London venues swept the board at the World’s 50 Best Bars Awards
during the city’s Cocktail Week 2012, with Artesian scooping the top award.
Some four hundred drinks industry professionals saw four of the top five placed
bars based in the capital, in a chart dominated by the US and UK.
8 Northumberland
played host to the event with some of the world's leading mixologists and
bartenders serving cocktails from the likes of Prince Hubert De Polignac
cognac, Nikka whisky, Botran aged rum and Caorunn Scottish gin. Guests were
treated to a continuous array of outstanding canapés before the main focus and
proceedings of the evening began. Conducted by ‘King Cocktail’ Dale DeGroff and
Editor of Drinks International - Lucy Britner, winners were announced of best bars
in the UK; North America; Asia Pacific; Europe; Latin America, The
Caribbean and finally Africa and The Middle East.
 |
| Alex Kratena and Simon Caporale from Artisan |
Artesian, The
Langham Hotel’s classic cocktail bar has already walked away with numerous
awards and is home to the ‘World’s Best International Bartender’ - Alex
Kratena. Representatives from over thirty-eight countries form the judging
panel that identified bars from Munich to Moscow and Buenos Aires to Berlin in
their list of favourites, making it the biggest industry poll of its kind ever.
Yet the evening belonged to drinking dens, speakeasies, hotel bars and clubs
here and Stateside. The profile and
influence of the cocktail world continues to develop and it is intended that
the ‘World’s 50 Best Bars’ becomes a fixture on the celebrated Cocktail Week
itinerary and given the strength of home based settings, this seems highly
likely. Next year will see new cities and new venues yet London’s dominance
looks set to continue.
By Adam Whittaker
