It’s Official: Botanist has the Best Hospitality in North America

News broke this morning that’s pretty exciting for those of us who follow the spirits industry: our own Botanist was just named the Michter’s Hospitality Award by the North America’s 50 Best Bars. It’s decided upon by a very solid cross-section of industry experts who were asked to name the bar where they received the best service at during the voting period. And while that’s maybe not a huge surprise to any of us who have pulled up a stool at the 2nd floor of the Fairmont Pacifc Rim, it’s nonetheless a major accomplishment given how important service is to the creation of a great bar experience.

But as important as the award is, it’s what it might/should be a harbinger of that’s arguably more exciting. First off, I assume that this means Botanist is a lock for a spot (and presumably a high one) on the upcoming North America’s 50 Best Bar’s List. The fact that it wasn’t on the last incarnation of the list is completely bonkers, akin to keeping Connor McDavid off the all star team.

And make no mistake: both Grant Sceney and Jeff Savage are worldwide all-stars. That list will be announced in San Miguel de Allende on May 4th and assuming all goes as planned, my eyes are on October when the World’s 50 Best are announced. I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to disclose whether or not you used to be a judge on this endeavour so I won’t talk about that, but I will say that when I look at the 2022 version of the list I’m at a loss that no single Canadian bar made it.

I’ve been to quite a few of the winners (you can hit three of the top 10 by just visiting Barcelona) and it’s my humble belief that Botanist—with its mix of hospitality, technological prowess and overall vibe—100% deserves a spot on that list. And I think this award goes a long way to making that oversight a reality.