Shady Pines shines at Australian Bar Awards

The great and the good of the Australian bar industry were honoured on Tuesday night at the nation’s annual Australian Bar Awards.

Shady Pines in Sydney was named Bar of the Year at the Australian Bar Awards

Around 600 well-lubricated guests, drawn from all across the country, witnessed Greg Sanderson of Melbourne’s EDV crowned Bartender of the Year at the climax of the Prohibition-themed event, held in the impressive Doltone House in Sydney.

Sanderson’s win notwithstanding, it was Sydney’s bars and operators that stole this year’s show, collecting 13 awards between them, including Bar of the Year for Shady Pines, New Bar of the Year for Baxter Inn and Cocktail Bar of the Year for Eau de Vie.

Anton Forte and Jason Scott, owners of Shady Pines and Baxter Inn, won Bar Operator of the Year, while Sydney’s Keystone Group was named Hotel Operator of the Year.

Sydney didn’t have everything its own way, though. Brisbane picked up three gongs, including Cocktail List of the Year for Canvas and Wine Bar of the Year for Cabiria, while Melbourne’s legendary Black Pearl won the Best Bar Team and Best Bartenders’ Bar prizes.

Michael Delany-Korabelnikova, responsible for creating some of Melbourne and Sydney’s hippest watering-holes, scooped this year’s Outstanding Achievement award.

Now in its 12^th year, the Australian Bar Awards is organized by Australian Bartender magazine and forms part of Sydney Bar Week, a programme of educational events, tours and seminars.

For the first time this year, the Drinks Fest exhibition was open to consumers as well as trade guests and attracted 1,400 visitors on its ‘General Public’ day.