It’s undeniable that Birmingham has some of the best cocktail bars in the country and last night (May 23) once again proved it. The CLASS Bar Awards 2023 handed out accolades to some of the country’s finest bars and bartenders, and two of Birmingham’s finest establishments were among the big winners. Showing once again Brummies know how to shake up the cocktail landscape.
Founded by the bar-centric CLASS magazine in 2003, the highly anticipated CLASS Bar Awards is the longest-running UK bar industry ceremony. Judged by a group of 100 bar experts from across the country, the CLASS Bar Awards 2023 “recognises the talent, achievements and diversity of the UK bar scene.” And representatives from the UK’s leading bars attended Battersea Arts Centre in London on Tuesday to learn who the big winners (and losers) were this year.
Passing Fancies was the big winner in Birmingham taking home two prizes. It was not only voted the ‘Best Bar in the Midlands & East Anglia’, but also the best ‘New Bar of the Year’. Having launched only launched last autumn, owners Tommy Matthews, Matt Arnold and Eve Green are making big waves on the scene. (Back in February it featured on the Top 50 Cocktail Bars list.)
The Digbeth bar is a laidback affair and describes the vibe as like a “kitchen at a house party”. There’s no real theme but serves ingredient-led cocktails that draw on the latest bar lab techniques. Essentially, it lets the cocktails do the talking! Constant changes to the menu keep attendees on their toes, with the bar’s name a nod to this constant evolution: A vow by the owners to move with the times.
It wasn’t the only winner in Birmingham, however. Despite missing out on the ‘Best Bar in the Midlands & East Anglia’, Couch went on to shine later in the evening. The bar’s Courtney Francis took home the ‘Emerging Bartender of the Year’ award. The big winner for the evening though was Manchester’s Schofield’s Bar in Manchester. Not only taking home ‘Bar of the Year’ for the second time running. But also ‘Best Bar in the North’.
The full list of CLASS Bar Awards 2023 winners and finalists
Social Media Presence of the Year sponsored by Villa Sandi
Winner Junkyard Golf Club, nationwide sites
Scarfes Bar, London
Cahoots, London
Mr Fogg’s, London
Front of House Star of the Year sponsored by Rabbit Hole
Winner Cristiana Pirinu, The Donovan Bar, London
Antonio Galetta, Lyaness, London
Liana Oster, The Nomad Hotel, London
Enzo Sigaut, Beaufort Bar and American Bar at The Savoy, London
Sustainable Practices Award sponsored by Avallen Calvados
Winner Ugly Butterfly, Saint Ives
Henrock, Windermere
The American Bar, Gleneagles Hotel, Auchterarder
Christina’s Shoreditch, London
Emerging Bartender of the Year sponsored by La Hechicera
Winner Courtney Francis, Couch, Birmingham
Rebecca Bird, Freelance, Bournemouth
Drew Fleming, Kiki Lounge, Douglas
Ewan Grieve, Lab 22, Cardiff
Bar Manager of the Year sponsored by Italicus
Winner James Wheeler, Lyaness, London
Stefanie Anderson, Gleneagles Townhouse, Edinburgh
Jacob Clarke, Couch, Birmingham
Josh Linfitt, Ugly Butterfly, Saint Ives
Bar Employer of the Year sponsored by The Lost Explorer
Winner Speakeasy Entertainment, London
Kiki Lounge, Douglas
Lab 22, Cardiff
Junkyard Golf Club, London
Cocktail of the Year sponsored by Lanique
Winner Irish Coffee, Swift, London
Coriander Seed Gimlet, Seed Library, One Hundred Shoreditch, London
Buck Fast, Die Young, Lab 22, Cardiff
Kazimir, A Bar With Shapes For A Name, London
Drinks Menu of the Year sponsored by Franklin & Sons
Winner Ancestral Cookbook, Lyaness, London
Theories + Frontiers, Lab 22, Cardiff
Silverleaf Menu, Silverleaf, London
Transcend, Panda & Sons, Edinburgh
Bar Food Menu of the Year sponsored by Altamura Vodka
Winner Tayēr + Elementary, London
Passing Fancies, Birmingham
Side Hustle, Nomad, London
Sterling, Stock Exchange, Manchester
Specialist Bar of the Year sponsored by Sipello
Winner Hacha, London
Hey Palu, Edinburgh
KOL Mezcaleria, London
Ojo Rojo, Bournemouth
Hotel Bar of the Year sponsored by Everleaf Drinks
Winner Connaught Bar, The Connaught, London
Lyaness, Sea Containers, London
American Bar, The Savoy, London
Silverleaf, Pan Pacific, London
Best Bar in the North sponsored by The Busker
Winner Schofield’s Bar, Manchester
Tabula Rasa, Leeds
Speak in Code, Manchester
Blinker, Manchester
Best Bar in the Midlands & East Anglia sponsored by The Busker
Winner Passing Fancies, Birmingham
Couch, Birmingham
Fox and Chance, Birmingham
400 Rabbits, Nottingham
Best Bar in Wales & West sponsored by The Busker
Winner Lab 22, Cardiff
Ojo Rojo, Bournemouth
Filthy XIII, Bristol
Ugly Butterfly, Saint Ives
Best Bar in London & the South East sponsored by The Busker
Winner Satan’s Whiskers, London
Seed Library, One Hundred Shoreditch, London
Swift, London
Tayēr + Elementary, London
Best Bar in Scotland & Northern Ireland sponsored by The Busker
Winner Hey Palu, Edinburgh
Lucky Liquor, Edinburgh
The Gate, Glasgow
Panda & Sons, Edinburgh
Bar of the Year sponsored by Stauning Whisky
Winner Schofield’s Bar, Manchester
New Bar of the Year sponsored by Hapusa Gin
Winner Passing Fancies, Birmingham
Blinker, Manchester
Seed Library, One Hundred Shoreditch, London
Sterling, Manchester
Bartender of the Year sponsored by Savoia Americano
Winner Mia Kumari, American Bar, The Savoy, London
Rachel Orange, Schofield’s Bar, Manchester
Filippos Filippopoulos, Tabula Rasa, Leeds
Tommy Matthews, Passing Fancies, Birmingham
Bar Innovator of the Year sponsored by Paragon
Winner Iain McPherson, Panda & Sons, Edinburgh
Monica Berg and Alex Kratena, Tayēr + Elementary, London
Tommy Matthews, Passing Fancies, Birmingham
Joe and Daniel Schofield, Schofield’s Bar, Manchester