Glasgow Bar Awards 2024 announces the city's top pubs and venues – did your fave make the list?

Glasgow’s own pub and bar Oscars has released its finalists for this year’s awards with some of the city’s favourites making the shortlist.

Celebrating its third year, the Glasgow Bar Awards awards are a toast to the city’s hospitality heroes, recognising the cream of the crop in Glasgow’s dynamic bar landscape.

Voted for by the public, the initial list will now be given to a panel of distinguished judges who will further refine it to the top 5 finalists later this month.

The final winners will be revealed in a grand celebration at The Bartender’s Ball at St Luke’s on Monday, February 12. which also plays host to the awards event.

The event will include three top categories including Best Bar, Best Pub and Best Drink created by a bar, with 7 other categories such as Best Cocktail, Unsung Hero and Hospitality Legend also being recognised.

Cocktail specialists Malo in the city centre is up for Best Bar

The Top 15 list in the Best Bar category is a diverse mix, featuring newcomers like Charlie Brown’s Bar and Lunar, the elegant Anchor Line, negroni specialists Malo, and the creative Absent Ear.

In the Best Pub category, the Top 15 include local favourites like the West End’s Thornwood, the whisky specialist Ben Nevis, the popular Blackfriars, and the neighbourhood gem, Redmond’s of Dennistoun.

With hundreds of entries so far, voting is still open on the website across 10 cool categories and if your favourite hasn’t made the long list cut, there is still time to nominate them online up until midnight on Monday, January 22.

Celebrating the exceptional talent within Glasgow’s vibrant hospitality scene, this year’s Glasgow Bar Awards aims to shine a spotlight on the city’s finest bars, cocktails, and industry professionals from hotels, bars and restaurants.

Previous winners include drinks legend Andy Gemmell owner of top neighbourhood bar, The Gate Glasgow, Geraldine Murphy from whisky pub, The Pot Still, secret speakeasy Wheesht, alongside bartenders from Tiki Bar for the Best Shake to name but a few.

The Bartender’s Ball is dedicated to bartenders across Scotland to come together and let loose after a busy festive season, and it doesn’t disappoint. From high-energy entertainment to eclectic performers and guaranteed fun, previous balls have seen a bucking bronco in the form of a wine bottle, a Sailor Jerry arm wrestling competition and DJ sets from Shaka Loves You alongside live performances from a nine-piece New Orleans brass band, and Al and the Bad Decisions.

Sure to sell out, tickets to the Bartender’s Ball cost £20 and are available online and include drinks from premium brands, delicious street food and smoked barbeque classics from the kitchen in Saint Lukes, live music and entertainment, the Glasgow Bar Awards and a number of high octane surprises.

Organised by Backs! Hospitality – a community interest company created by David Smillie and Alex Riches, anyone who works across the hospitality industry is invited to attend – from brand ambassadors to bartenders.

Funds raised from the £20 ticket sales go towards nurturing the next wave of bartending talent and frontline hospitality staff through various initiatives like events, networking, mentoring, and training.

The 2024 finalist for the Top 3 categories:

Top 15 in the Best Bar (in alphabetical order)

Absent Ear

Anchor Line

Charlie Browns

Chinaskis

El Santo

Great Scots @ Cameron House

Jacks @ Dakota Hotel

Lunar

Malo

Red Sky Bar @ Radisson Red

Rum Shack

The Dam

The Finnieston

The Gate

The Locale

Top 15 for the Best Pub category (in alphabetical order)

Blackfriars

Heraghtys

Malones

Phillies of Shawlands

Redmond’s of Denniston

Ryans Bar

The Belle

The Ben Nevis

The Bon Accord

The Heilin Jessie

The Laurieston

The Lismore

The Park Bar

The Pot Still

The Thornwood

Top 15 in the Best Drink category

Appletini (Kelvingrove Café)

Baby Tennents – Phillies of Shawlands & others

Balche Annan (La Jupe Helensburgh)

Barker No’ 1 – (Tabac)

Cafe Dal Goghna (Absent Ear)

Coco Fino Daquiri (Absent Ear)

Dram of Whisky (The Pot Still)

EVOO Martini (The Finnieston)

Fuego – (Porter & Rye)

Holiday in Cambodia – (Tabac)

Partick Swayze (Sparkle Horse)

Pint of Tennents Lager (The Gate)

Steeplejack – (Jacks Bar @ Dakota Glasgow)

Sticky Toffee Pudding (Daddy Marmalades)

The Tipp Topp (Ga Ga)

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