Not only was this an event for honouring the best bars in the UK, it was also a chance for the bars to meet and celebrate together for the first time in two years. The venue was electric with excitement and the joy that everyone brought.
For those who didn’t join us, the event kicked off with cocktails, obviously, which were served by our amazing sponsors. Tia Maria had Espresso Martinis and showcased its new Matcha Cream Liqueur, Bibendum provided some Tito’s Vodka mixes. For those looking for something lighter, and new on the scene, we had Mulberry Street shaking things up with its Italian Hard Seltzers. If that doesn’t get your tastebuds jumping, then we had 1800 Tequila and The Kraken Spiced Rum serving up some treats including Kraken-flavoured smoke and Ice Scream served from a magical ship bar.
With delicious drinks flowing, and old and new friends chatting, the scene was set for us to start the ceremony. Host Aidy Smith (@sypped on IG) built up the tension as he counted us from 50 to 1 on this year’s list alongside our specialist award winners. To see a room full of such love and support was incredibly rewarding, especially given the agonising time each bar has had over the course of the past two years. It’s events like ours that give them all the recognition they deserve as well as providing them with opportunities to build relationships and collaborate with like-minded cocktail geniuses.
Lab 22 in Cardiff snapped up top spot as THE cocktail bar to visit in the UK for 2022. This is the first time a bar outside London has been number 1. Lab 22 has been on the Top 50’s radar for some time and jumped a whopping 32 places this year. Well done to the whole team, we cannot wait to see what else is in store for this incredible bar.
Our specialist categories each had exceptional finalists making this the toughest year yet for judging. Each of our awards gives bars the opportunity to shout about their achievements, whether that be for their superstar bar team or for their efforts in sustainability, each finalist should be incredibly proud. Check out all of our award winners here.
The list’s intention is to highlight excellence up and down the country with bars from cities across the UK, including Birmingham, Bournemouth, Manchester, Leeds, Edinburgh and Glasgow. London still showcased its talents by hosting half of the bars on this year’s list with new names appearing such as Hacha, London’s only agaveria as well as Tayēr + Elementary, this year's highest entry and the brainchild of cocktail veterans Alex Kratena and Monica Berg.
We hope the list brings you as much joy as it did for us to organise. If you’re interested in how you can become the next Top 50 bar, you can read more about how the event works here.
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