Monica Berg named most influential for fifth year running – Drinks International

It’s the fifth year running that the co-owner of east London’s Tayēr + Elementary has been voted by Drinks International’s global panel of industry commentators as the bar world’s most influential. 

In second place again this year is Indie Bartender Danil Nevsky, while in third is Iain McPherson of Panda & Sons in Edinburgh, who rises from 10th last year.

Europe dominated the top ten this year, with the co-owner of Barcelona bars Sips – the World’s Best Bar – and Boadas, Simone Caporale, up from seventh to fourth and Remy Savage, owner of three art movement-themed bars in London, Paris and Lyon rising one to fifth.

Jean Trinh of farm-to-bar Alquímico in Cartagena, Colombia, was voted the sixth most influential this year, while Shingo Gokan of SG Group which has bars in Asia and North America, took seventh place.

UK-based trio Sandrae Lawrence of The Cocktail Lovers, Ago Perrone of The Connaught and Alex Kratena of Tayēr + Elementary made up the top ten.

Bar World 100, the digital magazine of which is available to read here, is voted for by almost 120 worldwide industry commentators – drinks media, consultants, bar operators, brand representatives and event organisers – based in more than 60 cities around the world.

Hamish Smith, editor of Bar World 100, said: “This year’s list is brimming with people who’ve made a big difference to the bar world in the last year.

“Quite often they’re the root source of trends, the inflection point on the graph where thinking shifts and new ways of working are born. Everything flows downwards from here – and that is why these people matter.”  

The list sees 29 changes to last year, of which only 19 are new to Bar World 100, with 10 having featured in previous editions.

Europe is home to the most members in the list (38%), up two points on last year. While Asia has the second largest share of members, up from 20% to 24% in 2024. North America meanwhile has seen its contribution drop from 29% to 23%. South America contributed 8% of the list, while Australasia accounts for 4% and Africa has 3%.

This year 10% of the list’s members are based in London, with a further five located near to the UK capital. New York is home to eight members and remains the key melting pot in North America, while in Asia there are twin hubs of influence – Singapore and Hong Kong – both of which contributed six members to the list. Barcelona meanwhile, with five members, has established itself as Europe’s second bar scene.

For more, read editor Hamish Smith’s analysis of this year’s list here and further details on how the methodology works here.

 

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