The starting signal for the 19th SWISS BAR AWARDS was given this year in the middle of the second lockdown in February. But the bar scene was not in hibernation, but rather in a pit stop. Not only did many bars use the enforced break to work out new cocktail menus, but a record-breaking number of bars and Barkeeper applied for the SWISS BAR AWARDS by the closing date at the end of April.
The expert jury, composed of authorities from the Swiss bar scene, examined and evaluated the applications received and visited the nominated establishments on the shortlist. In the categories Barkeeper of the year and Best Barkeeper Talent (born 1998 - 2002), the Barkeeper had to prove their knowledge as well as their creative and professional skills on 22 June 2021. For the candidate and the two candidates of the supreme discipline Barkeeper of the year, the last test at the Award Night was on the agenda - the presentation of a personal cocktail creation in front of the 150 invited guests and a top-class jury of experts.
Thanks to a convincing performance in the preliminary round, Victor Topart (Crapule Club, Fribourg) had already proven his know-how. In the final, however, he went one better and won the palates and hearts of the judges with a personal cocktail creation called Cura Helvetica. The native Frenchman with a soft spot for Scottish single malts brings the title in the supreme discipline to French-speaking Switzerland.
Further awards go to Zurich, Basel, Thun and Central Switzerland
Paulina Bastian , a young talent from Zurich, has won the title of Best Barkeeper Talent. The 22-year-old works in the Dolder Grand Bar at the 5-star hotel The Dolder Grand and beat her competitors with an impressive performance during the qualification on 22 June 2021.
The award for Best Newcomer Bar 2021 also goes to Zurich. The prize for the best new opening or re-opening went to Igniv Bar Zurich. Opened in February 2020, bar manager Philipp Kössl and his team managed to make a name for themselves within a very short time with a convincing concept and top service.
The Bar Les Trois Rois was awarded the Best Longseller Bar. The time-honoured house on the Rhine knee has been serving travellers for hundreds of years and can look back on an eventful history. The hotel bar in the Grandhotel Les Trois Rois in Basel has existed in its current form for 15 years and bar manager Thomas Huhn has been looking after the well-being of his guests for almost as long.
With its bar menu, the Atelier Classic Bar in Thun already qualified for the top three at the SWISS BAR AWARDS 2018. With its current, revised version, it was enough for the title in the Best Bar Menu category this year. The bar in Thun's old town is not least proof that cultivated bar culture is also lived outside the big cities.
The award for Best Hotel Bar 2021 went to The Bar and Lobby at the Chedi Andermatt. Bar manager Marie Gerber and her team of 16 offer top-quality service and drinks at the 5-star hotel and received the award at the Award Night.
The team of the cocktail bar Karel Korner in Lucerne was awarded the Best Bar Team 2021. The bar under the management of Judy Lauber has been shining far beyond the borders of the city of lights for five years. Karel Korner convinces with a cocktail menu of sophisticated signature drinks, which would not be possible without a team of dedicated bartenders.
Emotional Award Night
The setting for the awarding of the coveted prizes was the premises of the event location Chicago 1928 in Zurich Oerlikon. Presenter Fabienne Bamert led the way through the exciting evening. During the final presentation, the Central Swiss actress, who is well-known from Swiss television, looked over the shoulders of the bartenders and accompanied the 150 guests of the Award Night through the evening.
Despite the ongoing Corona pandemic, the organisers can look back on another successful Award Night. "The conclusion of the 19th edition of the SWISS BAR AWARDS is very positive. The development of the Swiss bar scene over the past decades is definitely worthy of note and does not have to shy away from international comparison. The high level is also reflected in the quality and the steadily increasing number of applications we receive every year," says Ruedi Zotter, initiator of the SWISS BAR AWARDS and publisher of the trade magazine BAR NEWS. "A big thank you goes to our partners who have supported us for years and without whom such an event would not be feasible," adds Ruedi Zotter.
20 years of SWISS BAR AWARDS
The announcement of the SWISS BAR AWARDS 2022 is already being eagerly awaited. "We will come up with something special for the 20th anniversary. We have already started with the preparations and you can expect something unique," says Ruedi Zotter.
Overview Winners SWISS BAR AWARDS 2021
- Barkeeper of the year 2021: Victor Topart, Crapule Club, Fribourg
- Best Barkeeper Talent 2021: Paulina Bastian, Dolder Grand Bar, The Dolder Grand, Zurich
- Best Newcomer Bar 2021: Igniv Bar, Zurich
- Best Longseller Bar 2021: Bar Les Trois Rois at the Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois, Basel
- Best Bar Menu 2021: Atelier Classic Bar, Thun
- Best Hotel Bar 2021: The Bar & Lobby at the Chedi Andermatt
- Best Bar Team 2021: Karel Korner, Lucerne
