DI Annual Bar Report: Sherry

The fortified wine is making a comeback in new creations, finds Hamish Smith

Classics adonis, Bamboo and Tuxedo call for sherry but these drinks are hardly shaking up the cocktail world right now (none appear in our 50 Classics list). No matter, sherry’s appeal is now as an ingredient of new creations, often at the expense of vermouth or other fortifieds, or wine. In the case of Pedro Ximenez, for a rich source of sweetness.

So which brands are making an impact? Tío Pepe is the largest selling sherry brand globally and also the overwhelming favourite among our polled bartenders. The Gonzalez Byass-owned brand, which is known for value for money, has been pushing food pairing and cocktail competitions to change perceptions. Topping our trending list too, its future looks rosy.

Lustau, meanwhile, has a long-garnered reputation for quality and, with its large portfolio that spans sherry’s styles, is a one-stop-shop for bartenders.

The Sandeman brand, under its new packaging, is readied to make further strides in the on-trade.

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Methodology

The Drinks International Annual Bar Report looks to gauge the buying habits of the best bars in the world by conducting a survey of their owners, head bartenders and bar managers.

The bars that took part – what we refer to as the best bars in the world – are a sample of 108 bars that finished in the top 250 places of the World’s 50 Best Bars survey, now owned by William Reed Business Media. Given the depth and scope of The World’s 50 Best Bars poll (voted for by 476 global bar experts) we feel this is the most credible place to source our sample of bars.

In each instance we asked the bartender to rank their three best selling products in each category, giving us an indication of the brands that are selling best.

As we know, a best selling brand, even in the best bars in the world, earns its place on more than taste, so we also wanted to know the brands that are not necessarily doing huge volumes but have cool-appeal right now. This is where the Trending brands come in. These are the brands customers are increasingly asking for, perhaps because of word of mouth, or even on bartenders’ recommendations.

For more on the methodology see How we did it