And the Pussy goes to…..

So, the finalists for the Australian Bar Awards came out today, and to celebrate my acension from hobbyist to pseudo journalist, I thought I would relay the details of the first press release this blog has ever recieved.

My favourite has to be the Pussy award for Best New Venue Design, that inspired the title of my post. The list was formed by votes by folks in the industry, and winners will be picked by a panel of judges, just like Masterchef but with fewer tears.

The awards will be held  on Wednesday, 23rd September at the Gala Dinner thats attached to the Sydney Barshow. I hope I get invited….

There are plenty of Sydney venues and personalities on the list. I’ve put them in Italic to make them stand out a bit more.

Just to make what is, essentially, a great big list, a bit more fun, I will Bold the ones I’m picking as winners.

Bartender of the Year

If you would like the full list of finalists click here

Sponsored by Club Suntory

I’m going with Petr Dvorek, Lotus

Bar of the Year

Sponsored by Beam Global

• Golden Monkey, Melbourne

• Luxe Bar/bamBOO, Perth

• The Bowery, Brisbane

• Botanic Bar, Adelaide

• Byblos, Brisbane

• The Victoria Room, Sydney

•  Cookie, Melbourne

Cocktail Bar of the Year

Sponsored by Mixxit

• Black Pearl, Melbourne

• 1806, Melbourne

• Seamstress/SweatShop, Melbourne

• Blue Diamond, Melbourne

• Bayswater Brasserie, Sydney

• Der Raum, Melbourne

• The Lark, Brisbane

Operator of the Year (Multiple Venues)

Sponsored by: Customers ATM

• Hugos Group, Sydney

• Vernon Chalker, Melbourne

• Merivale Group, Sydney

• Keystone Hospitality, Sydney

• Katarzyna Group, Brisbane

• Taj Hospitality, Melbourne

• Nehme/Adonis Ghanem, Brisbane

Operator of the Year (Single Venue)

• Phil Bayly, Café Pacifico, Sydney

• Jason Chan and Anthony Herzog, Seamstress/SweatShop, Melbourne

• Perry Scott, The Lark, Brisbane

• Natasha Conte, Black Pearl, Melbourne

• Blake Ward, Martin Lange and Dustin Davis, SlingLounge, Brisbane

• Andy Freeman and Michelle Mok,Luxe/bamBOO, Perth

• Ben Walsh & Dan Rice, Goldfish, Sydney

Bar Team of the Year

Sponsored by:SIGNE

• Seamstress/SweatShop, Melbourne

• Black Pearl, Melbourne

• The Lark, Brisbane

• Blue Diamond, Melbourne

• The Beresford Hotel, Sydney

• 1806, Melbourne

• Emporium Hotel, Brisbane

Cocktail List of the Year

Sponsored by:Beefeater 24

• 1806, Melbourne

• Bayswater Brasserie, Sydney

• Seamstress/SweatShop, Melbourne

• Blue Diamond, Melbourne

• Black Pearl, Melbourne

• Emporium Hotel Cocktail Bar, Brisbane

• Der Raum, Melbourne

Registered Club of the Year

• Greenbank RSL, Brisbane

• Bondi Icebergs, Sydney

• Mt. Lawley Bowling Club, Perth

• Club Swans, Sydney

• Merthyr Bowls Club, Brisbane

• North Bondi RSL, Sydney

• St. Kilda RSL, Melbourne

New Bar of the Year

Sponsored by:Schweppes

• Hugos Manly, Sydney

• Goldfish, Sydney

• Berlin, Melbourne

• Emerald Peacock, Melbourne

• Match Bar & Grill, Melbourne

• Sky Room/Buffalo Club, Brisbane

• Spice Market, Melbourne

New Hotel of the Year

Sponsored by:Asahi

• Sugarmill, Sydney

• Hotel Tivoli, Adelaide

• Baden Powell, Melbourne

• The Beresford Hotel, Sydney

• Cloudland, Brisbane

• The Local Taphouse, Sydney

• Little Creatures Dining Hall, Melbourne

Hotel of the Year

Associate partner:British American Tobacco

• Ivy, Sydney

• The Brisbane, Perth

• theloft/Bungalow 8, Sydney

• Collins Quarter, Melbourne

• Crown & Sceptre, Adelaide

• establishment, Sydney

• The Maid & Magpie, Adelaide

Small Bar of the Year

Sponsored by:Coca-Cola Amatil

• Mesa Sangria, Adelaide

•  Low 302, Sydney

• Bacco, Sydney

• Gingerboy Upstairs, Melbourne

• Sticky, Sydney

• Lotus, Sydney

• Andaluz, Perth

• Murmur, Melbourne

Wine Bar of the Year

Sponsored by:Windowrie

• Must Wine Bar, Perth

• Gazebo Wine Garden, Sydney

• Melbourne Supper Club/Siglo, Melbourne

• Apothecary 1878, Adelaide

• 5ifth Element, Brisbane

• Anise, Brisbane

• Acqua e Vino, Melbourne

Best Specialty Beer Venue

• Cookie, Melbourne

• Australian Heritage Hotel, Sydney

• The Local Taphouse, Sydney

• The Local Taphouse, Melbourne

• The Wheatsheaf, Adelaide

• The Spotted Cow, Toowomba

• Redoak Boutique Beer Café, Sydney

Bar Manager of the Year

Sponsored by:Alchemy

• Andrew Emerson, Fringe Bar, Sydney

• Chris Stock, Golden Monkey, Melbourne

• Adrian Ruiz Avila, Seamstress/SweatShop,Melbourne

• Tim Wastell, Blue Diamond, Melbourne

• Russ McFadden, Match Bar & Grill, Melbourne

• Lucy George, Emporium Hotel Cocktail Bar, Brisbane

• Will Balleau, 5ifth Element, Brisbane

Nightclub of the Year

Sponsored by:AV Sound

• Hugos Lounge, Sydney

• Family, Brisbane

• Electric Circus, Adelaide

•  Eve, Melbourne

• Kit & Kaboodle, Sydney

• Sorry Grandma, Melbourne

• Ivy Change Room, Sydney

Best New Venue Design

Sponsored by:Pussy

• Cloudland, Brisbane

• Berlin, Melbourne

• Spice Market, Melbourne

• Match Bar & Grill, Melbourne

• The Beresford Hotel, Sydney

• Ivy Pool Club/Change Room, Sydney

• Sugarmill/Kit & Kaboodle, Sydney

Best Music Offering

Sponsored by:APRA|AMCOS

• Hugos Lounge, Sydney

• Ellingtons Jazz Club, Perth

• Family, Brisbane

• Oxford Art Factory, Sydney

• The Toff in Town, Melbourne

• Alumbra, Melbourne

• Piano Room, Sydney

Best Drinks Selection

Sponsored by:Domaine De Canton

• Golden Monkey, Melbourne

• Seamstress/SweatShop, Melbourne

• Byblos, Brisbane

• Crown & Sceptre, Adelaide

• Match Bar & Grill, Melbourne

• Bayswater Brasserie, Sydney

• Foveaux, Sydney

Best Bar Food Selection

Sponsored by:A rather hefty S

• Seamstress/SweatShop, Melbourne

• Hemmesphere, Sydney

•  Melbourne Supper Club/Siglo, Melbourne

• The Lark, Brisbane

• Zuri, Brisbane

• The Victoria Room, Sydney

• Zeta, Sydney

Brand Ambassador of the Year

Sponsored by:4bars.com.au

• Mick Formosa, Suntory

• Shay Leighton, Brown Forman

• Georgia McDonnell-Adams, Pernod Ricard

• Ben Davidson, Pernod Ricard

• Greg Sanderson, Diageo

•  Jared Plummer, Beam Global

• Dylan Howarth, Beam Global

• Jason Crawley, Beam Global

Training Program of the Year

Sponsored by:4bars.com.au

• Diageo’s Alchemy

• Beam Global’s & CCA’s Mixxit

• Pernod Ricard’s The Knowledge

• Club Suntory’s MasterClass

Bartender of the Year
If you would like the full list of finalists click here
Sponsored by Club Suntory