2018 Finalists Announced!

It's been a top scoring year for the 2018 Scottish Bar and Pub Awards with more than 3,000 nominations for bars and pubs received for the awards. This has made it a record year.

The public, and drinks company representatives, have been voting in their droves on the Scottish Bar and Pub Awards website and the finalists are revealed below.

Says organiser Susan Young, who publishes industry magazine DRAM, “Last year we had nearly 2,000- entries and this year that number has soared. We also had more people telling us why they were voting for their favourite bar or pub which has helped us whittle the entries down.”

She continues, “The standard of entry has been particularly high and in some categories instead of four finalists there are five. Mystery shoppers have been visiting the nominated pubs, and judges, including myself, have been visiting the venues to ensure that the winners of the awards are 'simply the best.'

The Awards list and finalists list are alphabetical.

Antos Dog Friendly Pub of the Year
The Forth Inn, Aberfoyle
Saint Lukes, Glasgow
The Stable Bar, Edinburgh
Siberia Vodka Bar, Aberdeen
The Wally Dug, Edinburgh

BII Award for Customer Service
John Carrigan's, Blantyre
Lion & The Unicorn, Stirling
No 38, East Kilbride
The Old Mill Inn, Pitlochry

Buzzworks/Flow Young Entrepreneur of the Year
Jody Buchan and Sam Baxendale, Kin
Rachel Carpenter & Linden Wilkinson, Pop Up Geeks
Ryan Bowman, The Alpen Loge

Critics' Choice Casual Dining Award
Lord of the Isle, Craobh Haven
Montpeliers, Edinburgh
The Swan Inn, Eaglesham
The West House, Dundee

Diageo Award for Social Responsibility and Community
Akva, Edinburgh
Buzzworks, Prestwick
Driftwood, Glasgow
Manorview, Busby

Disaronno Cocktail Bar
Angels Hotel, Uddingston
The Parlour, Glasgow
Tigerlily, Edinburgh
Sygn, Edinburgh

DRAM Manager of the Year
Amy Maitland, The West House, Dundee
Matthew Ronald, Blue Dog, Glasgow
Caroline Wright, Jinty McGinty's, Glasgow

Gordon & MacPhail Award for Success
Meldrum House Country Hotel, Old Meldrum
The Dowans Hotel, Aberlour
The George Hotel, Inveraray
Under the Stairs, Edinburgh

Hotel Scotland Hotel Bar of the Year
Black Ivy, Edinburgh
Dakota Bar & Grill Edinburgh Forth Bridge
Orocco Pier Hotel, South Queensferry
Royal Mackintosh Hotel, Dunbar

Inverarity Morton Wine by the Glass Award
Vroni's Wine Bar, Glasgow,
Seamill Hydro Hotel, Seamill
La Petite Mort, Edinburgh
Kylesku Hotel, Skye
Acid Bar SWG3, Glasgow

Kopparberg New Bar of the Year
Black Ivy, Edinburgh
Finsbay Flatiron, Glasgow
Church on the Hill, Glasgow
T-Bar, Ayrshire
The Citizen, Glasgow

Molson Coors Beer Bar of the Year
Brewhemia, Edinburgh
The Angels Hotel, Uddingston
The Raeburn, Edinburgh
The Raven, Glasgow

Open Ear Country Pub of the Year
The Crosskeys, Kippen
The Hillside, Montrose
The Old Mill Inn, Killearn
The Swan Inn, Eaglesham

The Pub Spy Award
Inn on the Loch, Lanark
Outside Inn, Larbert
Souter's Inn, Kirkowald
The Citizen, Glasgow
The Riccarton Inn, Edinburgh

Scottish Bar and Pub Awards Social Media Award
Brewhemia, Edinburgh
John Carrigan's, Hamilton
Haig's, Penicuik
The Torfin, Edinburgh

A Wee DRAM Whisky Bar of the Year
Ballygrant Inn, Islay
The Black Cat, Edinburgh
The Lochside, Islay
Usquabae Whiskey Bar and Larder, Edinburgh

The Wee Guide Best Outside Area
Angels Hotel, Uddingston
Brel, Glasgow
Forbes of Kingennie, Dundee
Indigo Yard, Edinburgh

William Grant & Sons Bar Apprentice 2018

Anastasia Mourgela, Hutchesons City Grill, Glasgow
Ellie Raeside, Candy Bar, Edinburgh
Frank Donnelly, The Raven, Glasgow
Kris Rose, Scotts, Troon
Liam Kemp, Draffens, Dundee
Luke Bryant, Copper Blossom, Edinburgh
Patrycja Olska, Finsbay Flatirons, Glasgow
Richard Jones, The Pear Tree, Edinburgh
Sanni Fiina Jokinen, Pearce's, Edinburgh
Sarah Nelson, Holyrood 9A, Edinburgh

The awards ceremony takes place on the 21st August 2018 at the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow's William Street.

Congratulations and good luck to all the finalists!