If stars are what the world’s best restaurants reach for, then bars can now aim for a pin or three. Having debuted its inaugural edition in May this year, The Pinnacle Guide is giving bars around the world new recognition to strive for.
Created to provide “the most wide-ranging, credible source of inspiration” for drinkers, The Pinnacle Guide was founded by London-based drinks industry veterans Hannah Sharman-Cox, Siobhan Payne and Dan Dove.
Rather than ranking bars in a definitive list, the guide provides a list of establishments that showcase the many forms a cocktail bar can take. Among the inaugural edition are Pretty Decent, a mezcal-focused cocktail bar and plant boutique in Louisville, and Primo Sanchez, a Mexican bar in Sydney, complete with a karaoke room.
Similar to stars in the likes of the Michelin Guide, establishments in The Pinnacle Guide are awarded one, two or three pins, indicating a rating of “excellent”, “outstanding”, or “exceptional”, respectively. But unlike well-known restaurant guides that shortlist establishments internally, bars looking for a place on The Pinnacle Guide can apply for review.
“We felt that there was a place to reward excellence (in the industry) differently," said Payne, who, with Sharman-Cox, founded London Cocktail Week in 2010. Dove is the co-founder of Global Bartending, an international talent agency for hospitality professionals.
“We wanted to recognise bars that aren’t already recognised, or maybe they don’t have big PR budgets,” said Sharman Cox. “We realised that the way we could do that is by bars putting their hand up and saying, ‘Please can you assess us’.” The application process is no small task, calling for answering 100 questions over six modules. “It takes hours to fill in the application. Someone said the other day it took them two weeks to fill in the form. Someone else said it took them 25 hours. All in all, our estimation is about eight hours to fill in the form. So that gives you a sense of the depth of information we require,” said Sharman-Cox.
Once they’ve passed the application process, bars move on to the next stage where an anonymous reviewer assesses the establishment in person. “If the bar doesn’t pass the application, we send them in-depth feedback on where they can improve and invite them to reapply at a time that suits them,” she added.
Although the guide engages assessors from the hospitality industry, anybody can apply to be one through a form on The Pinnacle Guide website. What applicants must demonstrate is an appreciation for what constitutes a good experience when it comes to cocktails and bars. “After we deem that they have potential, they go through an interview with us or one of the team (members),” said Sharman-Cox. Successful interviewees are then trained and put through a test, which they must pass before becoming reviewers.
Bars that make it to the list are recognised not only for their exceptional service and drinks but also for their commitment to sustainability and inclusivity. Singapore bars that made it to the first edition include ATLAS and Origin Bar, with two pins each, and Ballroom by Barbary Coast, with one pin.
A testament to the strict assessment process is perhaps the absence of three-pin bars in the initial list. Payne explained that for bars to receive three pins, they must first submit a three-pin application. “The truth is, we did get some three-pin reviews, but none matched the three-pin applications and vice versa,” she said. “So, we know it’s possible to get three pins… it’s not this impossible dream…”
Now self-funded by its founders, The Pinnacle Guide plans to launch its commercial endeavour of providing aggregated insights towards the end of the year. “At the moment, we describe it as a bit of a passion project and the culmination of our years in and our love for the industry,” said Sharman-Cox.