The 2026 Australian Liquor Industry Awards (ALIA) took place at The Fullerton Hotel Sydney on Wednesday night, with the best of Australia’s bar industry celebrated.

The team behind Caretaker’s Cottage and Three Horses, were once again acknowledged as the best in Australia, winning Best Bar and Best New Bar respectively.

In addition Caretaker’s took home Best Cocktail List, along with Maybe Sammy and Best Bar Team, with Savile Row winning Highly Commended. Savile Row was also named Australia’s Best Whisky Bar.

Other winning bars included Jolene’s, Sydney which was named Best Live Music Venus, The Barber Shop won Best Gin Bar, Old Love’s won Best Rum Bar and Cantina OK! took home the Best Tequila or Agave Spirit Bar.

Speaking about the wins for Caretaker’s and Three Horses, Co-Founder Ryan Noreiks told The Shout: “Any time we get an award it’s a really lovely way to put some icing on the cake for all of our amazing staff that work day-in day-out with us here. Rob, Matt, and I are in the fortunate position where we get to mentor our managers and our bar staff across both venues so we’re at the stage now where these awards are very much indicative of the teams that work in both venues.

“It’s really good to bring it home and we’re super proud of them. To have that kind of recognition from the industry is just the icing on the cake.

“We’ve got an awesome team of really different, unique, and supportive staff. It’s a pretty a pretty tough job, the menu is changing all the time, so we’re really focused on educating and upskilling and supporting our team. We do a lot behind the scenes, but I think once the door opens at 4o’clock, everybody is switched on to making sure that the venue is focused on community, providing a safe space for people, and a place for everyone to hang out. That’s the number one goal for Caretaker’s, and any bar that we do, to be part of a community.”

He added: “Our hearts go out to the Three Horses team. They’re on the same street as Caretaker’s, so they’ve got their work cut out for them, and to see them etch out their own personality and their own service style, is such an amazing group effort. And to see the Caretaker’s team support them 100 per cent from their side too.

“These guys are one year old, it’s a smaller team, and it’s a different style of bar, so to see that recognition come through makes them feel like their hard work is being recognised.”

As well as winning Best Rum Bar, the Old Mate’s Group was named Best Bar Group, and Flick Eshman told The Shout: “I’m the general manager of Old Mate’s Place, and so winning something that represents the group as a whole and all the work that we put in is really cool.

“We’re quite a close-knit family, being in the same building, we all work really closely together, and the group, despite the two different venues, works really closely in the same values and morals – so it’s really nice to be represented as a whole, as opposed to the two separate buildings.

“I think our success comes down to the calibre of staff that we’ve got going for us. We’ve built up a pretty big team since I started at Old Mates Place, which I’m really proud of. It’s also abot the way that we’re looking to move forward in hospitality and what the future of hospitality looks like, keeping that at the back of our minds.

“We’re just always looking for the next the next thing and how to get ahead of it – I think that’s what kind of sets us apart and puts us ahead.”

Kayla Saito was named Best Bartender, but was unable to join us on the night as she is still in Europe after competing on the Diageo World Class final.

One of the night’s biggest cheers came when Alice Newport was named Best Brand Ambassador, the win made her the first bran ambassador to tick of the hat-trick of media title wins, having already named Best Brand Ambassador by Boothby and Australian Bartender.

She told The Shout: “I have been nominated eight years in a row, so many incredible people have won it before me. I feel so privileged to have received this award from my peers and the industry.

“Over the last 12 months, I’ve really thought about what the trade wants and would like to see. I really listened to the insights and what people have said, and I think that’s what sets good brand ambassadors apart – they listen to their community. People want education and they want community. Community is the biggest thing out there – people want to feel part of something.

“Whether they’re in Penrith, Canberra, Tassie or WA, they want to feel part of something, and I’m so proud that I’m able to do that.”

Related