Melbourne bars won big on Tuesday night (19 September) at the 2017 Australian Bar Awards in Sydney.

Winners on the night were Bad Frankie (Small Bar of the Year), Embla (Wine Bar of the Year), Above Board (New Bar of the Year), Black Pearl (Cocktail Bar of the Year), Boilermaker House (Best Specialty Beer Venue) and Whisky & Alement (Whisky Bar of the Year).

The Beaufort won Best Victorian Bar. Owner of the Beaufort, Dave Kerr, was named in the Top Ten Most Influential List along with fellow Melburnians, Tash Conte (Black Pearl) and Michael Madrusan (The Everleigh, Heartbreaker).

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Four Pillars Gin’s Samuel Ng picked up Brand Ambassador of the Year while The Emerson was voted Nightclub of the Year.

Australian Bartender Magazine’s Bar Awards are the industry’s most respected independent awards of their kind. Finalists were chosen after a round of public voting, but the overall winners were chosen by their fellow finalists.

Daniel Gregory from Brisbane bar Canvas won Bartender of the Year, with New South Wales’ Jonothan Carr (Kittyhawk) and James Irvine (Swillhouse Group) in second and third place, respectively.

Sydney bar The Baxter Inn was named Bar of the Year.

Australian Bartender Magazine Bar Awards 2017 Winners

Bartender of the Year
Winner: Daniel Gregory
Second Place: Jonothan Carr
Third Place: James Irvine

Bar of the Year – State Awards:
ACT: Highball Express
NSW: The Baxter Inn
NT: Lazy Susan’s
QLD: Cobbler
SA: Hains & Co
TAS: Salamanca
VIC: The Beaufort
WA: Mechanics Institute

Cocktail Bar of the Year – State Awards:
ACT: Bar Rochford
NSW: PS40
NT: The Pearl
QLD: Seymour’s Cocktails & Oysters
SA: Maybe Mae
TAS: Robbie Brown’s
VIC: Black Pearl
WA: Dominion League

Cocktail List of the Year:
PS40, Sydney

Rookie of the Year:
Ella Rhodes, Cobbler

Live Music Bar of the Year:
Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall, Brisbane

Bar Operator of the Year:
Jared Merlino, Sydney

Small Bar of the Year:
Bad Frankie, Melbourne

Wine Bar of the Year:
Embla, Melbourne

Outstanding Contribution Award:
Mike Enright (The Barber Shop)

New Bar of the Year:
Above Board, Melbourne

Hotel Bar of the Year:
Eau de Vie, Sydney

Cocktail Bar of the Year:
Black Pearl, Melbourne

Whisky Bar of the Year:
Whisky & Alement, Melbourne

Best Sustainable Bar Program:
Charlie Parker’s, Sydney

Rum Bar of the Year:
The Lobo Plantation, Sydney

Bar Team of the Year:
The Gresham, Brisbane

Bar Manager of the Year:
Dimitri Rtshiladze, Mechanics Institute

Nightclub of the Year:
The Emerson, Melbourne

Regional Bar of the Year:
Dulcie’s Cottage, Merimbula

Pub Operator of the Year:
Merivale

Best Bar Food:
Seymour’s Cocktails & Oysters, Brisbane

Training Program of the Year:
The Exchange/The Blend CCA & Beam Suntory

Brand Ambassador of the Year:
Samuel Ng, Four Pillars Gin

Restaurant Bar of the Year:
Restaurant Hubert, Sydney

Best Specialty Beer Venue:
Boilermaker House, Melbourne

New Pub of the Year:
The Dolphin, Sydney

The Phil Bayly Award for Tequila Bar of the Year:
Tio’s Cerveceria, Sydney

Gin of the Year:
The Barber Shop, Sydney

Best Bartender’s Bar:
Big Poppa’s, Sydney

Bar of the Year:
The Baxter Inn, Sydney

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