Welcome to Jigger Daily, your all-in-one newsletter for bars and bartenders!

Here's what's in store for this issue (and more!):

• 🍸 The best North American and British bars
• 🍹 The most popular classic cocktails
• 📍 Pins
• 🦫 A cocktail cabin
• 🏆 Mixology competitions
• 🍊 A new mixer
• 🗽 Travel ideas
• ⛓ Cocktail hacks
• 🥣 A Sunday drinking statistic
• 🍺 Pubs that aren’t Irish

And much more!

🍹 Fever-Tree launches its Sparkling Pink Grapefruit!

Fever-Tree, the #1 mixer from the Brand Report by Drinks International for 10 consecutive years, is expanding its range with a brand-new creation: Sparkling Pink Grapefruit! Made from the finest pink grapefruits, handpicked in the Alicante region of Spain, it will be your go-to mixer to elevate tequila- and mezcal-based recipes, especially with Paloma Day coming up on May 22!

If 3/4 of your cocktail is a mixer, choose the best!

ALCOHOL ABUSE IS DANGEROUS FOR YOUR HEALTH. PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY.

🏅 Top Bars & Cocktails

Top Cocktails

Drinks International has revealed the new edition of its annual ranking of the world’s most popular classic cocktails, based on a survey of award-winning or nominated bars (e.g., 50 Best Bars, Spirited Awards, Top 500 Bars, etc.) worldwide. The list features 50 cocktails, with the Negroni at the top, followed by the Old-Fashioned (2nd) and the Margarita (3rd). The Espresso Martini and the Daiquiri round out the Top 5, while the Spritz ranks 8th and the Moscow Mule 10th – Source

Pins

The Pinnacle Guide, a new international cocktail bar guide inspired by the Michelin star system, has announced its very first selection of award-winning bars. A total of 37 bars earned the first Pins given out at the launch, with 12 bars receiving 2 Pins and 25 bars earning 1 Pin. However, no bar has yet received the highest accolade of 3 Pins. Among the honored establishments are Paradiso (Barcelona), Panda & Sons (Edinburgh), Atlas (Singapore), Sexy Fish (London and Manchester), The Dead Rabbit (New York), and many others – Source

50 Best Bars

At the end of April, Handshake Speakeasy (Mexico) was crowned the best bar in North America at the North America's 50 Best Bars 2024 ceremony. Completing the top three are the newcomer Superbueno (New York) in second place and Overstory (also in New York) in third. Ranked 21st, Civil Liberties (Toronto) was named the best bar in Canada. Overall, the list includes 26 bars from the United States, 15 from Mexico, 7 from Canada, and 2 from the Caribbean – Source

As for Asia, the Asia's 50 Best Bars will return to Hong Kong for their 9th edition on July 16. The ceremony will be broadcast live on its YouTube channel and on Facebook. Last year, Coa once again took the top spot (read more here) in this regional ranking – Source

CLASS Bar Awards

In the UK, Satan's Whiskers was named Best Bar in the United Kingdom at the CLASS Bar Awards 2024 (April 16), while Panda & Sons (Edinburgh) took the title of Best Bar in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and Kwãnt (London) was honored as New Bar of the Year – Source

Margarita XXL

In the unusual category, Ghost Tequila set a new world record in Miami by making the largest “Perfectly Spicy” Margarita, served in a giant 3-meter-tall glass with a capacity of 473 liters (including large ice cubes)! The 1,480 people in attendance were then able to enjoy the drink (no waste!) – Source

🍸 Bar People

Castor Club

For 12 years, the Castor Club has been flying the cocktail bar flag in the Latin Quarter. For Barnews, its founder Thomas Codsi looked back on how the bar was opened and conceived, considering the scene back then… – Read more

Margot Combat Cocktail Club

Margot Lecarpentier, now head mixologist for the Alain Ducasse group, has launched her Margot Combat Cocktail Club (aka MCCC), a pop-up bar open every Thursday night until July 18 at the Dali restaurant in the Le Meurice hotel in Paris. They’re serving eight cocktails, including one non-alcoholic option (€24 to €42), revisiting classics such as the Cosmopolitan, the Vieux Carré, the Negroni, or even the Midori Sour, with table service for certain cocktails by Margot Lecarpentier herself – Source

Povera

Maxime Potfer (Sand Bar Consulting / Experimental Group) will open his own cocktail bar. It will be located in Nice, with the opening planned for this summer. It’s called Povera – Source

Glenfiddich

Glenfiddich has a new brand ambassador for France. Florian Henry-Londé (formerly of Grey Goose) succeeds Jérôme Kaftandjian, who held the position for almost 4 years – Source

🗽 Bar crawl international

USA

If you’re traveling to the United States soon, Punch has published a series of City Guides to suggest places to discover great cocktails, with details, anecdotes, and mouthwatering photos. In short, it’s nicely put together! Guides are available for New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and New Orleans – Source

Rome

Closer to home, if you’re planning a trip to Rome, Condé Nast has compiled a list of the city’s 23 best bars, including Drink Kong (21st in the 50 Best Bars 2023) and some lesser-known spots – Source

🏆 Competitions

Results

• Last week was the international final of the PATRÓN Perfectionists competition. It was won by the Briton Nathan Price – Source
• Elise Hanson, Bar Manager at Bar Raval in Toronto (Canada), won the Most Imaginative Bartender 2024 contest organized by Bombay Sapphire – Source

Coming up

• Gabriel Boudier has announced the return of its liqueur creation competition (Wizard Awards), with French bartenders participating for the first time this year. The winning liqueur will join the Maison’s 2025 range – Source
• Flor de Caña Rum has launched the 2024 edition of its Sustainable Cocktail Challenge. Registrations (including for France) are open until the end of June – Source

👔 Bar Business

France Bartender Report

On the influence of bartenders: according to a new report entitled France Bartender Report, based on a survey of 150 bartenders, 72% say they recommend specific drinks to their guests at least once per shift, and those guests follow these recommendations 66% of the time. Meanwhile, 26% of cocktail consumers confirm that bartender suggestions influence their choice more than friends’ recommendations (24%), among others – Source

Sunday Cocktails

According to CGA`s Cocktail Sales Tracker, U.S. cocktail sales on Sundays and during daytime increased in Q4 2023. Sales on Sundays jumped by +19%, while the 11 a.m.–3 p.m. and 3 p.m.–6 p.m. slots rose by +5% and +7% compared to the previous year. At the same time, evening and late-night sales declined by -2% and -4% – Source

Pubs

Did you know? Ireland is the 3rd country in the world in terms of pubs per capita. But who are the top two? According to a study by the Health Research Board, they are Slovakia and Hungary – Source

📚 To watch, read, or listen

Cocktails hacks

For those who love cocktails hacks, Kevin Kos has released a video dedicated to the topic, explaining around twenty different tips. These include using saline solution or baking soda to balance a recipe, using a small chain to clean a bottle, repurposing a two-spout filter holder to serve two cocktails at once, or even using a strainer to separate egg whites – Watch

Clarification & co

Campari Academy has posted a one-hour-plus masterclass on its YouTube channel hosted by Nico De Soto about clarification and Milk Punches. The discussion focuses on techniques and ingredients used (agar-agar, gelatin, pectin, sous vide, whole milk, citrus), associated challenges, preserving the flavor profile, and more, as well as the importance of following health regulations and proper storage guidelines – Watch

Podcasts

Finally, in podcasts:

• Georgie Bell, co-founder of The Heart Cut, and Aurélie Panhelleux, co-founder of CopperBay bars in Paris and Marseille, were guests on The Cocktail Lovers – Listen
• Renato Tonelli (aka @sustainable_bartender), recently named Bartender of The Year at World Class US 2023, joined the latest episode of Bartender at Large to discuss sustainability and eco-consciousness behind the bar – Listen
• And Nico de Soto, once again, was on the mic for the Paris Cocktail Talk podcast to talk about the Xplorer Japan menu at Danico – Listen

📰 Press releases

• Talaé: when gastronomy meets the art of cocktails and spirits – Source
• Candid, the cocktail spot shaking up Northwest Paris! – Source
• On May 16, Lordy’s Paris Club invites you to savor The Macallan – Source

💌 That's all folks!

That’s all for this issue! Many thanks again to Fever-Tree for its support! (don’t forget, May 22 is Paloma Day)

If you enjoyed this newsletter, please feel free to share it with your colleagues, friends, or anyone else who might appreciate it!

On that note, have a great shift, and see you in June for the next edition!