The drinks scene in Australia has never been better. Never before have we had so many spirits from around the world, but there’s never been so many high quality, homegrown bottles either. There are bars to suit every whim and desire, quirky cocktail bars, small neighbourhood joints, globally-recognised venues. Our bartenders are better than ever; there are more bartenders operating at a higher standard than ever before. Good drinks are everywhere.

There are headwinds, however; it has never been easy to make money in hospitality, and the ongoing cost of living crisis has put a dent in what the public is willing to spend in bars and bottle shops. Add to that the considerable tax burden imposed on the spirits industry — among the world’s highest — which affects what bar owners can charge their guests, and sees cocktail prices landing ever closer to $30 a drink. And the bar industry has gone through yet another period of painful — and necessary — introspection in response to a series of scandals: sexual harassment and assault, wage theft, and a lack of representation among them.

But from crisis comes opportunity, and the industry has felt stronger for it. There are many good people going to work each day and making the industry better, whether that’s through new concepts, new drinks, and new experiences, or through the work they do to make a positive change in the industry.

What follows is The Drinks 100 Australia — a new celebration of the 100 people who are shaping the drinks culture in Australia in 2025, presented by Bartenders’ Weekender and Boothby. The Drinks 100 Australia is an unranked list, from which 12 major award winners were crowned on Tuesday night in Brisbane at the Drinks 100 Australia Awards Gala that capped off Bartenders’ Weekender, a three day festival for bartenders and drinks enthusiasts.

Unlike other lists, the Drinks 100 Australia is no popularity contest. Instead, it aims to be a considered look at those people who are working to make the drinks industry in Australia more meaningful, more exciting, and more creative every day. Regardless of one’s social media following or clout, we’re recognising those people who do great work — people who we can all look to for inspiration. This is about the wider Australian drinks industry, looked at from the perspective of the bar, which is still the best place to showcase the creative and delicious work of producers, bartenders, designers, and communicators.

Congratulations — and thank you — to the people making up this year’s Drinks 100 Australia below.

The Person of the Year presented by Jack Daniel's Bonded is...
Jenna Hemsworth

The award-winning Jenna Hemsworth has had a big year, co-founding the Sorry, Not Sorry collective and working to make the bar industry a more inclusive, progressive space, one in which everyone can participate fully. Jenna and company have captured the zeitgeist, and bent it to their will, to show us all how hospo reallyt ought to be done. Jenna is the exemplary inaugural winner of the Drinks 100 Australia Person of the Year presented by Jack Daniel's Bonded.

The Ambassadors

Brand ambassadors are not just the bar industry’s introduction to a brand, but they serve the broader public as well. They’re on the road, spreading the word, and the best of them do this all the while supporting the industry to grow.

Alice Newport, James B. Beam
The James B. Beam ambassador for Club Suntory has settled in as one of the country’s most popular and ever-travelling ambassadors, with eight years of advocacy under her belt and a passionate advocate for the work of bartenders.

Andy Tsai, Brown-Forman
The popular NSW-based brand ambassador for Brown-Forman brings energy and enthusiasm to the role of brand ambassador, as someone whose love for the craft of the bar, spirits, and the bartenders who bring it all together is seemingly boundless.

Carmen Hartwich, Starward
Carmen Hartwich’s career goes from strength to strength. Last year, she became the first woman to be awarded the title of master of bourbon, and in 2024 won the title of Queensland Person of the Year. She moved on from her successful tenure at Brown-Forman as the brand ambassador for Queensland, and has now taken up the lead advocacy role for Australian whiskymaker Starward.

James Macrae, Hendrick’s
Affectionately referred to as Wee James, the Scottish export is the face of Hendrick’s in Australia, and his enthusiastic championing of Australia’s bars and bartenders, along with his pursuit of exciting and always curious Hendrick’s activations around the country has seen James become one of Australia’s best loved bar personalities.

Kate McGraw, Diageo
Kate leads trade advocacy for Diageo and World Class Australia, and has seen her following and influence grow with smart, engaging and passionate video tutorials on social media. She’s an inspiration to new generations of bartenders through her advocacy.

BRAND AMBASSADOR OF THE YEAR PRESENTED BY BOOTHBY
Krystal Hart, Campari Australia
Ask bartenders around Australia who they respect and admire in the ambassador realm, and Krystal’s name is often the first to come up. After many years working with the Diageo portfolio, Krystal has revitalised and energised the Campari Academy program in Australia. While she has recently stepped away from a lead role in the advocacy team, it’s fair to say that the admiration for Campari’s trade programs wouldn’t be where it is today without the native Queenslander’s efforts.

Nick Tesar, Four Pillars
Nick is a highly creative and inspired bartender who has brought his considerable knowledge of flavour to the brand ambassador role, as the creeative director of gin drinks for Australian gin brand Four Pillars, and in his work as co-founder of much-loved Australian liqueurs brand, Marionette.

Rachael Bartlett, Monkey Shoulder & Sailor Jerry
With primary responsibility for Monkey Shoulder advocacy in and around the trade, Rachael has given the whisky brand a renewed vitality in the bar world in recent years, thanks to her positivity and understanding of what motivates bartenders.

Rhianna Lucas, Maker’s Mark
Originally from the world of beer, Rhi has taken on the Maker’s Mark portfolio with gusto, and proven herself as one of the industry’s most entertaining communicators, whether it’s at whisky shows, trainings, or in bars.

Ross Blainey, Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, William Grant & Sons
The award-winning brand ambassador enjoys an advocacy role that crosses brands and straddles disciplines, as the creative collaborations lead for Glenfiddich and The Balvenie; his work with Glenfiddich has seen collaborations with bars and bartenders, of course, but also with chef, fashion designers, and gold bullion craftspeople.

The Designers

What you taste, what you feel, and what you see all depends on where you are. A great bar is designed well; this award celebrates those designs that say something new about the drinking occasion and take us to previously unexplored surrounds.

Dylan Howarth — Palomino Lounge
At Fortunate Son in Sydney, their motto is all about cool drinks and warm service; what they don’t tell you is just how beautiful the spaces you’ll sit in will be. His design for the Pal, as it’s affectionately known, draws on elements of theatre, Nashville, and art deco elements — and is one of the most comfortable bars to sit at in town, bettered only by Fortunate Son across the road.

Émilie Delalande, Etic — Island Radio, Baptist Street Rec Club, Martinez
French-born Émilie Delalande, has been working as an interior designer in Sydney since 2009. In 2016, she launched the firm Etic, which works on projects that span hospitality businesses — like House Made Hospitality’s Island Radio and Baptist St Rec Club — to residential work.

BAR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR PRESENTED BY GREY GOOSE
Gabrielle Walters — Old Love’s
If you’ve ever stepped into Old Love’s on Sydney’s Clarence street, ordered a drink, and lost track of time, that’s in large part thanks to Gabrielle Walters. The co-owner of both Old Love’s and Old Mate’s Place, Gabs was the driving force behind the bar’s design aesthetic, which transports you far from the busy city streets outside.

Josh Clapp, Steel + Stitch — Little Cooler, Kittyhawk NY
Josh Clapp from Steel + Stitch has been the designer on some striking Sydney bars, and most recently was involved in bringing the Maybe Group’s Little Cooler to life, as well as the relaunch of Kittyhawk NY, with an ability to transport guests to another place and time through his designs.

Yaron Kanor, Studio Y — Starward Whisky Bar & Distillery
Yaron Kanor is the visionary behind Melbourne design firm Studio Y, and have been responsible for some of Melbourne’s most striking venues; most recently, the 2024 revamp of Starward’s distillery and bar experience, as well as a number of projects for the Speakeasy Group, like The Sanderson and Eau de Vie, Pearl Diver Cocktails & Oysters, and Nick & Nora’s.

The Communicators

These are the writers, social media creators, photographers and persuasive types who have best explained the drinks industry to the world at large.

Alessandro Nardini, Bar Crafts
You may know Alessandro as the Melbourne-based bartender and ambassador, but he’s also a communicator, writing about the intersection between hospitality, bars, and making money both behind the bar, and in bartenders’ personal lives. He’s also responsible for engaging social media videos that bring his extensive experience to bear on camera.

Andy Young, The Shout, Bars & Cocktails
Andy Young got his start in journalism as a traditional beat reporter, before he decided that the life of a drinks industry journo was a lot more fun. As the managing editor for Intermedia’s bar industry-focused publications like The Shout, he’s also just overseen a rebrand of the longstanding title, Bars & Clubs, to Bars & Cocktails - Spirits & Distilling, a reflection of where we are in the drinks world today.

DRINKS COMMUNICATOR OF THE YEAR PRESENTED BY BOMBAY SAPPHIRE
Cara Devine, Author, YouTuber, Boothby
Cara Devine is busy. Not only is she the co-owner of Melbourne bar, Goodwater, she’s also the face of Behind the Bar with Cara Devine, a successful YouTube channel, and a two-time author, with her most recent book landing in July. She’s also the regular Melbourne columnist for Boothby, with her weekly newsletter, Around The Bars.

Christopher Pearce, Photographer
It’s fair to say that Christopher Pearce has probably shot more cocktails than any other photographer working in Australia today. He’s a photographer who specialises in food and drinks, and his work has appeared in Boothby, Australian Bartender, Good Food, and a number of other publications.

Dexter Kim, Photographer
You have seen Dexter Kim’s work; the Sydney-based photographer has been responsible for shooting some of the city’s best bars and restaurants — and cocktails — for agencies, venues, and for publications like Broadsheet.

Fred Siggins, Writer, James Halliday, Boothby
Fred’s hospitality career has run the gamut from chef, to bartender, ambassador, writer, and last year with the opening of Goodwater, co-owner of a bar. This year Fred, whose writing has appeared everywhere from Time Out, The Age, Broadsheet, Punch, Boothby and more, has embarked upon the sizable task of tasting, rating, and writing about the spirits from every Australian distillery for a forthcoming book in the James Halliday stable.

Joffy Rhodes, SOND3R Film
SOND3R, Joffy has explained to us before, is about the idea that everyone going past you is having their own distinct moment; and the SOND3R project has been celebrating the hospitality lifestyle and creatures who inhabit the bar world, through the widespread dissemination of disposable film cameras. These cameras, sent out to bars to use how they see fit, eventually find their way back to Joffy, who develops the film, and posts the candid results on the SOND3R Instagram page. His impact has been to give the industry cause to celebrate and come together, and that’s always a good thing.

Molly Nicholas, Bars & Cocktails, The Shout
Molly is the senior journalist at Intermedia’s bar and spirits-focused publications, The Shout, and the recently rebranded Bars & Cocktails. Molly has put an emphasis on spotlighting women in the bar game over the last year, and has had a large hand in making the publication’s social pages more engaging for the trade.

Samantha Payne, Gourmet Traveller
Samantha Payne took a career as a sommelier in some of Sydney’s best restaurants has turned that into a consultancy business, and a career writing about wine and spirits, explaining the joys of drinks for a passionate yet broad audience, in the pages of Gourmet Traveller, Boothby, and more publications.

Tom Yau, Photographer
Tom Yau is one of the country’s preeminent drinks photographers, capturing bartenders and their creations for numerous cocktail competitions over the years, for brands, and in bars, with a passion for his subjects that can only come with a background in hospitality.

The Distillers

The homegrown distilling industry has exploded in recent years, with new waves of distillers coming in and crafting the future of Australian spirits. This recognises a distiller who has had an incredible year making quality spirit.

Carlie Dyer, Starward
Carlie Dyer has been with Australian whisky distillery Starward for six years, starting as a distiller before moving into the blending team. Last year, Carlie was promoted to head distiller at the award-winning distillery, where she’ll be able to follow her creative instincts and interests in experimentation, to create delicious whiskies of the future.

Dave Withers, Archie Rose
Sydney distillery Archie Rose began producing whisky in 2014, and Dave Withers — now the brand’s master distiller — was there at day one. Over a decade later, the distillery is one of Australia’s most awarded brands, with plenty of gold medals at international spirits competitions; those accolades have flowed to Withers as well, picking up the title of Distiller of the Year at the UK-based Spirits Business awards in 2024.

Eddie Brook, Cape Byron Distillery
In the Northern Rivers of NSW you’ll find Cape Byron Distillery. Beginning in 2016 on land purchased in the 1980s by the Brook family, they began with Brookie’s gin but have since added a suite of products to the portfolio, including their award-winning whiskies, on which co-founder and distiller Eddie Brook collaborated with Scottish whisky legend Jim McEwen.

Felix Clark, Ester
Felix Clark is the co-founder and head distiller at the Marrickville-based distillery, Ester Spirits, where they make gin, cane spirits, liqueurs and bottled cocktails. Felix’s background is in bars and hospitality, and got his start distilling at home, before launching Ester Spirits proper in 2020, and has been picking up accolades in global spirits competition since.

Hugh Leech, Marionette
As the head distiller for Marionette Liqueurs, Hugh Leech is at the helm of one of Australia’s best loved and most awarded brands. Bartenders love the stuff, and spirits competitions regularly recognise the gold medal worthy products in their line up.

Ian Thorn, The Gospel
Since The Gospel launched in 2019, the homegrown rye whiskey producer has racked up the accolades, with head distiller Ian Thorn at the helm; last year, they had the second highest scoring rye whiskey in the world at the International Wine & Spirits Competition 2024.

Jason Chan, Burdekin Rum
Jason Chan has worn many hats over a long career in the hospitality and booze industry; the owner of Melbourne dive bar, Hats & Tatts, was also the founding distiller for The West Winds when that brand was at the height of its powers as one of the first small craft spirits producers to get traction well over a decade ago. Today, you’ll find Chan applying his considerable palate and knowledge to Burdekin Rum, which has picked up plenty of medals — most recently, scoring 98 at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Sarah Prowse, Four Pillars
Taking over the reins of the country’s biggest gin brand from its co-founder, Cameron Mackenzie, is no easy task, but Sarah Prowse is the person for the job: she’s been with the distillery since 2020, after having spent 15 years in the winemaking business — a background Mackenzie also shares.

DISTILLER OF THE YEAR PRESENTED BY ALM
Tim Boast, Never Never Distilling Co.
Never Never Distilling Co. is no stranger to awards. The bartender-favourite has always had the affection of the bar trade, and it is also something of a darling of international spirits competitions. Its distiller, Tim Boast, can claim the lion’s share of the credit — something that has seen him pick up personal accolades, like master distiller of the year a few years back, along with a hefty haul of gold medals.

Tim Stones, Hickson House
Tim Stones is the distiller at Hickson House Distilling Co, where he makes some award-winning gins — their Hickson House Harbour Bridge Gin recently picked up double gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. He began his career as a bartender, working at a couple of influential London bars in the aughts, before becoming the global brand ambassador for Beefeater Gin. Now, at Hickson House, he’s made his mark on the Australian gin scene.

The Bartenders

The best showroom for Australian spirits will always be the bar, and a seat at the bar with a great bartender is an experience that is timeless. These are some of the very best in the business, a mix of innovators, creatives, and rising stars.

Aidan Perkins, Milquetoast
The Brisbane bartender leading the charge at Milquetoast is an expressive, creative bartender; the bar’s namesake cocktail landed on the Boothby Top 50 Drinks of the Year in 2024, and his flavour-centric approach to non-alcoholic drinks offer a way forward to non-drinkers and boozehounds alike.

Alex Gondzioulis, Bar Bellamy
The Gondz, as he’s known, moved to Melbourne after running the drinks program across Liquid & Larder’s bars, and having run the much-awarded Bulletin Place before its closure in 2021. He found himself at Bar Bellamy, crafting some impressive cocktails — his take on the Chet Baker cocktail landed at number seven on the 2024 Boothby Drink of the Year.

Alicia Clarke, Double Deuce Lounge
Alicia Clarke had a stellar 2024, picking up the responsibilities of general manager at Double Deuce Lounge, and seeing the Sydney bar to the title of the Best Bar in NSW at the Boothby Best Bars awards last year. She also picked up the award for Breakout Bartender of 2024 at the Drink of the Year awards, with her drink, Two In The Pink, landing at number nine in the Top 50.

DRINKS CREATIVE OF THE YEAR PRESENTED BY VANGUARD LUXURY BRANDS
Evan Stroeve, The Waratah
Evan Stroeve has built a reputation for himself as one of the country’s most admired and creative bartenders; his first venue, The Waratah, which he co-owns with Cynthia Lister, has nurtured passionate, considered and top flight bartenders.

James Irvine, Merivale
The group drinks creative for the sprawling Sydney hospitality empire that is Merivale, James’ mastery of flavour and technique in the cocktail world is second to none; it’s his gregarious attitude and punny banter that endears him to the industry. His Matcha Fizz at 2024 opening JAM Record Bar was one of last year’s Top 50 drinks.

Kitty Gardner, Caretaker’s Cottage
The drinks are great at Caretaker’s Cottage, in no small part due to Kitty Gardner; she’s the bar’s go to prep master, and someone who has dipped her toes back into the cocktail competition world after many years away — and to delicious results, landing in the top 25 at the Espolòn Afterlife To The Bone cocktail competition.

Leah Dunnigan, Savile Row
Leah Dunnigan has breathed new life into Brisbane bar Savile Row, leading the team behind the bar, carrying the development of their next big cocktail list, and embarking on a run of takeovers around the country to the benefit of all who attend. In the process, they’ve shown just why they landed at number one on Drinks World’s list of the top 25 bartenders in Australia.

Tom Opie, The Waratah
A regular fixture at the pointy end of any cocktail competition he takes part in, Tom’s humility belies an exceptional talent with flavour, and a strong curiosity about drinks and the broader world that surrounds them; he is also one of the country’s most adept bartenders playing in the non-alcoholic space, landing the only booze-free drink on last year’s Drink of the Year Top 50.

Jack Connor, Rosella’s
Jack Connor is a humble guy. But the bartender and owner of Rosella’s on the Gold Coast has achieved big things in a short amount of time at the award-winning bar. The bar is known for innovative drinks, combining considerable technique with a respect for native ingredients that result in drinks that are both whimsical and nostalgic, and unfailingly delicious. And, we hear, he’s developing an agave spirit brand, too. More delicious things await, apparently.

Jeremy Blackmore, Mucho Group
The Mucho Group might be the most idiosyncratic bar group in Australia right now. The driving force behind the group’s creative output is thanks to co-owner and creative director, Jeremy Blackmore. He is responsible for the drink menus throughout each of their six bars, along with the concept development — Herbs Negroni Tavern is their latest, and a good representation of Jeremy’s style: the drinks pay homage to the classics, but then go out on their own course, playing fast and loose with the so-called rules of classic drinks all in the pursuit of what is delicious and joyful.

Kayla Saito, Molli
When Kayla isn’t making drinks for guests, there’s a good chance she’s fermenting something somewhere. As a self-described fermentation geek, Kayla is one of the country’s foremost experts when it comes to the techniques, generous with her considerable knowledge, and the architect of drinks as good as they come.

INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR PRESENTED BY MONKEY SHOULDER
Luke Whearty, Byrdi
Few people have pushed the envelope as much as Luke Whearty has. From his award-winning bar in Singapore, Operation Dagger, to returning to Australia and opening Byrdi, a bar that is distinctly Victorian in the produce it uses and the growers it champions, Luke has been the advance guard in the drinks world for a decade and shows no signs of slowing down. His bar has been home to many bartenders eager to learn the advanced techniques and detailed appreciation for ingredients, so there’s little wonder that he is a regular fixture in the Top 10 for the Best International Bartender at Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards, and why Byrdi last year landed on The World’s 50 Best Bars list.

Matt Whiley, Apollo Group
Matt Whiley, like Luke Whearty, his partner in the Like Minded Creatures takeovers they host across the globe, has been at the forefront of cocktail development over the last decade, and has educated and inspired a generation of bartenders; look around at the way drinks are served in high end cocktail bars in Australia, and you’ll see Matt’s fingerprints. Despite closing Re last year, and a new site falling through, Matt has found new interest and excitement in the restaurant bar scene space, working with Jonathon Barthelmess’s high-flying Apollo Group restaurants in Sydney and Brisbane.

Michael Chiem, PS40
Ask any Sydney bartender who they have in their top three cocktail creators and they’ll all mention one name: Michael Chiem. The award-winning bartender and owner of PS40 doesn’t create as many new drinks for the menu as he used to, instead preferring to refine and perfect and create drinks you can only get at PS40 — and drinks you’ll want to go back for. Whereas you may not remember many great drinks you drink at other bars, PS40 has a whole suite of iconic drinks: the Africola has been named the country’s best cocktail twice, and has been available at the bar since before the pandemic; the Breakfast Negroni comes is another staple, so too the Gladys Gimlet. PS40 sometimes flies under the radar, as does Michael, but they’re always there, always perfecting, always making the city’s drinking better.

Samuel Thornhill, Byrdi
As the head bartender at Byrdi, Sam oversees all the research and development that goes into each seasonal menu change. He’s also the one responsible for the day to day running of the bar, which doesn’t work like other bars; everyone does everything here, whether that’s working a cocktail station or preparing food. But it’s Sam’s affable nature that has won him fans outside of the bar, as he imparts his considerable knowledge and way of working to bartenders eager to learn. Oh, and he had the number one cocktail on the Boothby Drink of the Year Top 50 in 2023, no small feat.

Brianna Aboud, Mucho Group
The first thing you notice when you meet Brianna Aboud is her enthusiasm and energy. Despite only getting into bartending in 2021, Bri has racked up experience, taking over the drinks list at Ramblin’ Rascal Tavern, before a move to Bar Planet in Newtown before taking charge of Centro 86 in the CBD. Today, she’s graduated to a group level position at Mucho Group, as their head of venues.

Charlie Hunter, Dark Blue
Since moving to Brisbane from Perth, Charlie Hunter has become a fixture of the bar scene; stints at The Bowery, Suzie Wongs, Savile Row and Dark Red have been accompanied by a number of national cocktail competition final appearances and a win last year in the just Add Rhubi cocktail comp. Charlie’s next task: open the second bar from Dark Red’s Hannah Wagner, Dark Blue.

Corby Small, The Gresham
The Gresham is an iconic Brisbane bar, and there have been a number of crews that have made it that way since they opened the doors back in 2014. One of the lynchpins of today’s team at The Gresham is Corby Small, who last month took on the general manager role, and is an inspiration not just to The Gresham’s team, but to the wider Brisbane bar scene.

RISING STAR PRESENTED BY STARWARD
Georgia Gresham, Before + After
With The Gresham, Maker, and now Before + After among the places Georgia Gresham has worked, the Brisbane bartender has firmly established a reputation for creativity and delicious drinks, and is a regular feature in national cocktail competition finals. Georgia’s first cocktail menu has just landed at Before + After — we expect there will be many more to come in the future.

Holly Grimshaw, Maybe Sammy
After a year of working the floor at Maybe Sammy, one of the world’s great cocktail bars and a regular fixture on The World’s 50 Best Bars list, Holly Grimshaw stepped onto the bar and into their trademark pink jackets, and is one to watch in 2025 and beyond.

Jac Landmark, Bar Love
Jac Landmark is a Perth-based bartender with a rather special addition to their resume: time spent behind the stick at Bar High Five under the master bartender that is Hidetsugu Ueno. The Bar Love bartender’s cocktail, Konbini, landed on the Boothby Drink of the Year Top 50 in 2024, and has quickly become a regular in the national finals of Australian cocktail competitions.

James Cooke, The Waratah
A rising star from Sydney’s The Waratah, bartender James Cooke has displayed a knack for flavour, and with a national cocktail comp final win under his belt, he has taken to the road around Australia and overseas, putting on guest shifts and telling stories along the way.

Jayden Duong, Byrdi
Jayden is the assistant bar manager at groundbreaking Melbourne bar, Byrdi, and has been praised for the positive energy he brings to those around him, and his deep knowledge despite being a relatively young age.

Paige Chabert, Above Board
Paige Chabert has made an impact on the Melbourne bar scene, and with the responsibility of being the lead bartender at Above Board, Paige has stepped up to the high standards at one of the world’s very best cocktail bars.

Samuel Cocks, Saint Peter
Samuel first came to national bar attention working at the now closed Re, Matt Whiley’s innovative and groundbreaking zero waste bar in Sydney. He’s made several appearances at the pointy end of national cocktail competitions, and that’s thanks to his deep knowledge of technique and ability to wring the maximum amount of flavour from the ingredients he works with, an approach he’s now applying as the bar manager at Josh Niland’s Saint Peter.

The Internationals

We live in a global world, and thanks to the ubiquity of social media, the influence of high-flying international bar talent is felt around the world — these are overseas bartenders having the biggest influence on Australian shores.

Harrison Kenney, Bar Nouveau (Paris)
Harrison Kenney is an Australian expat doing big things overseas, and clearly an inspiration to bartenders back home. Harrison was on the team at Mucho Group’s Cantina OK! when they first landed on The World’s 50 Best Bars list in 2020, before going on to open Bar Planet in Newtown and lay down the template for their quirky, esoteric style. A win at the Patrón global finals in 2022 brought him into the sphere of Remy Savage, the Paris-based drinks creative behind London’s A Bar With Shapes For A Name; Kenney went on to open Bar Nouveau in Paris with Savage, and has since been named on the Top 10 for the International Bartender of the Year award at Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards in 2025.

Iain McPherson, Panda & Sons (Edinburgh)
If you’ve ever seen a bunch of people in panda suits rampaging through a takeover, congratulations — you’ve made it to a Panda & Sons party. Iain McPherson opened the lively Edinburgh bar back in 2013, and is a regular fixture on the global bartending circuit, putting on Panda parties that make people feel good, and dishing his considerable knowledge in education seminars while on tour. When he’s not touring, he’s in the lab at Panda & Sons, working on new techniques — switching, as you may have heard, is one of his — and pushing Panda & Sons to ever greater heights.

Ivy Mix, Speed Rack (New York)
Ivy might be one of the biggest names in the global bartending world but you wouldn’t know it to talk to her. She’s down to earth, brooks no bullshit, but has a passion for sharing what she knows with whomever is eager to learn. And through Speed Rack, the speed bartending competition for female and femme-identifying bartenders, Ivy (along with Speed Rack co-founder, Lynette Marrero) has had an outsized role in inspiring women to be seen behind the bar and championing their abilities and, ultimately, success.

INTERNATIONAL DRINKS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
Millie Tang, Creator/Bartender, De Vie Bar (Paris)
It can be a little difficult to pin down just what Millie does, but perhaps that’s the way it should be; Millie is proof that if you follow your passions and interests and work hard to produce good work, you can make a career that satisfies you. Millie’s own career has led her from her home in Brisbane to Paris, where you’ll find her at the recently opened De Vie Bar. Millie is a bartender, a photographer, and all-round creative — and an inspiration and mentor to bartenders in Brisbane’s bar world and beyond.

Ryan Chetiyawardana, Lyaness, Super Lyan, Silver Lyan, Seed Library/Mr Lyan’s Taste Trips (London)
The London-based bartender is a perennial favourite of Australian bartenders, and is well known for award-winning bars: he opened White Lyan in 2013, winning the title of World’s Best New Cocktail Bar a year later; Dandelyan, at the Mondrian on the banks of the River Thames secured the number one spot on The World’s 50 Best Bars list in 2018. He has launched a number of winning bars since 2013, but Chetiyawardana is perhaps as famous for closing bars at the height of their success as he is opening new ones: he killed White Lyan in 2017, and just days after landing at number one in the world announced the swift departure of Dandelyan in 2018, seeing it as having run its course and opening Lyaness in its place — like Bowie knifing Ziggy Stardust to make way for Aladdin Zane. He’s a frequent traveller to Australia, and a constant source of ideas and inspiration.

Sam Ross, Attaboy (New York)
How do you sum up the influence on Australian bartenders of Sam Ross? It’s fairly simple: look at the number of Penicillins and Paper Plane cocktails — modern classics, and both from the hand of Ross — you see on cocktail lists around the country. His New York bar, Attaboy, resides in the same space that Milk & Honey (where Ross worked) once lived, and is a must-visit for any Australian bartender visiting the city.

Simone Caporale, Sips, Boadas (Barcelona)
Simone Caporale is something of a renaissance bartender — he’s a busy guy with many projects on the go, and one headline recently asked if he was the world’s busiest bartender. He might be busy, but he’s also one of the world’s best. His Barcelona bar, Sips, was number one on The World’s 50 Best Bars list in 2023; he bought Boadas, a legendary Barcelona cocktail bar; and in 2025 will open Montana in Hong Kong with Bar Leone’s Lorenzo Antinori.

The Changemakers

These are the determined individuals working to make the hospitality industry a more welcoming, inclusive, and ultimately delicious place to be.

MOST IMPACTFUL PRESENTED BY FOUR PILLARS
Alexandra Hooker, Brittany Rowe, Jenna Hemsworth, Reuby Kahl, Rocky Hair — Sorry Not Sorry
Out of a dark moment in hospitality in Australia something powerful and optimistic comes. The Sorry Not Sorry collective of former Swilhouse group employees have experienced sexual harassment, assault and worse. They have galvanised the industry, putting a bright and sometimes harsh light on the darkness of the industry, and have refused to stay silent. They’ve given the bar takeover concept a whole new meaning, turning it into a vehicle to demand the industry gets better, and giving us all a night to remember while they do it.

Anneliese Grazioli — Hanky Panky Lounge, Bar Kokomo
Darwin might be a small bar scene, but it’s one with an outsized influence on the national bar scene, and that’s thanks in no small part to Anneliese Grazioli. From her days running tequila bar and restaurant, Hot Tamale, to owning two of the best bars not just in Darwin, but the country, she has been a galvanising force in the Territory, pulling the drinks community together for trainings, competitions, and education.

Pippa Canavan & Shirley Yeung — Mix Haus
Both Pippa and Shirley are some of Perth’s — and Australia’s — best bartenders. Pippa opened her first bar (with co-owner Murray Walsh) last year, and Shirley is bartender in charge of the drink programs for three Perth venues, including the award-winning Foxtrot Unicorn. That alone qualifies them for this list. But when they joined together in 2021 to create Mix Haus, an inclusive platform to provide support and boost representation for women in the hospitality industry, they built a program that transcends state boundaries and has come to mean a lot for a lot of people in hospitality.

The Operators

These are the people with vision — those who are setting the standard with great bars that please the public and critics alike, and who create spaces in which bartenders can do their best work.

Adam Cork & Dre Walters — Old Mate’s Place/Old Love’s
Corky and Dre have created something special on Sydney’s Clarence Street. Set across two levels on the fourth floor of a nondescript building, Old Mate’s Place is a neighbourhood bar in the middle of the city with a library-overgown-with-plants vibe specialising in a familiar, no-bullshit brand of hospitality; in the basement of the same building is Old Love’s, a subterranean escape and a favourite of bartenders dedicated to rum and cocktails. The one thing in common between the two is the service: friendly, genuinely warm, and looking to do the little extra things to make things memorable for their guests, a template set and best embodied by Dre and Corky themselves.

Belinda & Blake Ward, Martin & Wiebke Lange — Cuatro Group
The Cuatro Group are the operators of reference for independent bars in Brisbane; they’ve set down the template for what cocktail and whisky bars should look like in that city, and are often imitated if never quite equalled. Their latest bar, Antico on Burnett Lane in the Brisbane CBD, was awarded the title of Best New Bar in Queensland in 2024, thanks to its beautiful, thoughtful design, drinks program, and quality staff.

Cynthia Lister — Pollen Hospitality
As one half of the operator and ownership duo at The Waratah, Cynthia — along with co-owner Evan Stroeve — has helped to usher in a new generation of bartending talent, and given Sydney a refreshing, flavour-driven and smart alternative to the standard Sydney local.

Daisy Tulley — Mucho Group
As the general manager for Mucho Group, Daisy has transformed the business over the last few years, and added two new bars to their stable of hospitality venues: they opened Centro 86 in the Sydney CBD in 2024, and in May opened Herbs Negroni Tavern on the busy Clarence street stretch. But Daisy has also fostered and grown an encouraging work environment across the group, ensuring that strategies are in place so that their teams don’t overwork, and everyone pulls together to make the guest experience as joyful as it can be.

Charlie Lehmann, Dardan Shervashidze, Sebastian Soto — Ramblin’ Rascal Tavern, Double Deuce Lounge
Once considered the enfants terrible of the Australian bar scene, the Sons of Sydney trio’s once brash ways have matured into something more meaningful with time; they work in their businesses every day, are often behind the bar, and put an emphasis on paying their people the correct way. It’s probably not the best way to make money, they say, but they want to make something lasting and meaningful — and over 10 years in as operators, it’s working.

Jacob Cohen — Savile Row
Jacob Cohen came to national prominence as a rookie bartender at Three Wolves in Cairns. He’s come a long way since then. Cohen made the move to the Queensland capital seven years ago to work at Savile Row, and he’s never looked back. Whenever you speak to Cohen, you find a passionate and motivated hospitality lifer, one who has risen through the ranks at Savile Row from bartender to general manager. He’s now tasked with forward planning for the bar, and works on expanding the overall business. He’s also a huge champion of bartending talent and working hard to make sure that Savile Row, now eight years old, continues to push the industry forward — and all the while remaining a bartender’s favourite.

Dani & Oska Whitehart — Bar Bellamy
Partners in life and in business, Dani and Oska Whitehart are the duo behind the much-lauded Bar Bellamy, on Rathdowne Street in Carlton. Dani came up in hospitality in the world of cafes, and Oska has bartended at some of Melbourne’s best bars — The Everleigh, Bad Frankie, and Gimlet among them. The success of Bar Bellamy, which landed at number two on the Boothby Best Bars Victoria Top 50 in 2024, has led them to open their next venue later this year, Melitta Next Door.

David Spanton — Spanton Media, Piccolo Bar, Vermuteria
David Spanton has seen it all; from the everything is a Martini days of the 1990s, to the craft cocktail renaissance of the 2000s, the Americana of the early 2010s, and beyond. But through his publication, Australian Bartender, the Australian Bar Awards, and Sydney Bar Week, few others have had the impact Dave has had on the industry across Australia. These days, his attention has turned from covering bars to being a bar operator himself, with two characterful Sydney bars in his stable: Piccolo Bar, and Vermuteria, in Kings Cross.

Jason Williams — House Made Hospitality
A veteran of not just the Australian bar scene, but the global industry, few if any people have been involved in more successful bar openings than Jason. As the creative lead for Proof Creative for eight years, he led the opening of many bars you will have seen on the global lists of the world’s best. Back home in Australia now, the Sydney-based bartender (who has his own gin brand, Widges) is the group beverage director and co-owner of House Made Hospitality, whose latest projects include Baptist St Rec Club and Bar Tilda.

HALL OF FAME PRESENTED BY PATRÓN
Mike Enright — Hickson House,The Barber Shop, The Duke of Clarence
Mike Enright is fairly described as a veteran of the Australian bar industry. The expat Englishman long ago made Sydney his home, working as the head bartender at successive high profile bars in the 2000s, and a stint at Merivale as their group bars manager, before opening his first bar with the launch of The Barber Shop in 2013. Mikey and his business partners then opened The Duke of Clarence, before starting Hickson House, a distillery and bar, in The Rocks, and picking up listings for his gins in bars around Australia.

Natalie Ng — Now & Then
Nat has won a number of awards throughout her long career, and doesn’t appear to be stopping any time soon. Last year she was awarded Australian Bartender’s Most Influential award, and sold her successful bar, Door Knock, after opening her second, Now & Then, on Clarence Street in Sydney. She has since picked up an ambassador role for Club Suntory, so expect to see her in a bar near you soon.

Pasan Wijesena — Earl’s Juke Joint, Jacoby’s, The Magpie, Trocadero Room
You might call him the mayor of Newtown and Enmore. Since opening Earl’s Juke Joint — one of Sydney’s best loved independent bars — in a former butcher shop in 2013, Pasan Wijesena has paved the way for quality hospitality operators on Enmore road, opening Jacoby’s Tiki Bar in 2017, and following that up with his pub-like ode to the Inner West, The Magpie, and live entertainment venue, The Trocadero Room.

Peter Hollands — Frog’s Hollow, Alice, The Alliance
Pete Hollands spent time at Melbourne bars 1806 and Eau de Vie, and dipped into the corporate brand ambassador life as the lead for Bacardi-Martini, before moving back to Brisbane and, in 2022, opening Frog’s Hollow Saloon, the city’s acclaimed whiskey and cocktail bar which breathed fresh life into the bar scene after the slowdown of Covid era restrictions. Frog’s Hollow quickly scooped up the awards thanks to its top flight team, and Hollands was eager to pour his energy into the next project; Alice, a late night rock and roll boozer bedecked in red neons, slinging bourbon, and staffed with some of the city’s best bartenders. Not one to stay still, he’s taken on the historic Alliance Hotel, and is set to open a classic cantina style bar in a laneway basement focusing on tequila and rum — it’s called Shaman, and will open in 2025.

Rob Libecans, Ryan Noreiks, Matt Stirling — Caretaker’s Cottage
Caretaker’s Cottage opened in Melbourne in March 2022, and very quickly became a reference point for bartenders and bar operators around Australia and the globe. The owners of the bar — Ryan Noreiks, Matt Stirling, and Rob Libecans — have each worked in some of the world’s very best bars, but their approach to hospitality is grounded in service, genuine warmth, and the desire to look after people. A slew of accolades, and two consecutive appearances on The World’s 50 Best Bars list has meant that the bar is always busy; the team has since grown, but the DNA of the service remains the same.

BAR OPERATOR OF THE YEAR PRESENTED BY RE'AL
Stefano Catino & Vince Lombardo — Maybe Group
What can you write about the duo behind the Maybe Group that hasn’t been written before? Not much, it seems; both Stefano and Vince have seen their bars pick up swags full of accolades, Maybe Sammy is a world renowned cocktail destination, and they nurtured and developed one of the deepest and strongest hospitality teams there is in Australia. And that’s the true testament of their success as operators, not the unprecedented multiple appearances on The World’s 50 Best Bars list; their team is the best in the business.