Open Call to Submit Global Nominations for the 13th Annual Spirited Awards®, Recognizing the Professionals, Organizations and Establishments Redefining the Spirits Industry
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (April 22, 2019) – Tales of the Cocktail Foundation (TOTCF) is pleased to announce that nominations will open for the 13th annual Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards® on Monday, April 22, 2019 at 10:00 A.M. CST.
Since its founding in 2007, the Spirited Awards® have become one of the industry’s most sought-after awards, recognizing beverage professionals, products, and establishments across every facet of the spirits and cocktail community on a global scale. The award categories spotlight a range of talent from bartenders, journalists, and brand ambassadors, to brands and media, to ensure each aspect of the industry is well represented and recognized for its contributions.
The Spirited Awards® are comprised of industry accolades, both American and International, writing awards, and a few highly coveted, overall awards that transcend regionality including World’s Best Cocktail Bar and World’s Best Cocktail Menu. Three new categories will be added to the Spirited Awards® starting this year: an American Classic Award, International Classic Award, and a global Philanthropy Award.
The American Classic category will recognize a bar that is a pillar in its community, has built a strong reputation for being an important space within its region, and one that has provided a benchmark for the industry there; the International Classic category will acknowledge the same merits on a global scale. Each Classic will honor a bar that is both welcoming and familiar, but also respected as an institution that has influenced the culture and growth of other establishments, and has been a staple for locals and visitors alike on a national and global stage respectively. Eligible recipients for each award should embody the culture and warmth of the city or location in which it is located, offer quality cocktails, consistent service and a certain compelling quality that makes it truly resonate within its community. All nominees for these categories must have opened prior to May 31, 2008 to be considered. Candidates for both the American Classic and International Classic Awards will be internally nominated and evaluated by a curated voting committee.
The Philanthropy Award will celebrate outstanding service by an individual or institution that demonstrates outstanding commitment to the hospitality community either through direct financial support, development of charitable or educational programs, volunteering and/or leadership in philanthropy. Considerations will include depth and breadth of reach, lasting impact in the community, and innovation in addressing an issue or need in the hospitality industry. The full list of 2019 categories and eligibility requirements for each can be found here.
The Spirited Awards® will be hosted on Saturday, July 20th from 7:00 – 10:00 P.M. A first ever Spirited After Hours party will be held from 10:00 P.M. – 12:00 A.M to celebrate and toast this year’s winners. General admission tickets to the awards will be available for $100, box seats for $250, and floor seats for $450 each. Purchase of awards tickets include access to Spirited After Hours. For those interested in exclusively attending the Spirited After Hours party, tickets can be purchased separately for $75. Tickets will be available with more information in June.
“It is an immense honor to uphold the legacy and deep-rooted traditions synonymous with Tales of the Cocktail’s annual Spirited Awards®,” said Tales of the Cocktail Foundation Co-Chair, Gary Solomon Jr. “But it is equally important to continually evaluate the awards’ structure to make sure it is forward-thinking, progressive, and reflective of the ongoing evolution of this industry. In adding new award categories and our Spirited After Hours party this year, we strive to strike that delicate balance.”
Winners will be selected by a panel of over 100 industry experts, led by Charlotte Voisey (Spirited Awards Chair), Jacob Briars (International Spirited Awards Chair), Paul Clarke (Writing Chair), Bridget Albert and Kiowa Bryan (U.S. Judging Chairs), and Joseph Mortera, Lauren Mote, Claire Warner, Giuseppe Gallo, Micaela Piccolo, Zdenek Kastanek, Kurt Schlechter and Rebecca Sturt (International Judging Chairs).
“The Spirited Awards afford us to encourage, recognize and ultimately celebrate success and progress in the broader spirits industry across the world,” said Charlotte Voisey, Chairperson of the Spirited Awards®. “We are ready and excited to do that again in 2019 and are pleased to include the three new awards this year, the Classic awards for both the USA and the rest of the world and the Philanthropy award. As always nominations are encouraged from far and wide to truly capture the very best of the bar world.”
Regional Top 10 Honorees will be acknowledged on May 30th. The Top 10 American and International semi-finalists will debut on June 12th, and the top four finalists per category will be shared on June 24th.
Review all of the Spirited Awards® policies and submit nominations online here from April 22, 2019 through May 13, 2019. The Spirited Awards® are not based on popular vote and all nominations will be evaluated by their respective judging committees.
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About Tales of the Cocktail Foundation Tales of the Cocktail Foundation is an 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. For more information on Tales of the Cocktail, please visit www.tocstaging.wpengine.com.
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 300+ annual events developed specifically for bartenders, distillers and other spirits professionals, Tales of the Cocktail is the industry’s annual meeting place for the exchange of new ideas, products and techniques. Tales of the Cocktail 2019 will be hosted in New Orleans from July 16th to 21st, 2019.
Media Inquiries:
Gia Vecchio, [email protected], 917.280.5043
Katherine Crawford, [email protected], 404.513.0528
