Click through the following pages to see our list of the world’s best bartenders, as identified by Tales of the Cocktail’s International Bartender of the Year Spirited Award. One of the names that always ring a bell in the world of mixology is Israel Diaz @israwolfdiaz. With over 18 years of experience in the industry, Diaz finally opened his bar, the Alquimista Cocktail Room, which features delectable dishes and handmade concoctions.
© Provided by Food & Wine Jose Manuel Pereiro Tiffanie Barriere of @TheDrinkingCoachSEE ALSO!!!: TWELVE ProductionFACEBOOK: INSTAGRAM: h. Another bartending school claiming to be the best in the world is London’s Spirit Lab. They offer intensive 3-day courses that offer everything from customer care to mixology. It’s an excellent option for refining your skills in a short space of time, and if you already live and work in London, it’s fairly easy to work around your day job.
If you’re hankering for something different without going to the bar, we suggest you take some cues from the professionals. Many of the world’s best bartenders and mixologists are sharing tips, recipes, and cocktail inspiration on Instagram, giving at-home drinkers a chance to peek behind the bar and sharpen their skills.
Every industry is waking up to the need for diversity, and the world of alcohol is no exception. Luckily, there are some incredible resources that showcase and celebrate the contributions of Black people to beer, wine, and cocktails. Check out Omolola Olateju’s Black Girls Drink or Julia Coney’s Black Wine Professionals for more on the superstars of the spirits world, and give your Insta feed new life by following these amazing Black mixologists, bartenders, and drink experts.
Some of these cocktail superstars work at one specific bar, while others host their own events, freelance at several venues, or work as brand ambassadors. All of these 20 mixologists are bringing necessary, long overdue innovation and improvement to the industry.
Tiffanie Barriere
A post shared by Tiffanie Barriere (@thedrinkingcoach) on Jun 13, 2020 at 1:54pm PDT
Barriere is respected in the industry for her innovative cocktail menus and bar consultancy. Her creative direction led popular Atlanta airport bar One Flew South to be named “Best Airport Bar in the World” at Tales of the Cocktail in 2014. She is also a member of the James Beard Advisory Board and the Atlanta chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier. (On Sunday, July 19, Barriere was in a car accident from which she is currently recovering at home. There is a GoFundMe fundraiser to help her as she recovers, which you can support here.)
© Jose Manuel Pereiro Tiffanie Barriere of @TheDrinkingCoachAnthony Bates
A post shared by Anthony Bates (@thegrandiosebartender) on May 24, 2020 at 3:10pm PDT
Bates is the head mixologist at The Polo Bar, the classic Ralph Lauren restaurant in NYC. His Instagram feed features a range of colorful cocktails, like the Casanova, made with Pisco, muddled strawberries, lemon juice, and pineapple sage-infused Manuka honey.
Jade Verette
© Provided by Food & Wine Francheska Medina / @heyfranhey Jade Verette of @JadeOfAllJadesVerette is the creator of Jade of all Jades, a food- and spirit-centric brand that hosts intimate dinner parties around the country. She now hosts a series on IGTV called 'Cocktails en la Casa' where she features a new cocktail every Friday and highlights Black spirit and cordial companies.
A post shared by Jade (@jadeofalljades) on Jun 26, 2020 at 3:25pm PDT
For more of Verette's recipes, you can support her Patreon here.
Kimberly Hunter
A post shared by Cocktail Master (@potentpours) on May 16, 2020 at 10:01am PDT
Hunter is an award-winning mixologist and cocktail book author who teaches mixology workshops and offers craft cocktail consulting. Expect lots of delicious-looking inspiration on her feed.
Thandi Walton
© Provided by Food & Wine M-Squared Public Relations Thandi Walton of @ThandiPoursCocktailsWalton calls Bar Margot at the Four Seasons Atlanta her home, but you can also find her pouring it up on IG, where she hosts #ThandiTuesday, her weekly taco and mixology show. (That's right—a taco and mixology show!)
A post shared by Thandi Walton (@thandipourscocktails) on Jun 30, 2020 at 4:33pm PDT
Her most recent episode featured pan-seared shrimp tostadas, paired with a whiskey cocktail.
Taneka Reaves and Johnny Caldwell
A post shared by Johnny & Neka (@cocktailbandits) on Jul 6, 2020 at 2:09pm PDT
Reaves and Caldwell are beverage and hospitality bloggers who became co-authors of Holy Spirits! Charleston Culture through Cocktails. On their Instagram, they break down everything from Cognac age requirements to coffee-infused liqueurs and share some of their signature recipes (including for mocktails).
Kyle Smith
A post shared by Kyle Smith (@friedchickencereal) on Apr 13, 2019 at 9:21am PDT
Smith is the main man making delicious drinks at the rooftop bar at Cindy's Rooftop (@cindysrooftop), and he’s also co-founder of the trendy cocktail pop-up series H Bar (@h.bar.chicago).
Saeed “Hawk” House
A post shared by Hawk | Cocktails By Hawk (@cocktailsbyhawk) on Jun 16, 2020 at 9:34am PDT
The West Hollywood-based mixologist, who is instantly recognizable for his hair, has a popular Instagram account where he shares video tutorials and cocktail recipes, including for this gorgeous “Bellacoso” mezcal cocktail with a chocolate-covered banana.
Josh Davis
A post shared by J.O. (@mrmixologist) on Jun 20, 2020 at 8:25am PDT
The Chicago-based bartender is bar manager at the intimate Black-owned 16th St. Bar. He is also the founder of Brown and Balanced, a traveling series of pop-up events created to celebrate African-American bartenders.
Colin Asare-Appiah
A post shared by Cocktailcolin (@getinvolvedbruv) on Apr 6, 2020 at 8:20pm PDT
Asare-Appiah is known online as 'Cocktail Colin.' He’s a longtime brand ambassador who currently works as the Bacardi trade director of culture and lifestyle.
Jessica Robinson
A post shared by JusTini (@justinicocktails) on Jul 14, 2020 at 1:37pm PDT
Robinson has been a mixologist for over a decade and her business, JusTini Cocktails, is popular for weddings and corporate events for brands. Since the beginning of coronavirus shut-downs, she’s been offering cocktails to-go and hosting intimate private events.
Shannon Mustipher
A post shared by Shannon Mustipher (@shannonmustipher) on Jun 28, 2020 at 9:01am PDT
Mustipher is a bartender and the author of Tiki, Modern Tropical Cocktails. She is most recently known as the Beverage Director for the sadly shuttered Gladys NYC.
Ian Burrell
A post shared by Ian Rum Ambassador Burrell (@therumambassador) on Jul 1, 2020 at 12:06pm PDT
Burrell, AKA the Rum Ambassador, is a London-based TV presenter and mixologist who shares cocktail recipes and historical information on his Instagram feed.
Denissea Taylor
A post shared by COCKTAIL GODDESS (@chickenandchampagne) on Jul 10, 2020 at 2:07pm PDT
Taylor is a New Orleans-based craft spirit entrepreneur, mixologist, and self-described cocktail goddess who sells popular to-go cocktails in incredibly cool packaging. One of her popular sellers is the Soul Glo, an homage to Eddie Murphy’s Coming to America that involves lemon, blueberry, lavender and whiskey with an optional lavender sugar rim.
Best Mixologist In The World
Alexis Brown
A post shared by Alexis B. Hospitality (@lexluga) on Feb 15, 2019 at 5:28am PST
Brown is the founder of Causing a Stir, an organization dedicated to empowering underserved and underrepresented members of the hospitality industry. She was listed as one of Wine Enthusiast’s 40 under 40 for 2019 and is one of Drinks International’s Most Influential Figures.
Camille Wilson
Mixologist Vs Bartender
© Provided by Food & Wine Stephen Kang Camille Wilson of @thecocktailsnob_Wilson created The Cocktail Snob to feature the best cocktails in NYC and inspire her followers to create happy hour at home.
A post shared by Camille | Cocktail Blogger (@thecocktailsnob_) on Jul 15, 2020 at 5:00am PDT
Her intentions turned out to be prescient, and her Instagram account and e-books offer helpful recipes and tips for those seeking home-drinking inspiration (we can’t stop thinking about these coconut rum punch popsicles.)
Elliott Clark
A post shared by Elliott | Apartment Bartender (@apartment_bartender) on May 16, 2020 at 11:40am PDT
Now is the perfect time to follow Clark, an online cocktail enthusiast who offers detailed tips and explainers, including a recent breakdown on bitters.
Vance Henderson
A post shared by Vance Henderson - VT WiseGuy (@vtwiseguy) on Jan 23, 2020 at 10:33am PST
Currently the national brand ambassador for Hendrick’s Gin, Henderson posts regular gin-related content and mixology videos.
Jarrett Holborough
A post shared by Jarrett Holborough | Bartender (@j_thebarman) on Mar 14, 2020 at 7:58am PDT
Holborough is a barman at the sophisticated 12 Cocktail Bar in Atlanta, and online he’s a content creator well worth the follow.
At EBS, I handle a lot of questions from Facebook and Twitter, and one question that pops up regularly is; “How do I know if EBS is right for me?”. I usually try to learn why they ask me, because some people are considering a different destination, where EBS doesn’t have a school, while others are not convinced an EBS course will really meet their needs as a bartender, as they are bartenders with some years of experience already.
Occasionally, I talk to students who are looking at a different organisation to become a bartender. They usually ask me what advantage a course with EBS has over the organisation they are looking at; “My friend went to X last year” or “I hear X is also very good”. First of all I really enjoy these talks as it allows me to see what people are looking at, and secondly, I think it is always a good thing to “shop around” when you are planning something as important as a bartender course. But let me make a case on why we are the best bartender school in the world below:
EBS is the largest bartending school in the world
Having been around for more than 14 years, EBS has gradually expanded school by school, always carefully maintaining the quality standards of our students and their skills. The result is always the same; highly-trained bartenders who are reluctant to leave us, and competent in all aspects of our loved profession.
A carefully developed course program
When we created the first EBS course, we laid down a foundation that we believe to be the best in the industry. The last 14 years we have continuously improved and tweaked the program wherever necessary. We think it is safe to say that the EBS bartending course has evolved into the most efficient 4-week bartender course in the world.
Internationally recognised certificate
The EBS certificate is well-known in the industry and a valuable asset when you apply for that job where you outside certification is a given; bartending on a Caribbean cruiser, a traineeship at a hotel chain or high-end cocktail bars. An EBS certificate sets you apart from other candidates when you are hunting down that well-paid job.
Matchstaff.com – Job assistance
All graduated EBS students receive exclusive access to MatchStaff.com, the most high-end bartending job pool with hundreds of exceptional bartending jobs worldwide – visit the website and try any city!
Accredited instructors
Mixologist Job Description
All EBS instructors have been carefully selected for their experience and skills. After this initial selection they are required to complete our in-house instructor academy. Note that many of our instructors are award-winning bartenders who are actively competing for world- and national championship titles.
Over 40.000 graduated students and counting
When you’ve successfully trained over 40.000 students, it is safe to say you are doing something right. While we are in the bartending business, we also see that many of our students have really made friends for life. As an organisation, it is hard not to mention the amount of love we get from our ex-students, who will very often refer to their EBS course as one of the best things that has ever happened to them.
After-school activities at incredible destinations
No other bartender school has such a variety of destinations, allowing you to choose the course that matches best with your other interests. An EBS course is very much about having a great time too, and choosing the destination of your dreams will make your EBS experience even harder to ever forget.
EBS has some of the biggest industry partners
We are proudly recognised as the leading bartending school by a variety of brands and suppliers in the bartending industry. Our current partnerships with Bacardi, William Grant & Sons, Campari, Rose’s Cordial and many more, go beyond the usual exchange of products, as we train their employees and they invite you to selected events of theirs.
4-Week course
14 years of continuous course development has learned us that a 4-week course is the absolute minimum to create confident and skilled bartenders who can work anywhere right of the bat. A course promising you similar results in less time is not a serious bartending school.