Harpers spoke to Iain McPherson, owner of award-winning Edinburgh cocktail bar Panda & Sons, about the evolution of both the city’s bar scene and his enchanting, underground speakeasy.
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The Pinnacle Guide – the recognition system that awards the globe’s top cocktail bars – has unveiled that seven venues have moved up from one Pin to two Pins as part of the guide’s first ever renewal process.
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Equal Measures – the non-profit dedicated to delivering equity, diversity & inclusion (EDI) across the drinks sector – has announced a special charity auction set to take place Tuesday 1 September.
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Nestled in the Derbyshire Dales, Bakewell has gained a new restaurant-cum-cocktail bar, The Charleston. It’s the newest hospo venture from Peak District group Longbow Venues. Drawing inspiration from 1920s glitz, Longbow has brought the previously long-vacant Grade-II listed bank building back to life. The upstairs restaurant overlooks the historic market town, where diners are encouraged to sample the best of domestic produce. Wine is sourced by a Harpers 50 Best Indies 2026 merchant – Bakewell’s own Hattersley Wines. In the main restaurant bespoke artwork, elegant drapery and funky furniture provide a dose of escapism for patrons. The building’s original bank vault hosts private dining room The Speakeasy while pre and post-prandial creations can be enjoyed at The Charleston’s cocktail bar.
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Sake has spent the past decade or so winning over sommeliers, Michelin-starred kitchens and a devoted niche of Western drinkers. What it has not yet done is become an everyday choice in the wider restaurant trade: the sort of drink ordered in a wine bar or paired with a tasting menu as naturally as a Chablis or a Barbera.
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I’m being asked about pisco a lot at the moment, and the question is almost always some version of: “what’s going on?” Demand is up, producers from Peru and Chile are putting real money behind UK pushes, and suddenly a spirit that’s quietly sat on cocktail menus for decades is being talked about like the latest hot, new tipple.
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The WSTA has unveiled sales statistics from its new Sip 2 report which show that for 2025, off-trade sales for the ready to drink (RTD) category rose +17% year on year in terms of value.
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Vibrant and ever-evolving, the UK’s cocktail scene draws on a variety of influences, while being shaped by its fair share of challenges, particularly in the last few years. Mindful of this, Harpers called on a cross-section of the country’s spirits companies to weigh in on the latest cocktail trends – and the prevailing headwinds too.
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How was Spiribam founded and what is the ethos of the company?
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Pernod Ricard-owned Cognac house Martell has launched an AI-powered ‘virtual bartender’, claiming to be the first brand in the category to do so.
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Brighton Cocktail Festival has announced that it is returning for its second year of city-wide celebrations, running from 18 to 27 September.
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Opening in March, this Ukrainian-founded cocktail bar describes itself as “method-driven”, with its signature technique – the loggerhead or flip-dog – involving plunging a 1200°C iron poker into its cocktails to caramelise sugars in the drinks, intensifying flavours and enhancing textures. Complementing these cocktails will be a seasonal sharing menu, inspired by both eastern Europe and Asia. In the heart of Old Street, the bar was designed by Kyiv-based YOD Group and is structured around two different levels – the first a 20-cover space on the ground floor, inspired by pop-up installations, and the second a quieter and “more refined” 80-seat lower level.
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Reincarnation is the theme for Automat, with the Mayfair venue having recently reopened its doors on the neighbourhood’s Mount Street. In line with the original Dover Street venue – a popular noughties haunt – the restaurant will transport diners to a different era, with New York early and mid-century dining the modus operandi of the sophisticated new eatery. Akin to a speakeasy, it is accessed via luxury leather goods store Tanner Krole. Upon arrival diners will be met with dishes that combine culinary nostalgia with Mayfair nuance. Burgers, lobster rolls and steak tartare can be washed down with timeless American cocktails – a Dirty Martini, anyone? An international wine list, including a curation of US wines, rounds out the Automat experience. Opening in 2026 alongside is a lower-ground dining space named Sporting Club.
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Peru’s pisco producers have been dipping their collective toes in the UK market for some time, with embassy-backed London tastings attracting small but growing numbers from the trade. At the latest event, though, at the In & Out Club this December, there was a new focus as to the possibilities for pisco – and especially the premium propositions – to grow as an exciting ‘new’ category on back bars and independent merchant shelves in Britain.
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Looking back, 2025 was another stinker of a year for the spirits and hospitality industries; a rollercoaster ride punctuated by a bad business environment, consumers having less disposable income, and venues closing their doors at an unprecedented rate. With that out the way, it’s time to look ahead to 2026 – as we thoroughly cheer the fact that 2025 is over and done with. So, with just a dash of optimism and foresight, what will be pouring into our glasses and being enjoyed in-venue next year? I have a few ideas.
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Andrew Catchpole catches up with Tasha Iny, recently appointed champion of all things tequila and mezcal at world-leading category driver Proximo.
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Port’s postprandial image is one that has long buoyed UK sales for the Douro’s array of fortified wine producers. However, with changing tastes come changing demands. Although there will remain a strong appetite for traditional expressions of the category, Port houses both established and new are looking to appeal to a younger demographic who may be only just commencing their Port journey. Harpers spoke to producers who ply their trade in the steep-hilled valley to determine how they are seeking to appeal to this disruptive demographic.
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According to the seventh annual Bacardi Cocktail Trends Report, Gen Z is driving cocktail culture in the UK.
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Norway’s Felice Capasso has won the title of World Class Global Bartender of the Year 2025 at the Toronto-hosted annual ceremony.
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Having competed in the past three years of World Class GB, 2025’s winner Emanuele Mensah has some perspective on how Diageo’s bartender competition is evolving, and how it reflects broader industry trends.
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