When we first found out about The Pinnacle Guide, we nearly immediately contacted the founders saying: when can Canada take part?! We’re happy to say the time has come!
We all know that there are plenty of “lists” for the best bars these days and that we all have a lot of feelings about said lists. We also know that getting on any of those lists is greatly beneficial for the bar/individual who wins the award. Plus, we know that it truly feels nice to be seen and recognised – especially by your peers.
The Pinnacle Guide has set out to do things differently than the rest and we love them for this. To be considered to win 1, 2 or 3 PIN recognition from The Pinnacle Guide, you self-nominate your bar by filling out an in-depth questionnaire. This isn’t about having cool guest bartenders doing pop-ups or hiring a big-time PR team to promote your place – this is about diving in deep to all of the things that make your bar great from sustainability efforts to how the staff are treated to everything in between. Just like Bartender Atlas, where EVERY bartender is welcome to join the community, The Pinnacle Guide is opening up doors for many bars that otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to shine on the usual lists.
The Pinnacle Guide was founded by three individuals who all come with their own experiences in the hospitality industry: Siobhan Payne, Hannah Sharman-Cox and Dan Dove. Below is an interview that we did with them to learn more about The Pinnacle Guide.
Applications are now open for new bar applications AND if you would like to be a reviewer! Their next deadline is June 3rd, 2025.
Bartender Atlas What is your current role in the industry?
SIOBHAN: Dan is the founder and CEO of Global Bartending – a luxury talent, event and strategy agency for the drinks industry. Hannah and I have a consultancy business called HANDS London, primarily working on projects that help drinks brands connect with the on-trade – plus we founded and continue to run London Cocktail Week.
Together, we three are the Co-Founders of The Pinnacle Guide.
BA: What was your start in the drinks industry?
HANNAH: We’ve each been working in the hospitality and drinks industry for a very long time. Siobhan started in drinks PR but we met when she joined me at Difford’s Guide back in 2010 when we first founded London Cocktail Week. Before working with Simon, I had done a solid stint with what was then Match Bar Group (Milk & Honey, The Player, Trailer Happiness – to name some). It was a pivotal time for cocktails in London and I feel so lucky to have been part of it. We met Dan through his role at as World Class Manager for Diageo Reserve where we worked closely together for about a decade – on our project (London Cocktail Week) and his – World Class.
BA: What is the Pinnacle Guide?
DAN: The Pinnacle Guide is a 1, 2 and 3 PIN recognition system for the global bar industry, rapidly becoming the ultimate symbol of excellence and a trusted resource for discerning drinkers around the world. It is considered to be the most comprehensive accolade for cocktail bars globally – it is an application based system that combines in-depth assessment both sides of the bar.
Starting with a transparent self-nomination process, The Pinnacle Guide first evaluates bars across key criteria, including their drinks program, staff welfare and sustainability efforts. This is followed by multiple in-person anonymous reviews by a global network of industry enthusiasts and experts. PINs are held for two years when bars can reapply to retain or raise their current PINNED status.
BA: What was your inspiration for creating the Pinnacle Guide? What pulled you towards creating a list of top bars? Did you feel something was missing?
SIOBHAN: Hannah and I had been talking about creating something like The Pinnacle Guide for many years. When the pandemic happened, we found a bit more time on our hands and thought it might be a good opportunity to see if we could make it happen. We are represented by Global Bartending and so very early on we decided to tell Dan about our plan to launch it – he immediately asked to be part of it, and we jumped at the opportunity to bring him in. We built the whole system following a two year-long consultancy period with the global drinks industry, featuring public round tables, one on ones and presentations. We wanted to create something that the industry really believed in and could get behind.
BA: With so many other lists and awards, what makes The Pinnacle Guide stand out?
DAN: We feel like The Pinnacle Guide distinguishes itself with its transparent and inclusive approach, offering an equal opportunity for bars of all sizes and locations to showcase their exceptional offerings. Our pioneering recognition system was created with the mission to challenge the status quo and is the first to formally reward exemplary standards on both sides of the bar.
BA: You are based in London, but want PINNED bars all over the world. What countries and regions are you currently working in and focusing on?
HANNAH: We really do have the ambition that The Pinnacle Guide becomes a truly global system, and so we had quick expansion plans. Applications are accepted in Australia, Dubai, France, Greece, Hong Kong, Italy, Mexico, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States with Canada and Ireland most recently added. We’ll add more countries as soon as possible – the decision of where we go next is in part down to the “register your interest” form on our website, and some of our countries were added because of demand from the bar community there.
BA: Why should bars aspire to be a part of the guide and receive a PIN?
SIOBHAN: The Pinnacle Guide application process can, and should be, gratifying, as it’s an opportunity to reflect on, explain and showcase the hard work, thought processes and fantastic operations, service, and cocktails you’ve developed within your bar. Feedback from bars who have been recognised is that the application process alone galvanised the whole team.
With regards to the accolade itself, a bar can be confident that they are recognised based on merit alone. There are no points for PR coverage or air miles travelled, and whether a bar is a neighborhood gem or world-renowned cocktail destination, every one enters on exactly the same footing. Bars of all styles are encouraged to apply as The Pinnacle Guide recognizes excellence in all its forms, and the process judges venues against their own concepts.
BA: If I run a bar and think I should be a part of the list, how do I go about that?
DAN: The process to be awarded a PIN from The Pinnacle Guide is certainly in depth, but as Siobhan has already mentioned – it should be super satisfying. The first step is to register – you then need to log in and complete your bar profile – which is basic information, images and your concept which is what your entire application will be assessed against.
Once you’ve done that – you can start work on the six application modules (Front of House, Drinks Programme, Look & Feel, Operations, Staff Management and Community).
From the applications we’ve seen over the last year, some of the best applications we’ve seen are those that involve the whole team, and so for that reason, on your bar dashboard, once you’ve logged in and created a profile, there’s a link to an offline workbook that you can share with the team, and get multiple people involved and invested. So we’d recommend making use of that – although make sure that you then cut your answers back into the online form.
The most important thing to consider, is that more is genuinely more – no amount of detail is too much. We really do want to understand all the beautiful intricacies that make your bar great – even things you might feel aren’t interesting. Everything you tell us is a chance to get you enough points to get you to Review Stage – and will ultimately have an impact on your final PIN status. Please show us the heart behind your business – this is your chance to let us know all the care and consideration that you put into this fantastic bar you’re running.
BA: What is the process after a bar representative has filled out the application form?
SIOBHAN: The Pinnacle Guide continues to accept applications throughout the year, with deadlines in place to be considered for the next announcement. At the moment we do application rounds twice a year – the next deadline is 03 June for announcement in September, and the following deadline will be before the Christmas busy season.
Once a bar’s application paper has been submitted, the paper is marked by an independent Anonymous Assessor, and then moderated. A bar should hear if they have been successful in moving to Review Stage within about 6 weeks. They’ll then receive a “Review Window” of about two months, at which point our Anonymous Reviewers might visit, at any time the bar is open. The Anonymous Reviewers are looking for those pieces of detail which we cannot get from an application form – the atmosphere, hospitality and of course the drinks service. We really focus on how the whole experience has made them feel, and whether that is appropriate to the concept of the bar as a whole. Bars will receive at least two visits by different Anonymous Reviewers – often more – during this time.
Bars will hear about whether they have been successful in receiving a PIN the night before our public announcement. We felt like it was fair for bars to be able to celebrate with their team, and prepare their own announcements, rather than hearing with everyone else. This has worked really well so far.
Of course, unfortunately, not all bars can be recognised – it’s extremely hard to be operating at the level required to receive even 1 PIN, let alone 2 or 3. We let bars who are not successful know the night before too – and we offer feedback on their application and visit, with the hope they might make adjustments and apply again. We really do say that your first application is only the start of the journey – and there are a number of bars who have taken a couple of rounds of applying before being recognised with a PIN. Through this process, we really hope The Pinnacle Guide is something that helps to elevate the global hospitality industry.
BA: What are you most excited about in terms of the drinks industry right now?
HANNAH: We’re very excited that there is a real focus at the moment on looking after teams. For too long, staff wellbeing took a bit of a back seat, but now this is certainly changing, and we think that – as well as being important for the people at the heart of our cocktail bars – it’s also going to provide longevity for the industry as a whole, and encourage people to see bartending as an exciting career prospect. This is one of the reasons why the Staff Management module within The Pinnacle Guide application is so crucial.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Published May 16th, 2025.
