By Sacha Delfosse
Several Australian bars have earned themselves international recognition and a spot on The World's 50 Best Bars 2012 list that was recently announced by Drinks International magazine.
Sydney’s The Baxter Inn is a new addition to the list, debuting at number seven. It has also been named as the best bar in the Asia Pacific region. Its sister venue, Shady Pines Saloon, was named as one of the ‘hot prospects’ for 2013.
Merivale’s new speakeasy, Palmer & Co., was another new entry to the list, ranking at number 21, while two of Australia’s most renowned cocktail venues, Melbourne’s Black Pearl and Sydney’s Eau-de-Vie, once again made an appearance on the list, ranking 17 and 25 respectively.
The top 50 were announced at an awards ceremony held in London, UK on October 10 during the London Cocktail Week, with the top spot going to London’s very own The Artesian bar.
The list was decided based on the votes of ‘The Academy’, which is comprised by over 150 leading bar industry professionals from across 38 countries.
This included close to 20 Australian representatives such as John Gakuru, Dan Woolley, Andy Griffiths, Matthew Bax, Phil Bayly, Myffy Rigby and Tim Philips.