Hamish Smith

1 week ago | classbarmag.com | Hamish Smith

Of all the products entered into the Bartenders' Brand Awards 2025, these were the top five-scoring products? So, of the many hundreds of products that entered the BBAs, which did best? Well, this year the lofty title of Supreme Champion went to Disaronno’s Sagamore Cask Strength, which scored golds across the board on its way to a herculean 90/100. Just one point off it was the classic bar brand Ferrand Dry Curaçao. This liqueur was the best-tasting product in the entire BBAs this year.

1 week ago | classbarmag.com | Hamish Smith

New legislation enabling an overhaul of the business rates system, has been heralded as a "landmark moment" by UKHospitality. The Government’s commitment to reform the business rates system and provide a permanently lower level of business rates for the sector has become law, as the Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Act received Royal Assent. UKHospitality is asking for the maximum discount to be applied to hospitality properties with a rateable value of less than £500,000.

1 week ago | classbarmag.com | Hamish Smith

Couch owner Katie Rouse urges bartenders to share their creative processes for the good of the whole community. The creative process – the road from lightbulb idea to the final shiny product – can be arduous. It comes with its failures; hard lessons learned. Work arounds, solutions and tricks found come at a cost of time, effort and resource. It’s all valuable – and worth guarding. But I urge you not to.

1 week ago | classbarmag.com | Hamish Smith

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. Thirty one bars have been newly-recognised with Pins - 25 with 1 Pin and six with 2 Pins - following an assessment, both behind and in front of the bar. No new bar has been awarded 3 Pins, meaning Lyaness in London is still the only 3 Pin bar in the world.

1 week ago | classbarmag.com | Hamish Smith

Today's Bartenders' Brand Awards instalment sees our Mixers & Softs products go under the microscope. The mixers and softs category covers a lot of ground in terms of both style and flavour, making it all the more impressive that the bartender-born Three Cents has two brands in the top three this year. At the top of the pile is the Athens-based brand’s Cherry Soda which received a score of 45/50 in the blind tasting.