Iain McPherson of Panda & Sons in Edinburgh, Scotland, has been announced as the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award winner as part of The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024, sponsored by Perrier. This prestigious award is voted for by the bartenders on this year’s list of The World’s 50 Best Bars, who are asked to name one peer who pushes the limits of what it means to be a great bartender.
The award goes to an individual who significantly impacted the global bar sector over the voting period and recognizes their commitment to the international community at that time. This is the second of two special awards to be announced ahead of the live awards ceremony in Madrid, Spain, on Tuesday, 22 October 2024.
Iain’s love of hospitality was born in The Voodoo Rooms in Edinburgh, joining as a bar back in 2007 and working alongside some of the eras most esteemed bartending talent, where he quickly made a name for himself on the international stage. Just six short years later, he opened his first bar, Panda & Sons, in the Scottish capital, hidden behind a vintage barbershop frontage on Queen Street. On descending to the basement, the interiors are a part cocktail pub, part Prohibition speakeasy, the russet wood paneling adorned with knick-knacks and curiosities galore, alongside numerous Panda-inspired touches. In 2015, Iain also opened Hoot the Redeemer in the city, a New Orleans-inspired dive bar renowned for its outstanding cocktails and boozy ice cream.
Over the years, he has taken on the role of unofficial ambassador for Scottish hospitality and, in 2018, launched Nauticus in Edinburgh’s port town of Leith to champion Scottish produce and Scottish producers. Earlier this year, Iain also founded the first Edinburgh Bar Show to inspire, educate, entertain and unite the Scottish bar community and showcase the city’s hospitality offering to some of the greatest international bartending talent.
Renowned as an unparalleled innovator, his mission to expand the flavor spectrum through subzero experimentation has revolutionized the bar world’s approach to freezing and its impact on flavor. While the latest Panda & Sons menu, Transcend, has garnered much international acclaim for its outstanding presentation of its groundbreaking techniques, Iain’s scientific creativity is rivaled only by his commitment to knowledge-sharing within his industry. He offers full transparency on his proprietary techniques and travels the world hosting seminars and masterclasses to fuel cocktail innovation for everyone.
Panda & Sons joined The World’s 50 Best Bars list in 2018 at No.61, the first bar from Scotland ever to do so other than the iconic Bramble, and has subsequently risen through the ranks, placing at No.39 in 2023. In 2021, Nauticus joined the 50 Best Discovery list, the digital database of hospitality venues created by votes from the 50 Best Academies, which acts as an extension of the annual 50 Best rankings
Emma Sleight, Head of Content for The World’s 50 Best Bars, says: “We are delighted to unveil Iain McPherson as the winner of this year’s Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award. He is renowned for his contribution to cocktail excellence and innovation and his commitment to education within the industry (as well as his signature panda accessories). His sincere advocacy for Edinburgh’s hospitality industry demonstrates the most important attributes of a true Bartenders’ Bartender.”
On winning the award, McPherson says: “I am overwhelmingly full of gratitude to be named this year’s Altos Bartenders’ Bartender. How meaningful it is to be nominated by the people that I look up to and admire daily – a true honour. Awards, especially one like this, are never truly an ‘individual’ effort but a reflective accolade of the creative, collaborative, driven and passionate team at Panda & Sons. They continuously inspire me, and together, we have pushed boundaries, creating magic for all. It’s always a huge honor to be representing Bonnie Wee Scotland on the international bartending stage, and I believe this award also shines a light on what an amazing bar scene we have in Edinburgh.”
Carlos Andrés Ramirez, Global Advocacy & PR Manager for Altos Tequila, says: “For the Altos Tequila and Altos Tahona Society family, it has been a priority to support bartenders on scaling up their careers. We want to congratulate our friend Iain McPherson from Panda and Sons in Edinburgh on winning the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award as part of The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024. We are so happy to see this recognition of one of our favorite bartenders in Scotland!”
The Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award was introduced to The World’s 50 Best Bars in 2017, and the inaugural winner was Iain Griffiths of London’s Dandelyan. Subsequent winners include Joe Schofield, then of Tippling Club in Singapore, in 2018; Monica Berg of Tayēr + Elementary, London, in 2019; Renato ‘Tato’ Giovannoni, of Florería Atlántico, Buenos Aires, in 2020; Lynnette Marrero of Llama Inn, New York, in 2021; Jean Trinh of Alquímico, Cartagena, Colombia in 2022; and GN Chan of Double Chicken Please, New York, in 2023.
