Here’s something to brighten the January mood – the longlist of nominees that are in the running for the 2025 Glasgow Bar Awards!
Due to be presented at this year’s Bartender’s Ball, being held on Monday 17th February at Saint Luke’s in the city’s east end, this year’s awards will cover 12 categories, all peer-nominated by bartenders and voted on by the public.
Alongside well-established categories like Best Bar, Best Pub and Best Cocktail, there are new classes for Best Late Bar and Best Restaurant Bar.
This year’s Best Pub nominees include west end favourites Inn Deep and Òran Mór; the historic Old Toll Bar; and the ever-popular Pot Still, run by the Murphy family.
The Best Bar category longlist includes recently opened Vodka Wodka Merchant City, the evolved Devil of Brooklyn, and top cocktail venues such as Kelvingrove Café, The Gate, and Absent Ear.
For the cocktail award itself, creations like the Miller Street Slipper from Sebb’s, the Nitro Jazz from West Side Tavern, and the Steinbeck from The Last Bookstore are among the drinks nominated for glory.
If your favourite hasn’t made the longlist, there’s still time to cast your vote. Nominations across all 12 categories remain open until midnight on Sunday, 2nd February 2025, via this voting link.
Both the Glasgow Bar Awards and the Bartender’s Ball are organised by Backs! Hospitality, a community interest company founded by David Smillie and Alex Riches.
Proceeds from ticket sales will support initiatives for the next generation of bartending talent, including training, mentorship, and networking opportunities.
The 2025 Long List as it currently stands…
Best Bar Top 15:
Absent Ear
Chinaskis
Daddy Marmalades
Devil of Brooklyn
Jack’s Bar at Dakota Hotel
Kelvingrove Café
La Jupe
Lunar
Malo
Moskito
Red Sky Bar at Radisson Red
Tabac
The Gate
The Locale
Vodka Wodka (Merchant City)
Best Pub Top 15:
Church on the Hill
Dram
Drygate
Inn Deep
Innis & Gunn West Nile Street
Kitty O’Sheas
Koelschip Yard
Malone’s
Old Toll Bar
Òran Mór
Pot Still
Redmond’s of Dennistoun
The Lismore
The Palais Bar
The Piper
Best Restaurant Bar:
Bar Vini
Bar Brett
Crabshakk Botanics
Derby Lane
Five March
Gaga
Gaucho
Porter & Rye
Roya
Sebb’s
Sugo
The Finnieston
The Gannet
Ubiquitous Chip
West Side Tavern
Best Drink Top 15:
Aphrodite – Devil Of Brooklyn
Auld Lang Seine – La Jupe
Chimichurri Margarita – Gaucho
Grand Anju – Lunar
Gimlet – Gaga
Glass Tears – Tabac
Jack Aitken – Jack’s Bar
Miller Street Slipper – Sebb’s
Nitro Jazz – West Side Tavern
Pinyin Pastries – Daddy Marmalades
Pisco Blank Canvas – Absent Ear
Shepherd’s Delight – The Gate
Solero – The Social
Space Ghetto – Saint Luke’s
Steinbeck – Last Bookstore
