An event which will undoubtedly be the highlight of this month’s hospitality industry calendar is the 2025 Edinburgh Bar Awards, which has just published its longlist of nominees under consideration for a prize.
Now in its second year in the Scottish capital, the awards will culminate in the Edinburgh Bartenders’ Ball, at The Biscuit Factory on Monday 22nd September 2025.
Promising ‘an end-of-summer blowout like no other’, the Ball will bring together Edinburgh’s bar community for a night of cocktails, music, food, and celebration.
This year, over 150 bars, bartenders, and hospitality stars have made the Bar Awards longlist across 11 categories, following an ‘overwhelming’ public response to nominations.
The longlist is described as a ‘true showcase of the people and places that make Edinburgh one of the world’s leading drinking destinations’.
It will be narrowed down to five finalists per category, with results decided by a 50/50 public and trade vote. The final winners will be announced at the Bartenders’ Ball.
Co-founder and organiser of the Bar Awards and Bartender’s Ball, David Smillie, said: “Edinburgh is home to some of the best bars and bartenders in the world, and this year’s Edinburgh Bar Awards longlist proves it.
“This city’s talent, creativity and community spirit is unmatched, and the Bartenders’ Ball is our chance to celebrate that together in style.
“We can’t wait to welcome everyone to The Biscuit Factory this month for what promises to be the ultimate industry party.”
Tickets for the Edinburgh Bartenders’ Ball include complimentary drinks, food, entertainment, and a ‘night of celebration’.
2025 Categories & Longlist
Best Bar:
4042; Bittersweet; Bramble; Chancho; Dragonfly; Hey Palu; Lucky Liquor; Old Pal; Panda & Sons; The Bonnington; The Cocktail Geeks; The Powder Room; The Raging Bull; The Volley Leith; Uno Mas.
Best Pub:
Athletic Arms (Diggers); Bennets of Morningside; The Black Cat; The Bonnington; The Finch; The Golden Rule; The Hanging Bat; Joker & The Thief; Kay’s Bar; Malt & Hops; The Mother Superior; Nauticus; The Oxford Bar; St Vincent Bar; Teuchters (Landing & West End).
Best Restaurant Bar:
The Alchemist; Bittersweet; Bonnie & Wild; Copper Blossom; The Devil’s Advocate; Hawksmoor; Leith Depot; Little Capo; Lucky Yu; Old Pal; Paradise Palms; Smith & Gertrude; Tipo; The Bonnington; Voyage of Buck.
Best Bar Team:
Bramble; The Bonnington; The Cocktail Geeks; The Mother Superior; Hey Palu; Lucky Liquor; Nauticus; Nightcap; Old Pal; Panda & Sons; The Powder Room; The Raging Bull; The Three Sisters; Voodoo Rooms; West Port Oracle.
Best Late Night Venue:
4042; Banshee Labyrinth; Liquid Rooms; The Jazz Bar; The Mother Superior; Nightcap; NQ64; Paradise Palms; The Raging Bull; Sneaky Pete’s; Stramash; The Street; Tonic; Uno Mas; The Voodoo Rooms.
Unsung Hero:
Adam Fraser Gray (Herman); Anthony Crowther; Ben Leslie; Cam Chittleborough; Cullen Hutchison; Dom Cummings; Fiona Hamilton; Gavin Whyte; Jane Ross; Kaelum-Ian Mullen; Kristaps Baranovs; Logan Pope; Mon Nelson; Sam Baxendale; Sian Buchan.
Rising Star:
Cal Lister; Cameron Finlay; Emily Weston; Flora Luckman; Freja Kemp; Jack Smith; Ketan Mackenzie; Levi Reed; Logan Pope; Noah French; Pierre Martin; Saul Lavelle; Walt Webster-Curran.
Best Shake:
Alessia Impedovo; Ben Jones; Cameron Chittleborough; Connor Bleakley; Fowwaz Ansari; Jake Harris; Jay Braby; Kielan Davidson; Logan Pope; Pierre Martin; Sam Baxendale; Sam Milne; Saul Lavelle; Stuart McBain; Toby Peters.
Best Cocktail:
Baltic Bru; Bramble; Coco Colada; Feta Mezcal Negroni; Indominous; Make Love Not Warcraft; Paper Dragon; The Perfect Pear; Port Hayward; Porridge Colada; Spicy Peach Margarita; Spring Fizz; Stinger; Sweet Manhattan; Yuzu Margarita.
Social Star:
Ben Greig; Camille Le Courtois; Carrie Smith; Chloe Archibald-Ansari; Chloe Yeung; Gracie Goggins; Groundskeeper (Murray Tait); Kaelum Mullen; Lara Sinclair; Millie Harley; Rachel Dixon; Ross Lawrie; Ryan Snedden; Tasha Corfield; Cal Lister.
Far Side of the Bar:
Adam Murphy; Ashton Williamson; Connie Macdonald; Damian Koval; Dan Bartley; Dana Crombie; Ellie Raeside; Josh Knox; Kaitlin Wilkes; Mike McGinty; Niamh Savage; Ross Lawrie; Ruth Mason; Ryan Snedden; Stevie Aitken.
