King Charles has been crowned and true to its ethos, Sipsmith Gin is getting all proud and proper, as the team at The Blend encourage you to ‘SHAKE, STIR or THROW’ to show off your ‘Best of British’ flair when it comes to making cocktails! Following two ‘sip’cessful Bar of Smithery events, the team are diving deeper into the swan pond, inviting Blend members nationally to win ONE OF FIVE PRIZES, made-up of VIP TRIPS to a Sipsmith Swanhouse in Sydney. Who can throw like Thor or shake like Beyonce? ENTER HERE For the first time ever, Sipsmith will be celebrati ..read more

Overnight the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards announced their Top 10 finalists for 2023. The winners will be announced during the Tales of the Cocktail Festival, which is celebrating its 21st-year in New Orleans, July 23-28, 2023. From an Aussie perspective, there were some new and old faces featured in the list including: International Bartender of the Year – Martin Hudak from Maybe Sammy & Luke Whearty from Byrdi Best International Brand Ambassador – Tim Philips-Johansson — Johnnie Walker Best International Cocktail Bar – Maybe Sammy, Sydney & Byrdi, Melbourne Best Internation ..read more

Things are really heating up in Spanton Media HQ as we hurtle forward towards Sydney Bar Week 2023. This means locking down and confirming all the different events and parties that will be happening from 9-13 September. There is an incredible line-up with lots of your favourites back in action such as the House of William Grant Party at The Abercrombie, Bartender Boxing, Bacardi Brings Back the Boogie 2.0 plus the return of the infamous (and hilarious) Idiot Savant Prizes from the team at Ramblin’ Rascals. There are also a few new events which we are pumped about: The team at The Blend are br ..read more

If you haven’t voted already in this year’s Bartender Magazine Bar Awards, now is the time as voting closes tomorrow 31 May at 11.59 AEST! CLICK HERE TO CAST YOUR VOTE & HAVE YOUR SAY! Why is it so important to vote? These awards are your awards; you have to be in it to win it. This is not about the opinions of bar reviewers and critics. The winners are determined by your votes, the votes of the Australian bar industry. Finalists will be announced in the July issue of Australian Bartender Magazine and online, so stay tuned as that’s when tickets will go on sale. The 22nd Annual ..read more

153 Norton Street, Leichhardt @otis.leichhardt Otis is a small, owner-operated, suburban bar with a big heart. The owners, Conor O’Brien (ex-Baxter Inn) and Dan Teh (ex-Butter) took over an existing bar site and kept it trading to win over the locals and learn what they wanted from the site. It gave them a chance to listen and build rapport. “The locals who already frequented the bar came along on the journey with us. When it came time to change the name and replace the old bar, we only closed one extra day and reopened as Otis with a solid customer base,” they said. Approaching the bar on a ..read more

Interview by Aaron Shuttleworth @anticsofaaron Photography by Tom Yau @tomyau Three exciting new roles within the Advocacy team, reporting to the Group Advocacy Manager, Hayley Morison welcomes James Buntin, House of Suntory National Ambassador, Rhianna Lucas, Maker’s Mark Diplomat and Alice Newport – James B Beam Distilling Co – National Ambassador. Beam Suntory’s Ambassadors are the face of the brand, they’re storytellers, guardians, and educators about all the things that make our brands so special. As either a House of Suntory National Ambassador, Maker’s Mark Ambassadors or James B ..read more

By Claudio Bedini, Bar Manager, Sammy Junior. Follow him @claudio_bedini_5 Earlier this year, Sammy Jnr hosted a series of events dedicated to vermouth. The series took its name from the Italian term, ‘The Vermouth Hour’, a fashion that developed between the end of the 1800 and the beginning of the 1900s in Turin, the capital of vermouth. It used to be the time, normally one or two hours before going to dinner, when labourers would finish their shift in the factories, employees would get out of their offices and students and the rest of the city would flood the streets of Turin. It was a mome ..read more

If you haven’t voted already in this year’s Bartender Magazine Bar Awards, now is the time as voting closes in one week! CLICK HERE TO CAST YOUR VOTE & HAVE YOUR SAY! Why is it so important to vote? These awards are your awards; you have to be in it to win it. This is not about the opinions of bar reviewers and critics. The winners are determined by your votes, the votes of the Australian bar industry. Finalists will be announced in the July issue of Australian Bartender Magazine and online, so stay tuned as that’s when tickets will go on sale. The 22nd Annual Australian Barten ..read more

Nic Coulter Young Hearts 216 High Street, Windsor, VIC younghearts.melbourne Led by Nic Coulter from Neptune Food & Wine, Windsor has welcomed Young Hearts – an inclusive and casual dining destination that celebrates music, art, food, events and culture all under one roof. Coulter seized the opportunity to take over the venue and create an offering he felt was missing from the area, designing an uncomplicated yet highly considered drinks menu. “Young Hearts is the place to choose your own adventure; sit or stand; book or walk in; enjoy a cocktail or shots; dance, sing or just relax; the ch ..read more

Launching this June, CAMPARI ACADEMY presents ‘AFTERLIFE’ – an Agave Cocktail Competition and Training Program exploring Mexico’s history, culture, rituals, and Agave spirits, giving one lucky bartender the trip of a lifetime to MEXICO! For the first time in 7 years CAMPARI ACADEMY Australia will be hosting a cocktail competition for the nation’s bartenders. The Brand Ambassador team, led by Krystal Hart, and consisting of Jay Lambert, Matt Linklater, and Tom Sinclair, will be tasking you to create an original serve, exemplifying the Oaxacan proverb ‘Tequila to wake the Living, Mezcal to wake ..read more