Introducing the Mixology Bar Awards 2019 Winners
It’s our biggest night of the year. Tonight we announced the winners of the MIXOLOGY BAR AWARDS 2019 in a glitzy ceremony at Berlin’s Maritim Hotel. Who are the best bars and bartenders in Europe?
They did it again. After picking up the prize for Best European Bar last year, the American Bar at the Savoy made it two in a row at the MIXOLOGY BAR AWARDS tonight. Both a great leaving present for previous Head Bartender Erik Lorincz, who left earlier this year, and also for their new Head Bartender Maxim Schulte, who’s picked up the reins fabulously. It’s a much deserved prize for London’s art-deco classic that finished a narrow second at World’s 50 Best on Wednesday.
This year’s awards wasn’t just about celebrating the classics though. The European categories also included victories for Two Schmucks, the unorthodox bar in Barcelona who walked away with Best New European Bar. After Dr. Stravinsky’s win in the same category last year, the scene there is obviously in rude health.
Meanwhile, Matt Whiley of London’s Scout bar – who’ve notably just relocated – picked up Best European Mixologist whilst Plantation Xaymaca scooped up the Best European Spirit.
A big haul for Berlin
Over to the GSA categories, Berlin’s Provocateur bar managed a double MIXOLOGY BAR AWARDS victory: for Hotel Bar of the Year and Bar Team of the Year. Their two-time predecessor as Hotel Bar of the Year, Bar am Steinplatz, didn’t go home empty-handed however. This time around the opulent bar scooped the accolade for Bar Menu of the Year. And the legendary Oliver Ebert, in a sign that our jury values consistency just as much as buzz, won his second award tonight for Mixologist of the Year.
It really was a night to remember for our home city of Berlin. The experimental Velvet, led by Ruben Neideck and Filip Kaszubski and leading the cocktail charge in the district of Neukölln, then managed to scoop up Bar of the Year in Germany. The bars of the Hauptstadt will be full with happy punters tonight.
Away from Berlin, the legendary Schumann’s picked up an award: Host of the Year for Kostas Ignatiadis. But it’s not all about the big cities. Sven Goller of Bamberg’s Das Schwarze Schaf won Newcomer of the Year, another sign that the cocktail wave is spreading far and wide across the whole GSA landscape.
A legend celebrated
As we did last year, we closed the ceremony by celebrating a true great. The lifetime achievement award, as decided by our jury, went to the intimidable Fatih Akerdem, who remarkably is in his 28th year of Bar Manager at Frankfurt’s Westin Grand Hotel. In an industry where turnover is high, to keep these high standards up over such a long period is something worth celebrating. Fun fact: in that time period, he even managed to release the world’s first Raki cocktail book!
We are extremely proud of all our nominees and MIXOLOGY BAR AWARD winners tonight. Congrats from the entire editorial team here at MIXOLOGY. Roll on next year!
WINNERS GSA CATEGORIES
Newcomer of the Year (presented by Nikka Whisky)
Sven Goller, Das Schwarze Schaf, Bamberg
Host of the Year (presented by Rauch Fruchtsäfte)
Kostas Ignatiadis, Schumann’s, Munich
Mixologist of the Year (presented by Sierra Millenario)
Oliver Ebert, Becketts Kopf, Berlin
Barteam of the Year (presented by Bruichladdich)
Bar Menu of the Year (presented by Gin Mare)
New Bar of the Year (presented by Belsazar Vermouth)
Bar of the Year, Germany (presented by Veuve Clicquot)
Bar of the Year, Austria (presented by Del Fabro)
Bar of the Year, Switzerland (presented by Xellent Swiss Vodka)
Hotelbar of the Year (presented by Hirschrudel)
Provocateur, Provocateur Hotel, Berlin
Brand Ambassador of the Year (presented by Thomas Henry)
Alexandra Bisanz, Bulleit/Diageo, Österreich
Sales Representative dof the Year(presented by Cocktailian)
Simon Schmidlin, Charles Hofer SA
WINNERS EUROPEAN CATEGORIES
Best New European Bar (presented by Heineken)
Two Schmucks, Barcelona, Spain
Best European Bar (presented by Mixology)
American Bar im Savoy, London, United Kingdom
Best European Mixologist (presented by Linie Aqauavit)
Matt Whiley, Scout, London, United Kingdom
Best European Spirit or Bar Product (presented by Bar Convent Berlin)
Credits
Foto: Katja Hiendlmayer
