{"id":7063929,"date":"2026-09-22T10:50:23","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T10:50:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/alcohol\/sydney-bar-week-2026-the-wrap\/"},"modified":"2026-09-22T10:50:23","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T10:50:23","slug":"sydney-bar-week-2026-the-wrap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7063929","title":{"rendered":"Sydney Bar Week 2026: the wrap\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Five days, more than 20 events, a new Bartender of the Year, a new most influential person in the\u00a0industry\u00a0and 30 Bar Awards. Here is how the week\u00a0played\u00a0out.<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sydney Bar Week ran from Saturday 12 to Wednesday 16 September, and by the time the last award was handed out at\u00a0Doltone\u00a0House, a handful of names had turned up\u00a0again and again. Callum Marra. Dre Walters. Old Love\u2019s.\u00a0The Gresham. Suntory. More on that below.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The week<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0<\/span>program<\/span><\/a>\u00a0opened on\u00a0Saturday with the\u00a0Cibaria\u00a0Beach Club at 55 North in Manly and ran through Sunday\u2019s Suntory Club House at The International, Monday\u2019s\u00a0Espol\u00f2n\u00a0Cocktail Fights national finals at Oxford Art Factory, and Wednesday\u2019s\u00a0Massenez\u00a0Masters Golden Eight national final at Dean & Nancy on 22.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In between were the events that make the week what it is: bartenders hosting bartenders. Good Measure and Bar DEMO\u2019s Bartender\u2019s Lunch in Newtown, the Savile Row and Old Love\u2019s\u00a0Barlympics\u00a0takeover,\u00a0Linla\u2019s\u00a0night market with A trap.,\u00a0hospo\u00a0trivia at the Bat & Ball, and a mini golf competition at Holey Moley courtesy of Licor 43.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Bartender of the Year<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tuesday belonged to\u00a0<\/span>Bartender of the Year<\/span><\/a>. Competitors sat the written exam, a sensory\u00a0round\u00a0and a series of practical challenges at Razz Room, and the field was cut to eight: Keeley McAlinden, Callum Marra, Harry Saggers, Jonothan Carr, Matthew Cappetta, Damien Lefebure, Gavin\u00a0Shi\u00a0and Shevaughn Bambrough.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Three went through to the final: Marra from Old Love\u2019s, Shi from Razz Room and Cappetta from The Baxter Inn. The final played out that night in front of the Top 100 at the Most Influential party, with the result held until the Bar Awards the following evening.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Callum Marra of Old Love\u2019s is the 2026 Bartender of the Year. It was a good week for the venue, which also took Rum Bar of the Year.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For those who\u00a0sat\u00a0the paper: yes, the bourbon section was gone this year, replaced by Cointreau and orange liqueurs, and the whisky section got bigger. There was also more multiple\u00a0choice. You are welcome.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Thanks to Spirits Academy for\u00a0backing\u00a0the competition.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Most Influential<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Top 100 was published in alphabetical order ahead of the week. On Tuesday night at\u00a0Razz\u00a0Room, with 200 people in the room, we counted down the\u00a0<\/span>ranked Top 20<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dre Walters of Old Mate\u2019s Group is the most influential person in the Australian bar industry for 2026. His response on stage: \u201cI think\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0all\u00a0wrong, but\u00a0thank you.\u00a0I\u2019ll\u00a0take it.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Daisy Tulley of Mucho Hospitality Group was second, followed by Stefano Catino of Maybe Group, Luke Whearty of Byrdi, and Natalie Ng of Suntory Global Spirits Oceania, with her colleague John Galiatsatos at six.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Top 20 is weighted to operators and group owners, which reflects how\u00a0influence in\u00a0this industry works now. The people shaping careers, training\u00a0teams\u00a0and setting the standard are increasingly running multiple venues, not one bar.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The list is biennial. The next one is in 2028.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Australian Bar Awards<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Wednesday closed the week with the 25th Australian Bar Awards at\u00a0Doltone\u00a0House, Jones Bay Wharf. For the first time, tickets were open to the wider hospitality industry, not just finalists and partners.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Thirty awards were presented.\u00a0<\/span>The full list of winners is here<\/span><\/a>, but the headlines were:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Bar of the Year:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Frog\u2019s Hollow Saloon, Queensland<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Cocktail Bar of the Year:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Byrdi, Victoria<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

New Bar of the Year:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Three Horses, Victoria<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Best Bartenders\u2019 Bar:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Old Mate\u2019s Place, New South Wales<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Bar Manager of the Year:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Corby Small, The Gresham, Queensland<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rookie Bartender of the Year:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Carter Stacey, Frog\u2019s Hollow Saloon, Queensland<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hall of Fame:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Anneliese Grazioli, Hanky Panky Lounge, Northern Territory<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

New South Wales took 13 awards, but Queensland had the stronger night relative to its size, with seven, including Bar of the Year and a double for The Gresham, which also won Bar Team of the Year. Victoria took four, and South Australia, Tasmania, the\u00a0ACT\u00a0and the Northern Territory one each.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The names that kept coming up<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Put the three lists side by\u00a0side\u00a0and the overlap is hard to miss.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dre Walters topped the Most Influential, and Old Mate\u2019s Place was voted Best Bartenders\u2019 Bar. Luke Whearty was fourth, and Byrdi won Cocktail Bar of the Year. Stefano Catino was third, and Maybe Sammy took Cocktail List of the Year. Matthew Stirling was 13th, and\u00a0Fancy Free\u00a0Group was named Bar Operator of the Year.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Claudia Morgan of Bar DEMO was seventh on the list and Host of the Year. Anneliese Grazioli was 12th and went into the Hall of Fame. Leah Dunnigan of Savile Row was 19th, and her venue produced the Rookie of the Year.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Suntory had two people in the top six, won Training Program of the Year for Club Suntory, and Alice Newport took Brand Ambassador of the Year.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Influence, it turns out, is not an abstract idea. It shows up in the bars.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Thank you to our partners, to everyone who competed,\u00a0voted\u00a0and hosted, and to everyone who turned up. See you next year.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n