Other
Hamish Smith
World's 50 Best Bars
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
Hamish Smith’s reporting sits inside the global bar trade, where standards, service, and drink trends shift fast enough to reward close, repeat attention. As Bars Editor at Drinks International in London, Smith covers that movement from the trade side: not as lifestyle copy, but as editorial work anchored in how the sector operates. He has said, “I came to journalism probably later than I should have actually,” and also, “I need to learn about every aspect of the business.” Those lines frame the work plainly: a writer trained to keep learning the mechanics of the field he covers.
The Path
Formal journalism training at NCTJ (UK) gave Smith the basic tools of the trade before he moved into newsrooms. An early period of work experience at The Independent in London placed him inside an established press environment and marked a first step into professional reporting. The current editorial remit spans both Drinks International and Class Bar Magazine. In those roles, Smith works across bar culture, language, and the operating realities of hospitality publishing, moving between editorial oversight and the day-to-day conversation around drinks.
The Work Today
Bars editing at Drinks International in London requires coverage that can keep up with a global industry while still holding detail. Smith’s beat asks for breadth and specificity at once: the ability to follow what is being poured, and to understand the wider commercial and cultural frame around it. That kind of reporting depends on context as much as output. Smith’s work tracks the changing vocabulary of bars across markets and styles, with a visible interest in how the trade is put together rather than only what reaches the guest. The discipline here is simple and practical: stay close enough to the sector to ask better questions about it.
In Their Words “I came to journalism probably later than I should have actually.” “I need to learn about every aspect of the business.”
Acclaim
Smith’s work is positioned in a field that values close observation and working knowledge. Within the global bar industry, his editorial focus is defined by the same impulse he names himself: to learn the trade in full, and to write from inside its structures rather than outside them.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Hamish
What is Hamish Smith's current role?
As of 2026, Hamish Smith is Bars Editor.
Where did Hamish Smith train or study?
Hamish Smith trained at NCTJ (UK).
