THE PINNACLE GUIDE CONFIRMS FIRST PIN RENEWAL RESULTS: AS EVERY BAR RETAINS OR IMPROVES THEIR STATUS
Seven bars worldwide
have increased their PIN status from 1 PIN to 2 PINs in the guide’s inaugural reappraisal cycle, with six of
the seven in the UK.
The Pinnacle Guide,
the global bar recognition system
for cocktail bars,
has confirmed the results of its
first-ever PIN renewal
process, two years
on from its inaugural 2024 announcement.
Of the 33 bars that held PIN status from the guide’s
2024 launch and applied for reappraisal this year, every one has retained or improved its rating. 26 bars have retained their
existing PIN status, confirming they have maintained an excellent or outstanding standard
across the two-year
period, while 7 bars have moved
from 1 PIN to 2 PINs.
PIN status is awarded following
The Pinnacle Guide’s
in-depth application process
and anonymous visits from trained reviewers. Bars renewing their
PIN status are assessed against
the same criteria as first-time applicants, so a retained
or increased PIN reflects a venue’s current
standard of operation and
guest experience.
The seven bars to move up from 1 PIN to 2 PINs are:
LTR : Increased Status: Artesian, London UK; Magnus on Water, Maine, USA
True to The Pinnacle Guide’s commitment to recognising all styles and genres of cocktail bar – these seven venues are an eclectic snapshot of global hospitality at its best. They span owner-operated, neighbourhood, music-led, five star hotel and high volume, vibe-dining restaurant bars – proving that cocktail bars specifically are one of the most diverse and exciting sectors of hospitality around the world.
33 bars – the entire cohort
from the guide’s
first, 2024 PIN announcement – applied for reappraisal in 2026, the first time
PIN status has ever been up for reapplication.
100% of reapplicants retained
or improved their
PIN status: 26 retained, 7 increased, none downgraded or lost their PIN.
7 bars were recognised as going up a tier worldwide, each moving from 1 PIN to 2 PINs.
6 of the 7 status increases are UK bars – 3 in London, 2 in Birmingham, 1 in
Belfast.
1 Just one PIN increase came from outside the UK: Magnus on Water in Maine, USA.
“A PIN is not awarded
once and left on the wall – it has to be earned again. Every one of the 33 bars that
came forward for reappraisal held their standard
or pushed it further, which
is a real achievement two years on. The strength of the UK results, and the fact that Magnus on Water in
Maine shows the same progress
on the other side of the Atlantic, tells us the framework is doing
what we built it to do: giving
bars a genuine, assessable route
to improve their
operations and guest experience, verified through the same in-depth
applications and anonymous
reviewer visits every bar
goes through, whether it is their first assessment or their second.”
Dan Dove, Co-Founder, The Pinnacle Guide
