Iain McPherson of Panda & Sons in Edinburgh has been announced as winner of this year’s Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award, an honour based on the votes of staff from The World’s 50 Best Bars, a list selected annually with sponsorship from Perrier.
Asked to name one peer who pushes the limits of what it means to be a great bartender, and who has made a significant impact in the global bar sector over the voting period, bartenders from those 50 Best Bars settled on McPherson for his ‘unparallelled innovation, sincere transparency and passion for Scottish hospitality’.
Iain’s hospitality career began in The Voodoo Rooms in Edinburgh, where he joined as a bar back in 2007, working alongside some of the era’s most esteemed bartending talent.
Just six years later, he opened his first bar, Panda & Sons, in the capital, hidden behind a vintage barbershop frontage on Queen Street, which rapidly attracted acclaim for both its innovation and drinks.
In 2015, Iain opened Hoot the Redeemer in the city, and in 2018, launched Nauticus in Edinburgh’s port town of Leith to champion Scottish produce and Scottish producers. Earlier this year, Iain was also integral in founding the first Edinburgh Bar Show to inspire, educate, entertain and unite the Scottish bar community and showcase the city’s hospitality offering.
Iain’s mission to expand the flavour spectrum through sub-zero experimentation has revolutionised the bar world’s approach to freezing and its impact on flavour. While the latest Panda & Sons menu, Transcend, has garnered much international acclaim for its outstanding presentation of his groundbreaking techniques, Iain’s scientific creativity is rivalled only by his commitment to knowledge-sharing within his industry.
He offers full transparency on his proprietary techniques and travels the world hosting seminars and masterclasses to fuel cocktail innovation for everyone.
Panda & Sons itself joined The World’s Best Bars list in 2018 at No.61, the first bar from Scotland ever to do so other than the iconic Bramble, and has subsequently risen through the ranks, placing at No.39 in 2023. In 2021, Nauticus joined the 50 Best Discovery list, the digital database of hospitality venues created by votes from the 50 Best Academies, which acts as an extension of the annual 50 Best rankings
Head of Content for The World’s 50 Best Bars, Emma Sleight, said: “We are delighted to unveil Iain McPherson as the winner of this year’s Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award. He is renowned for his contribution to cocktail excellence and innovation, and his commitment to education within the industry (as well as his signature panda accessories).
“His sincere advocacy for Edinburgh’s hospitality industry demonstrates the most important attributes of a true Bartenders’ Bartender.”
McPherson commented: “I am overwhelmingly full of gratitude to be named this year’s Altos Bartenders’ Bartender. How meaningful it is to be nominated by the people that I look up to and admire daily – a true honour.
“Awards, especially one like this, are never truly an ‘individual’ effort but a reflective accolade of the creative, collaborative, driven and passionate team at Panda & Sons,” he continued.
“They continuously inspire me and together we have pushed boundaries, creating magic for all. It’s always a huge honour to be representing bonnie wee Scotland on the international bartending stage and I believe this award also shines a light on what an amazing bar scene we have in Edinburgh.”
Global advocacy & PR manager for Altos Tequila, Carlos Andrés Ramirez, added: “For the Altos Tequila and Altos Tahona Society family, it has been a priority to support bartenders on scaling up their careers. We want to congratulate our friend Iain McPherson from Panda and Sons in Edinburgh on winning the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award as part of The Worlds 50 Best Bars 2024. We are so happy to see this recognition to one of our favourite bartenders in Scotland!”
Back in 2017, the inaugural winner of the Bartenders’ Bartender Award was Iain Griffiths of London’s Dandelyan. Subsequent winners include Joe Schofield, then of Tippling Club in Singapore, in 2018; Monica Berg of Tayēr + Elementary, London, in 2019; Renato ‘Tato’ Giovannoni, of Florería Atlántico, Buenos Aires, in 2020; Lynnette Marrero of Llama Inn, New York, in 2021; Jean Trinh of Alquímico, Cartagena, Colombia in 2022; and GN Chan of Double Chicken Please, New York, in 2023.
The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024 will be announced at an awards ceremony in Madrid, Spain, on Tuesday 22 October, 2024, and broadcast live to a global audience. Bars and cocktail lovers are invited to join through The World’s 50 Best Bars Facebook page and 50 Best Bars TV channel on YouTube.
