Tales of the Cocktail Foundation Announces the Regional Top 10 Honorees for the 2023 Spirited Awards®

The 17th annual Spirited Awards celebrates global excellence in the drinks industry and recognizes professionals, organizations, and establishments shaping the cocktail community

NEW ORLEANS, LA (April 24, 2023) — Tales of the Cocktail Foundation (TOTCF) is pleased to announce the regional top 10 honorees for the 17th annual Spirited Awards®. Founded in 2007 to celebrate excellence in the global cocktail community, the Spirited Awards® have become one of the most internationally recognized accolades honoring beverage professionals, products, establishments, luminaries, and media across every facet of the drinks industry on a global scale. In partnership with Forbes, the Spirited Awards® official media partner, TOTCF will honor recipients during the Tales of the Cocktail® (TOTC) conference, which is taking place in New Orleans from July 23-28, 2023. 

“We are so grateful for the contributions of each of these Spirited Awards Regional Honorees,” said Tales of the Cocktail Foundation CEO Eileen Wayner. “We are the sum of our parts in this industry, and it’s so fulfilling to see the bars on this list sharing their passion and unique approaches to hospitality with the global drinks community.”

This year, an exceptional number of Spirited Awards^® submissions were received across all categories, a testament to the hard work and achievements of our colleagues in the industry. In that spirit, the Foundation is proud to announce the Regional Top 10 honorees, broken into regions in the Asia Pacific (APAC), Canada, Europe, Latin America & Caribbean (LATAM&C), Middle East & Africa (MEA), U.S. Central, U.S. East, and U.S. West. 

2023 Spirited Awards^® Regional Top 10 Honorees (in alphabetical order):

INTERNATIONAL ESTABLISHMENTS

*Due to ties, some categories have more than 10 honorees.

Best International Bar Team presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation

Best International Bar Team – Asia Pacific (APAC)

• Above Board — Melbourne, Australia
• ATLAS — Singapore
• COA — Hong Kong, China
• DarkSide at Rosewood Hong Kong — Hong Kong, China
• Jigger & Pony at the Amara Hotel — Singapore
• Manhattan Bar at the Conrad Singapore Orchard — Singapore
• PS40 — Sydney, Australia
• Republic at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia — Singapore
• Stay Gold Flamingo — Singapore
• The Baxter Inn — Sydney, Australia
• Tropic City — Bangkok, Thailand

Best International Bar Team – Canada

• Atwater Cocktail Club — Montreal, Québec, Canada
• BarChef — Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Civil Liberties — Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Clive’s Classic Lounge at the Chateau Victoria Hotel — Victoria, BC, Canada
• Dear Friend Bar — Dartmouth, NS, Canada
• Laowai — Vancouver, BC, Canada
• Lobby Lounge and RawBar at Fairmont Pacific Rim — Vancouver, BC, Canada
• Published on Main — Vancouver, BC, Canada
• The Cloakroom Bar — Montreal, Québec, Canada
• The Keefer Bar — Vancouver, BC, Canada

Best International Bar Team – Europe

• Bar 1661 — Dublin, Ireland
• Lab 22 — Cardiff, UK
• Panda & Sons — Edinburgh, Scotland
• Paradiso — Barcelona, Spain
• Quantobasta — Lecce, Italy
• Salmon Guru — Madrid, Spain
• SCHOFIELD’S BAR — Manchester, UK
• Swift Soho — London, UK
• Tayēr + Elementary — London, UK
• The Clumsies — Athens, Greece
• The Donovan Bar at the Brown’s Hotel — London, UK
• Wax On — Berlin, Germany

Best International Bar Team – Latin America & Caribbean (LATAM&C)

• ALQUÍMICO — Cartagena, Colombia
• Café de Nadie — Mexico City, Mexico
• Chintoneria — Buenos Aires, Argentina
• El Barón Cafe & Cocktail Bar — Cartagena, Columbia
• Handshake Speakeasy — Mexico City, Mexico
• Hanky Panky — Mexico City, Mexico
• Las Brujas — Mexico City, Mexico
• La Factoria — San Juan, Puerto Rico
• La Uat — Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Tres Monos — Buenos Aires, Argentina

Best International Bar Team – Middle East & Africa (MEA)

• Bulgari Bar at The Bvlgari Resort — Dubai, UAE
• fable — Cape Town, South Africa
• Front Back Accra — Accra, Ghana
• Gigi Rooftop Restaurant & Bar at the Gorgeous George Hotel — Cape Town, South Africa
• LPM Restaurant & Bar Dubai — Dubai, UAE
• ROKA Dubai — Dubai, UAE
• Sin + Tax — Johannesburg, South Africa
• The Art of Duplicity — Cape Town, South Africa
• The House of Machines — Cape Town, South Africa
• Zuma Dubai — Dubai, UAE

Best International Cocktail Bar presented by Patrón Tequila

Best International Cocktail Bar – Asia Pacific (APAC)

• Above Board — Melbourne, Australia
• Bar TRENCH — Tokyo, Japan
• BYRDI — Melbourne, Australia
• COA — Hong Kong, China
• Live Twice — Singapore
• MAYBE SAMMY — Sydney, Australia
• Nutmeg & Clove — Singapore
• RE — Sydney, Australia
• Sago House — Singapore
• Southside Parlor — Seoul, South Korea

Best International Cocktail Bar – Canada

• Atwater Cocktail Club — Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• Bar Mordecai — Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Bar Pompette — Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Civil Liberties — Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Cry Baby Gallery — Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• El Pequeño Bar — Montreal, Québec, Canada
• Milky Way Cocktail Bar — Montreal, Québec, Canada
• Mother Cocktail Bar — Toronto, ON, Canada
• The Cloakroom Bar — Montreal, Québec, Canada
• The Keefer Bar — Vancouver, BC, Canada

Best International Cocktail Bar – Europe

• 🔶🟥🔵 A Bar with Shapes for a Name — London, UK
• Creps Al Born — Barcelona, Spain
• Drink Kong — Rome, Italy
• Freni e Frizioni — Rome, Italy
• L’Antiquario — Naples, Italy
• Panda & Sons — Edinburgh, Scotland
• Paradiso — Barcelona, Spain
• Röda Huset — Stockholm, Sweden
• Satan’s Whiskers — London, UK
• SIPS — Barcelona, Spain
• Wax On — Berlin, Germany

Best International Cocktail Bar – Latin America & Caribbean (LATAM&C)

• ALQUÍMICO — Cartagena, Colombia
• Baltra Bar — Mexico City, Mexico
• Café de Nadie — Mexico City, Mexico
• Chintoneria — Buenos Aires, Argentina
• El Barón Cafe & Cocktail Bar — Cartagena, Colombia
• El Gallo Altanero — Guadalajara, Mexico
• Handshake Speakeasy — Mexico City, Mexico
• Las Brujas — Mexico City, Mexico
• Pocket — San Jose, Costa Rica
• Tres Monos — Buenos Aires, Argentina

Best International Cocktail Bar – Middle East & Africa (MEA)

• Barométre — Marrakech, Morocco
• Dead End Paradise — Beirut, Lebanon
• fable — Cape Town, South Africa
• Front Back Accra — Accra, Ghana
• Galaxy Bar DIFC — Dubai, UAE
• Shinko — Cairo, Egypt
• Sin + Tax — Johannesburg, South Africa
• The Art of Duplicity — Cape Town, South Africa
• The Drinkery — Cape Town, South Africa
• The House of Machines — Cape Town, South Africa

Best International Hotel Bar presented by Perrier 

Best International Hotel Bar – Asia Pacific (APAC)

• Akademi at the Katamama hotel — Bali, Indonesia
• ARGO at the Four Seasons — Hong Kong, China
• BKK Social Club at Four Seasons Bangkok — Bangkok, Thailand
• Charles H. at the Four Seasons Hotel — Seoul, South Korea
• DarkSide at Rosewood Hong Kong — Hong Kong, China
• Dean & Nancy on 22 at the A by Adina hotel — Sydney, Australia
• Jigger & Pony at the Amara Hotel — Singapore
• Origin Bar at the Shangri-La Hotel — Singapore
• Republic at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia — Singapore
• VIRTÙ at the Four Seasons Tokyo Otemachi — Tokyo, Japan
• Writers Bar at the Raffles Hotel — Singapore

Best International Hotel Bar – Canada

• 1927 Lobby Lounge at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia — Vancouver, BC, Canada
• Bar Artéfact at Auberge Saint-Antoine Hotel — Québec City, Québec, Canada
• Botanist at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel — Vancouver, BC, Canada
• Clive’s Classic Lounge at the Chateau Victoria Hotel — Victoria, BC, Canada
• Clockwork Champagne & Cocktails at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel — Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Library Bar at the Fairmont Royal York — Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Lobby Lounge and RawBar at Fairmont Pacific Rim — Vancouver, BC, Canada
• Marcus Restaurant + Terrace at the Four Seasons Hotel — Montreal, Québec, Canada
• Rundle Bar at the Fairmont Banff Springs — Banff, Alberta, Canada
• The Courtney Room at the Magnolia Hotel — Victoria, BC, Canada

Best International Hotel Bar – Europe

• Atrium Bar at Four Seasons Hotel Firenze — Florence, Italy
• Lobby Bar at The London EDITION — London, UK
• Pier42 at Amerikalinjen — Oslo, Norway
• Pulitzer’s Bar at the Pulitzer Amsterdam — Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Punch Room at The London EDITION — London, UK
• Side Hustle at The NoMad Hotel London — London, UK
• Super Lyan at the Kimpton De Witt — Amsterdam, Netherlands
• The Court at the Palazzo Manfredi — Rome, Italy
• The Donovan Bar at the Brown’s Hotel — London, UK
• The Doping Bar at Aethos Milan — Milan, Italy
• Widder Bar & Kitchen at Widder Hotel — Zurich, Switzerland

Best International Hotel Bar – Latin America & Caribbean (LATAM&C)

• BEKEB at the Hotel Casa Hoyos — San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
• Celajes Lounge Bar at Hotel Belmar — Monteverde, Costa Rica
• Fifty Mils at the Four Seasons Hotel — Mexico City, Mexico
• Hotel B Relais & Châteaux — Lima, Peru
• Mi Amor Bar at the Mi Amor Hotel — Tulum, Mexico
• Mezcaleria Gota Gorda at the Boutique Hotel Soiree — Playa Zipolite, Mexico
• Mulberry Project at La Zebra Hotel — Tulum, Mexico
• Nobu at the Nobu Hotel Los Cabos — Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
• Rum Room at Rosewood Little Dix Bay — British Virgin Islands
• Zapote Bar at the Rosewood Mayakoba — Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Best International Hotel Bar – Middle East & Africa (MEA)

• Bulgari Bar at The Bvlgari Resort — Dubai, UAE
• Bushwick at the Fabric Hotel — Tel Aviv, Israel
• Gigi Rooftop Restaurant & Bar at the Gorgeous George Hotel — Cape Town, South Africa
• HERO at the Trademark Hotel — Nairobi, Kenya
• Imperial Craft Cocktail Bar at the Imperial Hotel — Tel Aviv, Israel
• La Otra at the Imperial Hotel — Tel Aviv, Israel
• Library Bar at The Abu Dhabi EDITION — Abu Dhabi, UAE
• Monkey Bar at the 25hours Hotel — Dubai, UAE
• Sky 28 at the Kenzi Tower Hotel — Casablanca, Morocco
• Tambourin Rooftop Lounge and Bar at the Villa Rosa Kempinski Hotel — Nairobi, Kenya
• Vista Bar & Restaurant at the One&Only — Cape Town, South Africa

Best International Restaurant Bar presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation

Best International Restaurant Bar – Asia Pacific (APAC)

• Alba Bar & Deli — Brisbane, Australia
• Analogue Initiative — Singapore
• Bar Torino — Adelaide, Australia
• Bombay Canteen — Mumbai, India
• Caffe Fernet — Singapore
• Continental Deli Bar Bistro — Sydney, Australia
• INDULGE Bistro x Spirit of Hven — Taipei, Taiwan
• Loewy — Jakarta, Indonesia
• No Sleep Club — Singapore
• Restaurant Hubert — Sydney, Australia

Best International Restaurant Bar – Canada

• Aloette — Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Bar Kismet — Halifax, NS, Canada
• Highwayman Restaurant & Bar — Halifax, NS, Canada
• Honō Izakaya — Quebec City, Québec, Canada
• Kissa Tanto — Vancouver, BC, Canada
• Le Majestique — Montreal, Québec, Canada
• Le Swan French Diner — Toronto, ON, Canada
• Published on Main — Vancouver, BC, Canada
• The Ostrich Club — Halifax, NS, Canada
• Wind Cries Mary — Victoria, BC, Canada

Best International Restaurant Bar – Europe

• 14 De La Rosa — Barcelona, Spain
• Angelita — Madrid, Spain
• Bonhomie — Paris, France
• Carico Milano — Milan, Italy
• Danico — Paris, France
• Hacha — London, UK
• KOL Restaurant — London, UK
• Le Mary Celeste — Paris, France
• Locale Firenze — Florence, Italy
• Odori Vermuteria di Atene — Athens, Greece

Best International Restaurant Bar – Latin America & Caribbean (LATAM&C)

• ARCA Tulum — Tulum, Mexico
• Aruba Day Drinking Bar — Tijuana, Mexico
• Casa Prunes — Mexico City, Mexico
• COCHINCHINA — Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Huset Cocina de Campo — Mexico City, Mexico
• Lady Bee — Lima, Peru
• La Sala de Laura — Bogotá, Colombia
• Mesa Franca — Bogotá, Colombia
• SubAstor — São Paolo, Brazil
• Tan Tan — São Paolo, Brazil

Best International Restaurant Bar – Middle East & Africa (MEA)

• Amazónico — Dubai, UAE
• Amelia Restaurant & Lounge — Beirut, Lebanon
• Buddha-Bar Dubai — Dubai, UAE
• COYA Dubai — Dubai, UAE
• Ëlgr Restaurant — Cape Town, South Africa
• LPM Restaurant & Bar Dubai — Dubai, UAE
• Marble — Johannesburg, South Africa
• Mimi Kakushi — Dubai, UAE
• ROKA Dubai — Dubai, UAE
• The Athletic Club & Social — Cape Town, South Africa
• Zuma Dubai — Dubai, UAE

Best New International Cocktail Bar presented by Diageo Bar Academy

Best New International Cocktail Bar – Asia Pacific (APAC)

• Bar Planet — Sydney, Australia
• Caretaker’s Cottage — Melbourne, Australia
• Gold Bar at EDITION — Tokyo, Japan
• Hickson House — Sydney, Australia
• Last Word — Singapore
• Mahaniyom — Bangkok, Thailand
• Night Hawk — Singapore
• One or Two — Melbourne, Australia
• Penrose — Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Thirsty Shaker — Hong Kong, China

Best New International Cocktail Bar – Canada*

• Bagheera — Vancouver, BC, Canada
• Bar Banane — Toronto, ON, Canada
• Friendlies Bar — Vancouver, BC, Canada
• Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provision — Vancouver, BC, Canada
• Sidecar — Ottawa, ON, Canada
• Simpl Things — Toronto, ON, Canada
• Stolen Goods — Ottawa, ON, Canada
• The Stock Room — Vancouver, BC, Canada

*8 nominees due to the number of nominations received 

Best New International Cocktail Bar – Europe

• Bar Lupo — Zurich, Switzerland
• FOCO — Barcelona, Spain
• Freni e Frizioni Draft — Rome, Italy
• Gucci Giardino 25 — Florence, Italy
• Line Athens — Athens, Greece
• Paladar — Cork, Ireland
• Passing Fancies — Birmingham, UK
• Punch Room at The Madrid EDITION — Madrid, Spain
• Seed Library at One Hundred Shoreditch  — London, UK
• Silverleaf at the Pan Pacific London — London, UK
• Velvet at the Corinthia London — London, UK

Best New International Cocktail Bar – Latin America & Caribbean (LATAM&C)

• CATA Agave Bar — Tamarindo, Costa Rica
• Comeré — Oaxaca, Mexico
• Door No.4 — Georgetown, Cayman Islands
• Jardín Tragos y Pasteles — Bogotá, Colombia
• Juliana — Guayaquil, Ecuador
• Library by the Sea at The Kimpton Seafire Resort — Seven Mile Beach, Cayman Islands
• Mamba Negra — Medellín, Colombia
• Mulberry Project at Tribu Hostel — Holbox, Mexico
• Rayo Cocktail Bar — Mexico City, Mexico
• Sastreria Martinez — Lima, Peru

Best New International Cocktail Bar – Middle East & Africa (MEA)

• Amelia Restaurant & Lounge — Dubai, UAE
• Electric Pawn Shop at The H Dubai — Dubai, UAE
• Ergo Cocktail Bar & Restaurant — Dubai, UAE
• Jass Lounge — Dubai, UAE
• Mars Rooftop Lounge — Accra, Ghana
• NsuomNam Seafood and Fish Restaurant — Accra, Ghana
• RASPOUTINE — Dubai, UAE
• Salmon Guru Dubai — Dubai, UAE
• SĀN Beach — Dubai, UAE
• Vine — Accra, Ghana

U.S. ESTABLISHMENTS

Best U.S. Bar Team presented by William Grant & Sons

Best U.S. Bar Team – U.S. Central

• Arnaud’s French 75 Bar — New Orleans, LA
• DrinkWell — Austin, TX
• Grey Ghost — Detroit, MI
• Half Step — Austin, TX
• Lazy Bird at The Hoxton — Chicago, IL
• Nickel City — Austin, TX
• Porco Lounge & Tiki Bar — Cleveland, OH
• Standby — Detroit, MI
• The Roosevelt Room — Austin, TX
• Three Dots and a Dash & The Bamboo Room — Chicago, IL

Best U.S. Bar Team – U.S. East

• Allegory at the Eaton Hotel — Washington, D.C.
• Attaboy Nashville — Nashville, TN
• Bar Belly — New York, NY
• Clover Club — Brooklyn, NY
• Double Chicken Please — New York, NY
• Hawksmoor — New York, NY
• LPM Restaurant & Bar Miami — Miami, FL
• Overstory — New York, NY
• Service Bar — Washington, D.C.
• The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club — Nashville, TN

Best U.S. Bar Team – U.S. West

• Century Grand — Phoenix, AZ
• Happy Accidents — Albuquerque, NM
• Highball Cocktail Bar — Phoenix, AZ
• Pacific Cocktail Haven — San Francisco, CA
• Paper Plane — San Jose, CA
• The Snug — Sacramento, CA
• True Laurel — San Francisco, CA
• UnderTow — Phoenix, AZ
• Viridian Bar — Oakland, CA
• Williams & Graham — Denver, CO
• Yacht Club — Denver, CO

Best U.S. Cocktail Bar presented by Absolut Vodka

Best U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. Central 

• Bordel — Chicago, IL
• DrinkWell — Austin, TX
• Estereo — Chicago, IL
• Julep — Houston, TX
• Kiesling — Detroit, MI
• Manolito — New Orleans, LA
• Nickel City — Austin, TX
• Sparrow — Chicago, IL
• Sportsman’s Club — Chicago, IL
• The Roosevelt Room — Austin, TX

Best U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. East

• Bar Goto — New York, NY
• barmini by José Andrés — Washington, D.C.
• Dear Irving Gramercy — New York, NY
• Double Chicken Please — New York, NY
• Old Glory — Nashville, TN
• Overstory — New York, NY
• Pearl Diver — Nashville, TN
• Portland Hunt + Alpine Club — Portland, ME
• Serenata — Washington, DC
• Service Bar — Washington, DC
• Sunken Harbor Club — Brooklyn, NY

Best U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. West

• Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour — Phoenix, AZ
• Century Grand — Phoenix, AZ
• Foreign National — Seattle, WA
• Navy Strength — Seattle, WA
• Raised by Wolves — San Diego, CA
• Rum Club — Portland, OR
• Thunderbolt — Los Angeles, CA
• Trick Dog — San Francisco, CA
• True Laurel — San Francisco, CA
• Wildhawk — San Francisco, CA
• Yacht Club — Denver, CO

Best U.S. Hotel Bar presented by Grey Goose

Best U.S. Hotel Bar – U.S. Central 

• Bar Marilou at the Maison de la Luz — New Orleans, LA
• Catbird at the Thompson Hotel — Dallas, TX
• Chandelier Bar at the Four Seasons New Orleans — New Orleans, LA
• Hot Tin at the Pontchartrain Hotel — New Orleans, LA
• Lazy Bird at The Hoxton — Chicago, IL
• loa at the International House — New Orleans, LA
• Midnight Rambler at The Joule — Dallas, TX
• The Bar at Hotel Zachary — Chicago, IL
• The Elysian Bar at the Hotel Peter and Paul — New Orleans, LA
• Vol. 39 at The Kimpton Gray Hotel — Chicago, IL

Best U.S. Hotel Bar – U.S. East

• Allegory at the Eaton Hotel — Washington, D.C.
• Champagne Bar at The Surf Club Miami — Miami, FL
• Dear Irving on Hudson at the Aliz Hotel — New York, NY
• El Quijote at Hotel Chelsea — New York, NY
• Minibar at The Meridian Hotel — Miami Beach, FL
• Orilla Bar & Grill at the Urbanica the Euclid Hotel — Miami Beach, FL
• Panorama Room at Graduate Hotel Roosevelt Island — New York, NY
• Raines Law Room at the William — New York, NY
• White Limozeen at The Graduate — Nashville, TN
• Zou Zou’s at the Pendry Manhattan West — New York, NY

Best U.S. Hotel Bar – U.S. West

• Anasazi Bar and Lounge at the Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi — Santa Fe, NM
• ARDOR at The West Hollywood EDITION — West Hollywood, CA
• Del Rey at Villa Royale — Palm Springs, CA
• Hey Love at The Jupiter — Portland, OR
• Legacy Club at Circa — Las Vegas, NV
• Libertine Social at the Mandalay Bay — Las Vegas, NV
• Little Rituals at the Residence Inn/Courtyard by Marriott — Phoenix, AZ
• Mountaineering Club at the Graduate Seattle Hotel — Seattle, WA
• Overlook Lounge, Aperitifs & Spirits at the Wynn — Las Vegas, NV
• Ski Lodge at The Cosmopolitan — Las Vegas, NV

Best U.S. Restaurant Bar presented by Amaro Montenegro and Select Aperitivo

Best U.S. Restaurant Bar – U.S. Central

• Arnaud’s French 75 Bar — New Orleans, LA
• Bakery Bar — New Orleans, LA
• Grey Ghost — Detroit, MI
• Kumiko — Chicago, IL
• Lengua Madre — New Orleans, LA
• Maple and Ash — Chicago, IL
• Margot’s — New Orleans, LA
• Mister Mao — New Orleans, LA
• Monteverde — Chicago, IL
• Spoon and Stable — Minneapolis, MN
• The Hope Farm — Fairhope, AL
• The Lounge at MARCH — Houston, TX

Best U.S. Restaurant Bar – U.S. East

• Blossom Bar — Brookline, MA
• Bresca — Washington, DC
• Café La Trova — Miami, FL
• COTE Korean Steakhouse — New York, NY
• Crown Shy — New York, NY
• Gramercy Tavern — New York, NY
• Jaguar Sun — Miami, FL
• Macchialina — Miami, FL
• Manhatta — New York, NY
• The Grey — Savannah, GA

Best U.S. Restaurant Bar – U.S. West

• Accomplice Bar — Los Angeles, CA
• Bar Agricole — San Francisco, CA
• Bicyclette — Los Angeles, CA
• Cleaver – Butchered Meats, Seafood & Classic Cocktails — Las Vegas, NV
• L’Oursin — Seattle, WA
• Lolo — San Francisco, CA
• Palomar — Portland, OR
• Redbird — Los Angeles, CA
• Valentine — Phoenix, AZ
• Viridian — Oakland, CA

Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar presented by Diageo Bar Academy

Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. Central 

• Adiós Bar — Birmingham, AL
• Bandista at the Four Seasons — Houston, TX
• Dovetail Bar at the Schaeffer Hotel — New Orleans, LA
• EZ’s Liquor Lounge — Houston, TX
• In Plain Sight — Austin, TX
• Nine Bar — Chicago, IL
• Penny Drip — Fort Wayne, IN
• Refuge — Houston, TX
• The Elm — Bloomington, IN
• The Meadowlark — Chicago, IL

Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. East

• Amazonia — Washington D.C.
• Chez Zou — New York, NY
• Church — Baltimore, MD
• Lobby Bar at The Hotel Chelsea — New York, NY
• Martiny’s — New York, NY
• Marygold’s Brasserie at the Arlo Wynwood — Miami, FL
• Milady’s — New York, NY
• Nubeluz at The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad — New York, NY
• Swan Room at Nine Orchard — New York, NY
• The Danforth — Portland, ME
• The Gibson Room — Miami, FL

Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. West

• Baby Gee — Long Beach, CA
• Capri Club — Los Angeles, CA
• Dalva — San Francisco, CA
• For The Record — San Francisco, CA
• Here Today Brewery & Kitchen — Seattle, WA
• Khla — Phoenix, AZ
• Pacific Standard + The Sunset Room at the KEX Portland — Portland, OR
• The Butterscotch Den — Sacramento, CA
• The Let’s Go Disco and Cocktail Club — Los Angeles, CA
• UnderTow — Gilbert, AZ

Spirited Awards Judges

Below is a list of Spirited Awards^® Chairs, responsible for overseeing the judging process this year:

• Spirited Awards Overall Chair
  • Charlotte Voisey
• Spirited Awards International Chair
  • Jacob Briars
• Asia Pacific Co-Chairs
  • Lorenzo Antinori
  • Sam Bygrave
  • Pankaj Balachandran
  • Charmaine Thio
• Canada Co-Chairs
  • Kate Boushel
  • Sabrine Dhaliwal
• Europe Co-Chairs
  • Roberta Mariani
  • Nicola Riske
• Latin America & Caribbean Co-Chairs
  • Carlos Aguinsky
  • Jean Trinh
• Middle East & Africa Co-Chairs
  • Stephen “Kojo” Aidoo
  • Cassandra Eichhoff
  • Caitlin Hill
• U.S. Central Co-Chairs
  • Steva Casey
  • Lynn M. House
• U.S. East Co-Chairs
  • Jackson Cannon
  • Laura Cullen
• U.S. West Co-Chairs
  • Jason Asher
  • Mary Palac
• Writing & Media Co-Chairs
  • François Monti
  • Matthew Rowley
  • Sandrae Lawrence
• Timeless Co-Chair
  • Jared Brown
  • Anistatia Miller

Spirited Awards^® judges are a collection of respected bartenders, bar owners, educators, and writers from across the globe entrusted with this critical calling. Drawing on their years of experience and their knowledge of the current work being done locally, nationally, and internationally, together the judges can evaluate nominees from far and wide to ensure that the Spirited Awards^® represents the breadth and diversity of the global drinks industry. 

Tales of the Cocktail Foundation’s Spirited Awards^® Committee is dedicated to valuing the inclusion of the communities we serve by ensuring that our judging panel reflects their incredible diversity in terms of race, gender, ethnicity, and sexuality. Recognizing that inclusion is key to a well-represented committee, TOTCF strives to ensure that we have an equitable representation of gender across the judging panel. The Spirited Awards^® are not based on popular vote and all nominations will be evaluated by their respective judging committees. 

Tales of the Cocktail Foundation would like to thank all of its Spirited Awards sponsors. Title Partners: Diageo Bar Academy, Pernod Ricard; Presenting Partners: Bacardi Limited, William Grant & Sons; Supporting Partners: Gruppo Montenegro, Johnnie Walker, Libbey, Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic, Perrier, The Busker. 

In light of the ongoing global events with the Russian government’s invasion of Ukraine, Tales of the Cocktail Foundation’s policy will remain unchanged for the 2023 Spirited Awards. The Spirited Awards Committee and Tales of the Cocktail Foundation Board will not consider nominees from Russia for this year’s awards, nor will the Spirited Awards ​committee include any Russian-based judges.

The Foundation stands in solidarity with colleagues and friends in the hospitality industry in Ukraine and with all citizens impacted by the catastrophic invasion. The organization acknowledges industry colleagues in Russia who do not support the war, but also have minimal ways to protest without risking their own personal safety. 

To learn more about the Spirited Awards Committee and awards criteria, please visit the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation’s Spirited Awards page.

Overall Top 10 Nominees will be announced on June 1, 2023, Top 4 Finalists will be named on June 21, 2023, and Winners will be celebrated on July 27, 2023 at the 17th Annual Spirited Awards Ceremony at the Fillmore New Orleans. 

Spirited Awards Directory 

Tales of the Cocktail is thrilled to share the Spirited Awards® Directory in partnership with Absolut Vodka, Diageo Bar Academy, Grey Goose, Gruppo Montenegro, Johnnie Walker, Libbey, Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic, Patron Tequila, Perrier, Pernod Ricard, The Busker, and William Grant & Sons. Giving discerning imbibers a comprehensive compendium of all 900+ Spirited Awards winners and nominees from the past 17 years, the Directory is an interactive, global map created to easily guide guests to officially recognized Spirited Awards establishments.

This resource will be updated annually, making it an easy-to-use tool to plan which bars to visit at home or when traveling. Use the Spirited Awards® Directory today to explore award-winning bars. 

Please follow along for additional information on the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation website, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. 

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About Tales of the Cocktail Foundation:

Tales of the Cocktail Foundation is a non-profit organization that educates, advances, and supports the global hospitality industry and creates lasting impact in our host communities. Tales of the Cocktail Foundation is the global leader in spirits education and a platform to tackle issues facing the industry. The pillars of the Foundation are to Educate, Advance, and Support the hospitality industry through programs that benefit individuals and organizations in the community and to make a lasting impact in communities that host our events. 

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Media Inquiries: 

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