Features

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The mixability of Japanese spirit shochu

When Mitsuhiro Nakamura invited The Connaught director of mixology Ago Perrone and Cocktail Lovers co-founder Sandrae Lawrence to The Nine Elms Bar at Park Hyatt London River Thames, where he is chief mixologist, his aim was to spread the word about Japanese spirit shochu, and about its mixability in particular.

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10 August, 2026

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Exploring shochu, the spirit of Japan

Japan’s shochu remains almost entirely undiscovered outside of its home country, despite its rich history, broad array of flavour profiles, and serious mixability.

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21 July, 2026

Features

Iain McPherson on 'densing' and why texture is the next big trend

Iain McPherson’s latest probes have centred around texture. He explains the thinking behind his new ‘densing’ technique.

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07 August, 2026

Features

The Explainer... how to make Same Again's Headshot

Balanced between intrigue and familiarity, this serve from Bristol’s Same Again aims to represent 'beauty in simplicity', finds Tyler Zielinski.

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28 July, 2026

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Plating - a new approach to cocktail presentation

A move towards presenting drinks in a similar way to that of edible dishes seems like a natural evolution to Ellen Manning.

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07 August, 2026

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Anistatia Miller and Jared Brown on the best of summer's ingredients

Anistatia Miller and Jared Brown share their pick of the leanest season’s finest.

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14 July, 2026

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Into the wild: how Angelos Bafas captured Britain in a glass

Angelos Bafas’ plunge into British ingredients has seen him become one of the foremost figures in modern British cocktails. Hamish Smith reports.

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14 July, 2026

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International spotlight: CLASS explores The Sidecar at The Westbury in Dublin

Boasting the original whiskey tradition, unrivalled pubs and beer – so much great beer – Ireland has to be one of the world’s most bountiful drinking cultures.

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25 June, 2026

Features

Who do you think you are? A modern history of the London bar scene (2010-2020)

Ben Reed concludes his journey through the history of the modern bar movement, stopping off in the years 2010-2020. Read the first two editions of this series - 1990-2000 and 2000-2010.

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18 June, 2026

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Menu in depth: why cocktails are devised by colour at Cato

Our latest menu spotlight falls on Cato's Synaesthesia. Hamish Smith reports.

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03 June, 2026

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Five bartenders choose five truly innovative brands

Is there anything really new under the sun? Oli Dodd asks some of the UK’s foremost bartenders what brands they reach for when seeking a creative approach.

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27 May, 2026

Features

How to choose tequila

What makes a ‘good’ tequila is a hotly held debate. Millie Milliken delves into the processes of making tequila, and asks if one way really is better than the other?

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28 May, 2026

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The road to the final: Diageo World Class GB 2026

Whittling down from 400 entries to 10, CLASS was there to see the road to the World Class GB final.

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04 May, 2026

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Win a trip to South America with Giffard West Cup 2026

Bartenders are invited to come out from behind the bar and into the spotlight for Giffard’s renowned 2026 West Cup cocktail competition. This year’s evocative theme, ‘Sip the Moments’, challenges entrants to demonstrate their creativity by crafting two cocktails using Giffard’s sumptuous range, with each serve capturing a distinct mood, memory or time of day.

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21 April, 2026

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Disaronno unveils 'Dolce side of Life' campaign

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20 April, 2026

Features

CLASS Spring 2026 launches

Editor Hamish Smith introduces the latest magazine. Access the digital magazine here. Not subscribed? Bartenders can sign up for a digital or hard copy here.

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10 March, 2026

Features

Anistatia Miller and Jared Brown on the best of spring's ingredients

Anistatia Miller and Jared Brown gather their favourite springtime ingredients in celebration of the season’s bounty of herbs and fruits

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16 March, 2026

Features

New Old Skool - GSG's John Ennis, Nick Thomas and Adam Talyor on bringing the fun back to bars

John Ennis and Nick Thomas from Graffiti Spirits Group want to bring back Old Skool bar experiences, blended with Adam Taylor’s New Skool drinks. Hamish Smith is at their new digs MDNT to see how they’re doing it.

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10 March, 2026

Features

International spotlight: CLASS explores ZLB23 in Bengaluru

Hamish Smith was in Bengaluru, India, to visit one of Asia’s Best Bars – ZLB23.

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06 March, 2026

Features

Who do you think you are? A modern history of the London bar scene (2000-2010)

In the next instalment of our London bar chronicles, Ben Reed picks up the story at the turn of the Millennium, guiding us through the key events, people and places of a fast-changing cocktail scene.

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06 March, 2026

Features

How to make and use vinegar in drinks

Liam O’Brien of Tilt in Nottingham explains how everyday waste can be turned into vinegars that transform your drinks.

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06 March, 2026

Features

Cocktails, an origin story - by historian David Wondrich

David Wondrich just published The Comic Book History of the Cocktail. No better time then to ask our industry’s pre-eminent historian the most simple – and complex – of questions: which country invented the cocktail?

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29 January, 2026

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How to master mouthfeel in cocktails

Stuart Bale of Crucible – London’s laboratory and creative hub for bartenders – explains how to create drinks with viscosity, grip, body and burn.

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16 February, 2026

Features

The enduring bar: lessons in longevity

Edmund Weil is one of the few operators to have guided an independent bar into old age. He comes with sage advice.

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12 February, 2026

Features

Competitive socialising - how the bar experience is changing

Drinking always used to be the activity but increasingly bar visitors want more from a night out, says Dan Parkinson of creative agency Love.

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29 January, 2026

Features

Five brandy experts choose their five not-to-be-missed expressions

Oli Dodd asks five bartenders to look outside the traditional brandy category and nominate their favourite alternatives.

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20 January, 2026

Features

The Explainer: Nipperkin's Black Mustard & Shiso

Tyler Zielinski gets the full story behind the evolution of one of the most creative cocktails of recent times.

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14 January, 2026

Features

Scotch courage - why the on-trade should be whisky's saviour

The world of Scotch whisky is facing one of its biggest challenges in a century. Now is not the time to abandon the on-trade, warns Millie Milliken, but to finally take it seriously.

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13 January, 2026

Features

Stick together - Bar Glue on community and a more cohesive industry

The trio behind the Class Bar Awards New Bar of the Year chart Bar Glue’s rapid ascent. Hamish Smith took notes.

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16 December, 2025

Features

Anistatia Miller and Jared Brown on the best of winter's ingredients

Anistatia Miller and Jared Brown share their pick of the leanest season’s finest.

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17 December, 2025