The fourth annual Bartending Accolades & Recognition (BAR) Awards took place in Cape Town on March 25 and one of the Mother City’s very own bars scooped up SA’s top spot.
On top of this accolade the creative alcohol emporium also managed to take home the ‘Bar Team of The Year’ award too.
Here’s why the local favourite Cause Effect Cocktail Kitchen earned this coveted spot:
The awards are intended to celebrate the best in South Africa’s cocktail industry – from the best bars and best brands to the best mixologists who have devoted countless hours to perfecting their craft.
Nominations and judging for each category of the awards is managed by a pool of the biggest role-players in the F&B, hospitality and spirit industries.
South Africa’s current Diageo World Class Bartender of the Year, drinks consultant, owner of The Perfect Serve mobile bar service and B.A.R Awards founder, Travis Kuhn explains that the BAR Awards strive to acknowledge the brands and mixologists that make the SA cocktail industry a contender on the global stage.
Another much-loved local spot, The House of Machines also won High-Volume Cocktail Bar of the Year for their sheer number of cocktails served.
“The B.A.R Awards is a celebration of each and every person and brand in the industry who make meaningful contributions to the trade, but an even bigger congratulations must go to those who have stood out enough to receive special recognition as voted for by their peers,” says Kuhn.
Outgoing 2018 winners Raymond Endean of Orphanage Cocktail Emporium, Denzel Heath of Mootee Bar and Julian Short of Sin + Tax, agree that events like the B.A.R Awards “stir up a healthy sense of competition”, “keep us motivated and hungry to be better” and “give us something to aspire to.” Bradley Jacobs from Diageo says that the acknowledgement of the Awards “in an industry we are passionate about and love so much, which we dedicate our lives to, is really something very special”.
In addition to the great support offered by The Entertainer, everyone’s favourite 2-for-1 hospitality app, the fourth annual B.A.R Awards was also backed by The House of Angostura, Jose Cuervo Tradicional, 1800 Tequila, Remy Cointreau, Buffalo Trace, Skyy Vodka, Espolon, Inverroche, Monkey Shoulder, Monin, Dewars, Pernod Ricard and Diageo World Class – all committed to the growth of the industry and recognising the best in the business.
Planning for the 2020 event will get underway shortly as the entire industry turns it’s gaze to the movers and shakers of 2019 for voting in the new year.
The 2019 categories and respective winners are:
Bar Team of the Year Cause Effect Cocktail Kitchen
International Footprint Award Sumaiyah Connolly and Travis Kuhn
Bartender Newcomer of the Year Alecs Besier and Nkuli Khanyile
Social Media Award Peter Lebese
High-Volume Cocktail Bar of the Year The House of Machines
Hotel Bar of the Year Bascule Bar, Cape Grace
Mobile Bar Operator of the Year Molecular Bars
Media Contributor of the Year Leah van Deventer
Pop Up Bar of the Year The Polynesian Pearl Diver
Mentor of the Year Cassandra Eichhoff
Brand Campaign of the Year Diageo World Class
Best New Cocktail Bar The Art of Duplicity
Bartenders Brand of the Year Bulleit Bourbon
Cocktail Bar of the Year Cause Effect Cocktail Kitchen
Brand Ambassador of the Year Caitlin Hill (Remy Cointreau) and Jody Francis (Inverroche)
Bartender of the Year Travis Kuhn
Pictures: Facebook/Supplied