Scottish 'world's best' bartender career - from glasswasher to gelato university

Iain McPherson, from Panda & Sons in Edinburgh, has been unveiled as the winner of the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award 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 made a significant impact in the global bar sector over the voting period and recognises their commitment to the international community in that time. This is the second of two special awards to be announced ahead of the live awards ceremony in Madrid, Spain, on October 22.

On winning the award, Mr McPherson said: “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 honour 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."

Iain’s career so far

Mr McPherson’s love of hospitality was born in The Voodoo Rooms in Edinburgh. He joined as a glasswasher in 2007 and worked alongside some of the era's most esteemed bartending talent, where he quickly made a name for himself on the international stage.

Speaking to The Scotsman’s Scran podcast about this time, Mr McPherson said: “It was such an amazing team at the Voodoo Rooms at the time that really inspired me and got me really hooked on the love of hospitality and making cocktails.” Mr McPherson ended up general manager of the Voodoo Rooms before setting up his own bar - Panda & Sons - six years later.

This speakeasy bar is hidden behind a vintage barber shop frontage on Queen Street. On why it is called Panda & Sons, Mr McPherson said: “Panda is my nickname. I’m of mixed race background, my dad is Scottish from Pitlochry and my mum is from South Korea.

“We all had animal names at school and that was my name. The ‘& Sons’ was more a continuation of my family’s business. My great-grandfather, grandfather and uncle all owned a shop called McPherson and Sons, which was a grocery shop in Pitlochry. Unfortunately it closed down a couple of years before I opened Panda & Sons, so the name is a subtle nod to that family legacy, which I wanted to continue in a different way.”

On descending to the basement, the interiors in Panda & Sons are part cocktail pub, part Prohibition speakeasy, with the russet wood panelling adorned with knick-knacks and curiosities galore, alongside numerous Panda-inspired touches.

In 2015, Mr McPherson also opened Hoot the Redeemer in the city, a New Orleans-inspired dive bar renowned for its outstanding cocktails and boozy ice cream.

Of Hoot the Redeemer, Mr McPherson said: “We wanted to create ice cream with alcohol in it. I love ice cream, but I didn’t necessarily know how to make it well.

"I went to the gelato university, which is a thing, in Bologna in Italy to study and I even went down to the university of Reading to study the science of ice cream. Going there with a bartender’s brain I suddenly realised that there was so much more we could do.

"I thought it’d be really fun just making ice cream, but it was really science forward and classroom focused and it opened my eyes to what was possible.

"We always look at the top restaurants, top chefs and we try to adapt their techniques, such as sous vide. But if you’re constantly looking at a kitchen, you’re not going to see much to do with flavour creation and freezing as, apart from gelato and ice cream, there’s not a lot. But I realise now we can create a lot more with freezing.”

Over the years, Mr McPherson 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, Mr McPherson was also integral to founding 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 talent.

While the latest Panda & Sons menu, Transcend, has garnered much international acclaim for its outstanding presentation of his ground-breaking techniques, Mr McPherson’s scientific creativity is rivalled only by his commitment to knowledge sharing within the industry. He offers full transparency on his proprietary techniques and travels the world hosting seminars and masterclasses to fuel cocktail innovation.

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. The speakeasy has subsequently risen through the ranks, placing at No.39 last year. 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, said of Mr McPherson’s win: “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.”

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. Iain is the first Scottish bartender to win.

Hear more from Iain McPherson by searching Scran wherever you get your podcasts or click here.