Thoughts

Pre-batching? Wait a (la) minute, says Kevin Armstrong

Batched cocktails are here to stay, but what’s good for the bar is not necessarily good for the guest, writes Satan’s Whiskers’ Kevin Armstrong.

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19 July, 2024

Thoughts

BBAs: Which product reigned supreme?

We finish our review of the BBAs 2024 where the competition ends. Once all the scores had been tallied these were the best-performing products. So which brand was best of the best?

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06 June, 2024

Thoughts

Are your products being nerfed?

Brands exist as a signifier of quality. But what happens when products are quietly diluted or diminished? Beware the intervention that is nerfing, says Satan’s Whiskers’ Kevin Armstrong

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02 April, 2024

Thoughts

How to use data to run your bar better

Edmund Weil outlines some of the many ways in which data can provide invaluable insights into guest trends without being intrusive to their experience

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28 March, 2024

Thoughts

Are you a generalist or specialist? Jake O'Brien Murphy on drinks knowledge

Jake O'Brien Murphy worries that he doesn't know enough stuff about enough stuff – but he’s met plenty of those who do and generously share their expertise.

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26 April, 2024