Pinnacle Guide w Ryan Chetiyawardana & Dan Dove | Bartender at Large ep 421

·32 min·3 clips

Dan Dove reveals how the Pinnacle Guide was created to evaluate bars globally beyond just drinks.

The episode begins with host Erick Castro introducing guests Dan Dove and Ryan Chetiyawardana. Dan explains that the Pinnacle Guide was developed through 18 months of industry consultation to create a transparent award system evaluating bars globally beyond just drinks. Ryan's bar, Lioness, is highlighted as the first to achieve three pins. Erick recalls past tensions when bartenders faced backlash from chefs for receiving awards, underscoring the need for industry-led recognition. Dan details the guide's structure: bars self-nominate, answer 100 questions, and undergo anonymous reviews by trained assessors. The scoring combines written and service components, with bars receiving feedback if they don't qualify. Ryan discusses Lioness's approach, focusing on storytelling and making cocktails accessible to all guests, not just industry insiders. The conversation touches on the guide's expansion by country rather than just capital cities, aiming to highlight bars in overlooked locations like Albuquerque and Phoenix. Dan notes the application process is open year-round, with bi-annual announcements. Ryan emphasizes the importance of bars articulating their vision clearly, a skill crucial for industry maturity. The episode concludes with contact information and a tease for a bonus Patreon episode diving deeper into details.

As heard by us

A practical look at how the Pinnacle Guide treats bar reviews as a path to improvement.

The Pinnacle Guide gets a grounded run-through as Dan Dove and Ryan Chafia Wardana unpack a bar-rating model built around improvement. Bars put themselves forward, answer a questionnaire, make changes, and come back when they feel ready.

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Why you'd press play

You get a candid look at the Pinnacle Guide, from self-submitting bars to anonymous reviewers and a model built around helping hospitality businesses improve.

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