Five of the bars on the list are based in Scotland, with the UK’s number one cocktail bar hailing from Edinburgh, and two are from Wales.
Cities outside of London with the highest concentration of listed cocktail bars include Newcastle (4), Liverpool (5) and Leeds (6). Some 22 of the cocktail bars on the list are based in London.
The Top 50 Cocktail Bars list, which was announced by the organisers behind www.top50gastropubs.com, was revealed at the Loft in Manchester yesterday (4 June).
Jon Hughes, of the UK’s number one cocktail bar Bramble in Edinburgh, said: “It’s great to see a lot of bars on that list that I know and a lot that I don’t. It really shows what people are doing outside London and across the country."
Number one
Hughes added: “We’re delighted to be number one and it’s such a nice recognition of what we do. All of the accolades we receive are great but it’s a bonus on top of people having a great time in our bar.”
Editor of the Top 50 Cocktail Bars list Nicholas Robinson said: “This is the first time we’ve published a list of the UK’s top 50 cocktail bars and it’s refreshing to see bars outside London claiming high spots and gaining the recognition they deserve.
“There is something on the list for everyone, showing that cocktail bars aren’t overpriced, pretentious venues where only those in the know can go.
“London is the cocktail capital of the UK and, indeed, the world, but there are so many amazing bars on offer in the UK that we need to shout about.”
Chris Lowe, Top 50 Cocktail Bars publisher, said: “We have created Top 50 Cocktail Bars to help people find the best bars, which are often hidden away, around the UK.
“London still has more bars on the list than any other city, but having almost all of the UK’s major cities represented showcases the explosion of great venues on the cocktail scene.”
Votes totted up
At the reveal of the list, a new and exclusive website to help people find their nearest Top 50 Cocktail Bar was launched and can be found at www.top50cocktailbars.com.
Hundreds of bartenders and drinks experts from across the UK voted for the venues they believed were deserving of a spot on the list.
These votes were then totted up before the order of the list was revealed.
Two additional awards were presented on the night, including one to Manchester’s Corner Cocktail Club, which was the winner of the One To Watch category, and Alex Mills, bar manager of Cardiff cocktail bar Lab 22, who was announced as the Bartender of the Year.
The 50 bars on the list include:
- Bramble, Edinburgh
- Dandelyan, London
- Callooh Callay, London
To see the full list, visit www.top50cocktailbars.com.
Top 50 Cocktail Bars was sponsored by Monkey 47, Plymouth Gin, Beefeater, Absolut, Schweppes 1783 and Seedlip.