Christine Wiseman Of Broken Shaker & Bar Lab Hospitality Is Named 2023 North America’s Best Bartender

North America’s 50 Best Bars just announced that the winner of the 2023 Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award is Christine Wiseman of Broken Shaker! Wiseman is the Global Beverage Director of Bar Lab Hospitality, which has a portfolio of food and beverage establishments such as Broken Shaker (Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York), Mesiba, MaryGold’s Brasserie, Higher Ground, and Hoja Taqueria, amongst others. This is the sophomore year of the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award by North America’s 50 Best Bars. Last year’s winner was Masahiro Urushido of Katana Kitten in New York City. This notable award is meaningful because it is voted on by the lead bartenders from North America’s 50 Best Bars of 2023, which will be announced in May. Wiseman is already beloved within the international bartending community and being recognized by fellow industry leaders is a high honor. Only one bartender is selected by peers to represent the best of the best from the U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean, and Canada.

“Christine is a bartending force of nature whose exuberant cocktails electrify her legions of fans across the U.S. and beyond,” said Mark Sansom, Content Director for 50 Best. “She is known around the globe for her work at the celebrated Broken Shaker bars, where the high-energy vibe is a beacon of all-embracing hospitality in New York, Miami, Chicago and Los Angeles. Besides taking exemplary care of her guests and nurturing her bar teams from coast to coast, Christine is a dedicated mentor to many aspiring bartenders. We congratulate Christine on winning the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award, the ultimate peer-voted accolade.”

Wiseman is a 23-year veteran of the hospitality industry. She got into the industry “out of necessity — to earn money and to have fun.” She began her career on the culinary side as a chef and then transitioned to the bartending side at Virtue Feed & Grain in Alexandria, working with Todd Thrasher. Wiseman moved to Los Angeles in 2012 to manage the bar program at Michael Voltaggio’s restaurant Ink, La Descarga, and Break Room 86, just to name a few. She then joined Broken Shaker LA and their original Miami outpost. Wiseman is known for her dreamy and, if you’re lucky, occasionally glittery cocktails that is a beautiful balance of traditional with wonderfully unexpected flavor profiles.

Wiseman’s advice to aspiring bartenders is to “be yourself, stay authentic, and lead with your heart because that’s what I’ve been doing.”

“Since the creation of Altos Tequila and the Tahona Society, we have been supporting the bartender community in different career opportunities, welfare, and networking initiatives,” said Carlos Andrés Ramírez Castañeda, Head of Global Advocacy and PR for Pernod Ricard’s House of Tequila. “Congratulations to Christine Wiseman for winning the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award — we can’t think of a more deserving award than this one to recognize her career.”

Find Benjamin Liong Setiawan on Instagram: @hungryeditor.