NEW ORLEANS, LA (April 8, 2026)— Tales of the Cocktail Foundation (TOTCF) is proud to announce the U.S. Regional Top 10 Honorees for the 20th annual Spirited Awards®. Since its inception in 2007, the Spirited Awards has become one of the world’s highest-regarded honors in the drinks industry, celebrating outstanding individuals, establishments, products, media, and leaders who continue to inspire the global cocktail community.
Tales of the Cocktail Foundation will celebrate the Spirited Awards on July 23rd during the Tales of the Cocktail (TOTC) conference, taking place in New Orleans from July 19-24, 2026. Food & Wine is the Spirited Awards Official Media Partner.
“To me, the Spirited Awards represent our community at its best. They give a platform and a voice to people and places that truly deserve it, including those who are sometimes overlooked. Being recognized by peers who deeply understand both the challenges and the triumphs of our industry makes the honor especially meaningful,” said Jaymee Mandeville, Spirited Awards U.S. East Co-Chair.
Divided into geographical regions – Asia Pacific (APAC), Canada, Europe, Latin America & Caribbean (LATAM&C), Middle East & Africa (MEA), U.S. Central, U.S. East, and U.S. West – the Regional Top 10 Honorees represent the best in the industry, leaving a lasting impact on their local cocktail communities and beyond. To toast the 2026 Honorees, the Foundation is proud to recognize this inspiring group and announce the Spirited Awards Regional Top 10 Honorees.
2026 Spirited Awards® U.S. Regional Top 10 Honorees (in alphabetical order):
U.S. Establishments:
Best U.S. Bar Team — Presented by William Grant & Sons
Best U.S. Bar Team – U.S. Central *
- Cobra — Columbus, OH
- daydreamer — Austin, TX
- Gus’ Sip & Dip — Chicago, IL
- Johnny’s Gold Brick — Houston, TX
- Lemon — Chicago, IL
- Meteor — Minneapolis, MN
- MONEYGUN — Chicago, IL
- Nickel City — Austin, TX
- The Meadowlark — Chicago, IL
- The Roosevelt Room — Austin, TX
- Three Dots and a Dash — Chicago, IL
*11 Honorees due to a tie
Best U.S. Bar Team – U.S. East
- Attaboy — New York, NY
- Bar Madonna — Brooklyn, NY
- Bar Snack — New York, NY
- JoJo’s Beloved — Atlanta, GA
- Martiny’s — New York, NY
- Service Bar — Washington, D.C.
- Sip & Guzzle — New York, NY
- Superbueno — New York, NY
- The Long Island Bar — Brooklyn, NY
- ViceVersa at the Elser Hotel — Miami, FL
Best U.S. Bar Team – U.S. West *
- Highball Cocktail Bar — Phoenix, AZ
- Lady Jane — Denver, CO
- Mírate — Los Angeles, CA
- Pacific Cocktail Haven — San Francisco, CA
- Real Charmer — Los Angeles, CA
- Realm of the 52 Remedies — San Diego, CA
- Tallboy — Oakland, CA
- Thunderbolt — Los Angeles, CA
- Tikehau Lounge — Kihei, HI
- True Laurel — San Francisco, CA
- Yacht Club — Denver, CO
- *11 Honorees due to a tie
Best U.S. Cocktail Bar presented by Pernod Ricard
Best U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. Central
- Adiós Bar — Birmingham, AL
- Best Intentions — Chicago, IL
- Bisous — Chicago, IL
- daydreamer — Austin, TX
- Drink.Well — Austin, TX
- Gus’ Sip & Dip — Chicago, IL
- Lemon — Chicago, IL
- Reserve 101 — Houston, TX
- Sportsman’s Club — Chicago, IL
- The Bamboo Room at Three Dots and a Dash — Chicago, IL
Best U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. East
- Bar Kaiju — Miami, FL
- Bar Snack — New York, NY
- Clemente Bar — New York, NY
- Double Chicken Please — New York, NY
- Martiny’s — New York, NY
- Overstory — New York, NY
- Press Club Cocktail Bar — Washington, D.C.
- Service Bar — Washington, D.C.
- Sip & Guzzle — New York, NY
- Superbueno — New York, NY
Best U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. West
- Baby Gee — Long Beach, CA
- Capri Club — Los Angeles, CA
- Highball Cocktail Bar — Phoenix, AZ
- Lady Jane — Denver, CO
- Roquette — Seattle, WA
- Tallboy — Oakland, CA
- The Snug — Sacramento, CA
- Thunderbolt — Los Angeles, CA
- Tikehau Lounge — Kihei, HI
- True Laurel — San Francisco, CA
Best U.S. Hotel Bar
Best U.S. Hotel Bar – U.S. Central
- Bandista at the Four Seasons Hotel — Houston, TX
- Bar Mara at Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis — Minneapolis, MN
- Bar Tre Dita at the St. Regis — Chicago, IL
- Carousel Bar & Lounge at Hotel Monteleone — New Orleans, LA
- Catbird at the Thompson Hotel — Dallas, TX
- Chandelier Bar at the Four Seasons New Orleans — New Orleans, LA
- Midnight Rambler at The Joule — Dallas, TX
- PufferFish at Hotel Metro Milwaukee — Milwaukee, WI
- The Elysian Bar at the Hotel Peter and Paul — New Orleans, LA
- The Sazerac Bar at The Roosevelt New Orleans — New Orleans, LA
Best U.S. Hotel Bar – U.S. East
- Champagne Bar at the Four Seasons Surf Club — Miami, FL
- Dear Irving on Hudson at the Aliz Hotel — New York, NY
- Lobby Bar at The Hotel Chelsea — New York, NY
- No Goodbyes at The Line DC hotel — Washington, D.C.
- Nubeluz at The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad — New York, NY
- Raines Law Room at the William — New York, NY
- Swizzle Rum Bar & Drinkery at The Stiles Hotel — Miami Beach, FL
- The Portrait Bar at The Fifth Avenue Hotel — New York, NY
- ViceVersa at the Elser Hotel — Miami, FL
- White Limozeen at The Graduate — Nashville, TN
Best U.S. Hotel Bar – U.S. West
- Aft Cocktail Deck at the Wynn Las Vegas — Las Vegas, NV
- Cavaña at LUMA Hotel — San Francisco, CA
- Chilte at the Egyptian Motor Hotel — Phoenix, AZ
- Ponyboy at The Pearl — San Diego, CA
- Shipwreck Bar at Kona Village Rosewood — Kailua-Kona, HI
- Ski Lodge at Superfrico at The Cosmopolitan — Las Vegas, NV
- Starlite at the Beacon Grand Hotel — San Francisco, CA
- The Cruise Room at the Oxford Hotel — Denver, CO
- The Manor Bar at the Rosewood Miramar Beach — Montecito, CA
- The Mountaineering Club at the Graduate Seattle Hotel — Seattle, WA
Best U.S. Restaurant Bar
Best U.S. Restaurant Bar – U.S. Central
- Arnaud’s French 75 Bar — New Orleans, LA
- Brennan’s Restaurant — New Orleans, LA
- Cobra — Columbus, OH
- Daisies — Chicago, IL
- Grey Ghost — Detroit, MI
- Holiday — Austin, TX
- Hungry Eyes — New Orleans, LA
- Lilac Tiger — Chicago, IL
- Standby — Detroit, MI
- The Hope Farm — Fairhope, AL
Best U.S. Restaurant Bar – U.S. East *
- Amazonia — Washington, D.C.
- Bar Madonna — Brooklyn, NY
- Crown Shy — New York, NY
- Gage and Tollner — Brooklyn, NY
- Kimball House — Decatur, GA
- Lighthouse BK — Brooklyn, NY
- LPM Restaurant & Bar Miami — Miami, FL
- Macchialina — Miami, FL
- Sunny’s Steakhouse — Miami, FL
- The Grey — Savannah, GA
- Your Only Friend — Washington, D.C.
*11 Honorees due to a tie
Best U.S. Restaurant Bar – U.S. West *
- Bar Cecil — Palm Springs, CA
- Donna’s — Los Angeles, CA
- Huarachis Taqueria — Phoenix, AZ
- Kato Restaurant — Los Angeles, LA
- Kru Contemporary Japanese Cuisine — Sacramento, CA
- L’Oursin — Seattle, WA
- Mírate — Los Angeles, CA
- Pretty Penny — Phoenix, AZ
- The Butterscotch Den — Sacramento, CA
- Valentine — Phoenix, AZ
- Viridian — Oakland, CA
*11 Honorees due to a tie
Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar
Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. Central
- Bar Fino — Austin, TX
- Best Kept Secret — St. Clair Shores, MI
- Bygones Cocktail Bar — Birmingham, AL
- Charis Listening Bar — Chicago, IL
- Chenin — Detroit, MI
- Donna’s — Houston, TX
- Double Fun — Chicago, IL
- Father Forgive Me — Detroit, MI
- Friends of Friends — Chicago, IL
- Junebug — New Orleans, LA
Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. East
- Bar Ana — Atlanta, GA
- Bar Betsie — Washington, D.C.
- Bar Kabawa — New York, NY
- Birds — New York, NY
- Dolores — Brooklyn, NY
- Eleven11 — Nashville, TN
- Floreria Atlantico — Washington, D.C.
- Hello Hello Bar & Cafe — New York, NY
- Milly’s — Brooklyn, NY
- schmuck. — New York, NY
Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. West
- Bar Maritime at the Palihotel — San Francisco, CA
- Daisy Margarita Bar — Los Angeles, CA
- Damn I Miss Paris — Los Angeles, CA
- Lucia — Los Angeles, CA
- Nocturno Cocktail Bar — Las Vegas, NV
- Not No Bar — Los Angeles, CA
- Rougarou — Denver, CO
- Semiprecious — Denver, CO
- The Peach Crease Club — Denver, CO
- Vandell — Los Angeles, CA
2026 Spirited Awards Committee
The Spirited Awards® Committee comprises revered bartenders, bar owners, educators, and writers who are entrusted with evaluating nominees based on structured criteria. The experienced and diverse committee of judges brings years of expertise and knowledge of industry developments locally, nationally, and internationally. The Spirited Awards® nominations are not based on popular vote, and all nominations are evaluated by their respective judging committees, ensuring each vote carries equal weight in the evaluation process.
Honorees were selected by a panel of over 250 industry experts, led by the following Chair and Co-Chairs representing distinct regions:
International Chair & U.S. Chair:
- Tiffanie Barriere
- Ryan Chetiyawardana
Asia Pacific Co-Chairs:
- Philip BPischoff
- Alice Newport
- Shelley Tai
- Stephanie Wijono
Canada Co-Chairs:
- Kaitlyn Stewart
- Julia Wolkowski
Europe Co-Chairs:
- Camille Vidal
- Kaitlin Wilkes
Latin America & Caribbean Co-Chairs:
- Roberto Berdecia
- Claudia Cabrera
Middle East & Africa Co-Chairs:
- Richie Barrow
- Mallory Lee
- Lara Rawa
U.S. Central Co-Chairs:
- Amanda Carto
- Erika Flowers
U.S. East Co-Chairs:
- Vance Henderson
- Jaymee Mandeville
U.S. West Co-Chairs:
- Nick Amano Dolan
- Mary Allison Wright
Writing & Media Co-Chairs:
- Alia Akkam
- Erick Castro
Books Chair:
- Anna Sulan Masing
Timeless Co-Chairs:
- François Monti
- Rebecca Sturt
To learn more about the Spirited Awards Committee and awards criteria, please visit the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation’s Spirited Awards® page.
Spirited Awards® 2026 Timeline
Top 10 Nominees will be announced starting on May 19, 2026, Top 4 Finalists along with the Helen David Lifetime Achievement Award, Tales Visionary Award, International Timeless Award, and U.S. Timeless Award will be named on June 8 and 9, 2026, and Spirited Awards Winners will be celebrated on July 23, 2026 at the 20th Annual Spirited Awards Ceremony at the Fillmore New Orleans.
Spirited Awards® 2026 Partners
Tales of the Cocktail Foundation would like to thank all of its Spirited Awards® sponsors: Food & Wine, William Grant & Sons, Pernod Ricard, and Innovation Beverage Group.
Spirited Awards® Directory
Tales of the Cocktail is pleased to share the Spirited Awards Directory, which gives discerning imbibers a comprehensive compendium of all Spirited Awards winners and nominees from the past 20 years. This resource is updated annually, making it a go-to guide for planning the perfect drinking and dining itinerary. Access the Spirited Awards Directory to explore award-winning bars.
24 Years of Inspiration & Tales of the Cocktail
This year, marking the 24-year anniversary, the conference returns with more seminars, events, and, of course, imbibing, all in the name of the conference’s 2026 theme, “Spark.” Chosen to represent the collective of individuals who come together to create, share, and find inspiration each year at Tales, the 2026 conference will highlight the global cocktail community that continues to inspire each other year after year.
To facilitate celebrations, Tales of the Cocktail’s 2026 official host hotel, The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans, provides a room block and special rate for attendees. The online reservation platform can be accessed via the Marriott website, here. Guests are invited to secure their reservations early as reservations are first come, first served, and the last day to book is June 22, 2026.
Please follow along for additional information on the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation website, Instagram, X, and Facebook.
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About Tales of the Cocktail Foundation:
Tales of the Cocktail Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering the global hospitality industry through education, advocacy, and community support. As the world’s leading spirits education platform, the Foundation provides year-round programs and initiatives that foster professional growth and drive meaningful change. Each July, the industry gathers in New Orleans, the beating heart of cocktail culture and hospitality, for a one-of-a-kind conference that blends education, networking, and celebration like no other. Guided by its core pillars—Educate, Advance, and Support—the Foundation’s impact extends far beyond the U.S., reaching professionals and communities around the world. Tales of the Cocktail will take place in New Orleans July 19-24, 2026. #totc2026
About Food & Wine:
Food & Wine, the ultimate culinary and beverage authority, celebrates the global epicurean experience through its magazine, website, social platforms, newsletters, podcasts, premium events such as the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, and accolades like its annual Best New Chef and Drinks Visionaries awards. With rigorously tested recipes and the most trusted restaurant, drinks, culinary travel, and home coverage, the brand inspires and empowers people to discover, create, and devour the best in food and drink—every day and everywhere. Food & Wine is part of the People Inc. publishing family.
Media Inquiries:
BMF Media
TOTCF@wearebmf.com
