New Orleans, LA–June 16, 2017–After another year of incredibly competitive Top Ten Finalists and intense deliberation from the judging panels, Tales of the Cocktail® has finally arrived at the Top Four Finalists in each category for this year’s 11th Annual Spirited Awards®. All of the finalists are invited to attend the award ceremony, taking place on Saturday, July 22 at the Sheraton Hotel in New Orleans, where the winners of each category will be announced live in front of their peers in the cocktail and spirits industry. In addition to the prestige that comes with winning a Spirited Award®, finalists will receive a Riedel crystal trophy to commemorate their accomplishments.
“We’re all anticipating finding out who will take home the Spirited Award in each category. But just making this list as a finalist is an accomplishment,” said Ann Tuennerman. Founder of Tales of the Cocktail. “These finalists and all the other nominees are an indication of the strength of our industry.”
Since their debut in 2007, the Spirited Awards® have recognized the best and brightest in the cocktail and spirits industries. The award categories stretch from bartenders and brand ambassadors to bars and writers in order to ensure that every aspect of the industry receives recognition for its contributions. For these efforts, the Spirited Awards® have grown to become one of the most coveted honors an industry professional can receive. Each year, a panel of 140 industry experts, led by Charlotte Voisey (Chairperson), Jacob Briars (International Judging Committee Chairman), Paul Clarke (Writing Committee Chairman) and Brooke Arthur, Bridget Albert and Derek Brown (U.S. Judging Committee Chairs), take part in a week-long voting process to choose their picks for Awards finalists. These votes are then reviewed and tallied up by Advisory Committee Members to determine the top finalists in each category.
“The field of cocktail journalism has grown dramatically in the past decade, and this year we received dozens of nominations for writers, publications and books covering the category,” says Paul Clarke, Executive Editor of Imbibe magazine and Chair of the Spirited Awards Writing Committee. “It’s impressive to see how much cocktail journalism has grown.”
For the 11th Annual Spirited Awards® , attendees are encouraged to come dressed as their interpretation of the theme “Out of this World,” to celebrate the future of the cocktail and spirits industry. This year, the sponsoring partners of the Spirited Awards® include 1724 Tonic Water, Bacardi USA, BarSmarts, Beam Suntory, Bound Bar at The Cromwell, Chivas, Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon, GH Mumm, Gin Mare, House of Angostura, Lillet, Luxardo, Montecristo Cigar Bar at Caesars Palace, Nikka Whiskey, Pierre Ferrand Cognac, Rutte Gin, Suze Bitters & Liqueurs and William Grant & Sons. Those who are unable to attend can watch the Spirited Awards® live on the Tales of the Cocktail Facebook page.
You can find more information about the Spirited Awards®, including a list of past winners, here. Click here to learn about more of the exciting events this year’s Tales of the Cocktail® has to offer.
2017 Spirited Awards® Top Four Finalists
American Categories
Best American Bar Team
- Herbs and Rye (Las Vegas, NV)
- Sweet Liberty Drinks & Supply Company (Miami, FL)
- The NoMad Bar (New York, NY)
- Williams & Graham (Denver, CO)
American Bartender of the Year
- Jeff Bell of PDT (New York, NY)
- John Lermayer of Sweet Liberty Drinks & Supply Company (Miami, FL)
- Kevin Diedrich of Pacific Cocktail Haven (San Francisco, CA)
- Yael Vengroff of The Spare Room (Los Angeles, CA)
Best American Brand Ambassador
- Anne Louise Marquis (Campari USA)
- Lynn House (Heaven Hill)
- Misty Kalkofen (Del Maguey)
- Robin Nance (Auchentoshan)
Best American Cocktail Bar
- Anvil Bar and Refuge (Houston, TX)
- Attaboy (New York, NY)
- Columbia Room (Washington, DC)
- Trick Dog (San Francisco, CA)
Best American High Volume Cocktail Bar
- Harvard & Stone (Los Angeles, CA)
- Honeycut (Los Angeles, CA)
- Sweet Liberty Drinks & Supply Company (Miami, FL)
- The NoMad Bar (New York, NY)
Best American Hotel Bar
- Compère Lapin at Old No. 77 Hotel (New Orleans, LA)
- Proof on Main at 21c Museum Hotel (Louisville, KY)
- The Hawthorne at The Commonwealth Hotel (Boston, MA)
- The Spare Room at The Roosevelt Hotel (Los Angeles, CA)
Best American Restaurant Bar
- Cane & Table (New Orleans, LA)
- Dante NYC (New York, NY)
- Gramercy Tavern (New York, NY)
- Spoon and Stable (Minneapolis, MN)
Best New American Cocktail Bar
- Bar Clacson (Los Angeles, CA)
- BlackTail (New York, NY)
- Jupiter Disco (Brooklyn, NY)
- Wildhawk (San Francisco, CA)
International Categories
Best International Bar Team
- Black Pearl (Melbourne, Australia)
- Dandelyan (London, UK)
- Lost + Found Drinkery (Nicosia, Cyprus)
- The Connaught Bar (London, UK)
International Bartender of the Year
- Erik Lorincz of The American Bar (London, UK)
- Iain Griffiths of Dandelyan (London, UK)
- Nico de Soto of Danico (Paris, France)
- Shingo Gokan of Speak Low (Shanghai, China)
Best International Brand Ambassador
- Camille Ralph Vidal (St-Germain)
- Ian Burrell (Rum Ambassador)
- Joe McCanta (Grey Goose)
- Raj Nagra (Bombay Gins)
Best International Cocktail Bar
- Black Pearl (Melbourne, Australia)
- Bramble (Edinburgh, UK)
- Le Syndicat (Paris, France)
- Little Red Door (Paris, France)
Best International High Volume Cocktail Bar
- Oriole (London, UK)
- Panda & Sons (Edinburgh, Scotland)
- The Baxter Inn (Sydney, Australia)
- Trailer Happiness (London, UK)
Best International Hotel Bar
- Dandelyan at The Mondrian (London, UK)
- Manhattan Bar at The Regent Singapore (Singapore)
- Punch Room at The Edition (London, UK)
- The American Bar at The Savoy (London, UK)
Best International Restaurant Bar
- Le Mary Celeste (Paris, France)
- Sager + Wilde (London, UK)
- The Blind Pig (London, UK)
- Tippling Club (Singapore)
Best New International Cocktail Bar
- ATLAS (Singapore)
- Danico (Paris, France)
- Swift (London, UK)
- Three Sheets (London, UK)
Writing Categories
Best Cocktail & Spirits Publication
- Class Magazine
- Difford’s Guide (diffordsguide.com)
- Hot Rum Cow
- The Daily Beast Drink + Food
Best Cocktail & Spirits Writer
- Alyson Sheppard
- Kara Newman
- Robert Simonson
- Wayne Curtis
Best New Cocktail & Bartending Book
- A Proper Drink by Robert Simonson
- Regarding Cocktails by Sasha Petraske with Georgette Moger-Petraske
- Shake.Stir.Sip. by Kara Newman
- Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki by Martin & Rebecca Cate
Best New Spirits Book
- Amaro by Brad Thomas Parsons
- Bourbon: The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of An American Whiskey by Fred Minnick
- Colonial Spirits: A Toast to our Drunken History by Steven Grasse
- Whiskey: A Spirited Story with 75 Classic and Original Cocktails by Michael Dietsch
Global Categories
Best Bar Mentor
- David Wondrich
- Don Lee
- Ivy Mix & Lynnette Marrero
- Paul McGee
Best New Spirit or Cocktail Ingredient
- Ancho Reyes Verde (Mexico)
- Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal PUEBLA, San Pablo Ameyaltepec Wild Papalote (Mexico)
- ITALICUS – Rosolio di Bergamotto (Italy)
- Plantation O.F.T.D. (France)
World’s Best Cocktail Menu
- Beaufort Bar (London, UK)
- BlackTail (New York, United States)
- The Dead Rabbit (New York, United States)
- Trick Dog (San Francisco, United States)
World’s Best Spirits Selection
- ATLAS (Singapore)
- canon: whiskey and bitters emporium (Seattle, WA)
- Old Lightning (Los Angeles, United States)
- The Office (Chicago, United States)
About Tales of the Cocktail
Founded in 2002, Tales of the Cocktail has grown from a small gathering of cocktail lovers into the world’s premier cocktail festival. Each year the international spirits industry is welcomed to New Orleans for a week of seminars, tastings, networking events and much more. With 200+ annual events developed specifically for bartenders, distillers and other spirits professionals, Tales of the Cocktail is the industry’s annual meeting place for the exchanging of new ideas, products and techniques. Tales of the Cocktail also produces a number of other events and programs such as Tales of the Cocktail on Tour, Tales 365, Tales of the Toddy and Daiquiri Season, all to further the mission of supporting and growing the international cocktail community.
