Now in its 18th year, the annual Spirited Awards, hosted by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation (TOTCF), has announced its top 10 nominees across all awards categories, celebrating the industry’s beverage professionals, products and establishments on a global scale.
The awards are broken down into US, international, global, and media and writing categories, encompassing all areas of the spirits and cocktail community with industry accolades, writing and media awards, and overall awards that transcend regionality.
This year, a number of Australian bartenders and businesses have been recognised for their talent, including Luke Whearty of Byrdi in Melbourne, Matt Whiley of Re in Sydney, the team from Caretaker’s Cottage, Maybe Sammy, El Primo Sanchez, The Baxter Inn and more.
Charlotte Voisey, Spirited Awards Overall and International Chair, said: “Once again we are in awe of the impeccable global talent coming out of our industry, and this year’s Spirited Awards shortlist is no exception.
“We are so impressed by these nominees, their hard work and dedication to creating innovative and exceptional cocktails, and to improving the industry on a global level to provide extraordinary experiences and unmatched hospitality.”
The full lists of Spirited Awards top 10 nominees in the international, writing and media, and global categories are as follows:
INTERNATIONAL CATEGORIES
International Bartender of the Year presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation
- Lorenzo Antinori — Bar Leone, Hong Kong, China
- Gina Barbachano — Hanky Panky, Mexico City, Mexico
- Kate Boushel — Atwater Cocktail Club, Milky Way Cocktail Bar, Bon Délire, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Giulia Cuccurullo — Artesian, The Langham, London
- Aaron Diaz — Carnaval, Lima, Peru
- Uno Jang — Jigger & Pony, Singapore
- Julian Short — Sin + Tax, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Eric van Beek — Handshake Speakeasy, Mexico City, Mexico
- Luke Whearty — BYRDI, Melbourne, Australia
- Matt Whiley — Re, Sydney, Australia
Best International Bar Mentor presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation
- Simone Caporale
- Ryan Chetiyawardana
- Giacomo Giannotti
- Tato Giovannoni
- Shingo Gokan
- Indra Kantono
- Iain McPherson
- Danil Nevsky
- Jean Trinh
- Christina Veira
Best International Brand Ambassador presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation
- Jenna Ba — Tanqueray
- Jordan Bushell — Hennessy
- Claudia Cabrera — Fratelli Branca
- Jesse Estes —Tequila Ocho
- Caitlin Hill — Rémy Cointreau
- Daniyel Jones — House of Angostura
- Ally Martin — Hendrick’s Gin
- Dave Mitton — Lot 40 / J.P. Wiser’s
- Tim Philips-Johansson — Johnnie Walker
- Charmaine Ann Thio — Hendrick’s Gin
Best International Bar Team presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation
- Atwater Cocktail Club — Montreal, QC, Canada
- Caretaker’s Cottage — Melbourne, Australia
- Handshake Speakeasy — Mexico City, Mexico
- Hanky Panky — Mexico City, Mexico
- Hope & Sesame Guangzhou — Guangzhou, China
- Jigger & Pony at the Amara Hotel — Singapore
- La Factoría — San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Panda & Sons — Edinburgh, Scotland
- Satan’s Whiskers — London, UK
- Tayēr + Elementary — London, UK
Best International Cocktail Bar presented by PATRÓN Tequila
- 🔶🟥🔵— London, UK
- ALQUÍMICO — Cartagena des Indias, Colombia
- BYRDI — Melbourne, Australia
- Handshake Speakeasy — Mexico City, Mexico
- Kwãnt — London, UK
- Maybe Sammy — Sydney, Australia
- Panda & Sons — Edinburgh, Scotland
- Paradiso — Barcelona, Spain
- Satan’s Whiskers — London, UK
- ZEST — Seoul, South Korea
Best International Hotel Bar presented by Fords Gin
- ARGO at the Four Seasons — Hong Kong, China
- Bar Trigona at the Four Seasons Hotel — Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- 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
- Fifty Mils at the Four Seasons Hotel — Mexico City, Mexico
- Library Bar at the Fairmont Royal York — Toronto, ON, Canada
- Seed Library at One Hundred Shoreditch Hotel — London, UK
- Side Hustle at The NoMad Hotel London — London, UK
Best International Restaurant Bar presented by Gin Mare
- ARCA Tulum — Tulum, Mexico
- Bar Kismet — Halifax, NS, Canada
- Burnt Ends Bar — Singapore
- Carico Milano — Milan, Italy
- Casa Prunes — Mexico City, Mexico
- CoChinChina— Buenos Aires, Argentina
- COYA Dubai — Dubai, UAE
- Danico — Paris, France
- Published on Main — Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Zuma Dubai — Dubai, UAE
Best New International Cocktail Bar presented by Diageo Bar Academy
- Bar Leone — Hong Kong, China
- Bar Nouveau — Paris, France
- Bar Us — Bangkok, Thailand
- Bijou Drinkery Room — Mexico City, Mexico
- Cat Bite Club — Singapore
- Dram — London, UK
- El Primo Sanchez — Sydney, Australia
- Equal Parts — London, UK
- FURA — Singapore
- Tokyo Confidential — Tokyo, Japan
WRITING & MEDIA CATEGORIES
Best Cocktail & Spirits Publication presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation
- Boothby
- Candra Drinks
- CLASS magazine
- Club Oenologique
- Difford’s Guide
- Guest Check
- InsideHook
- SevenFifty Daily
- The Cocktail Lovers
- The Spirits Business
Best Broadcast, Podcast, or Online Video Series presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation
- Bartender At Large
- Freepour
- Like•a•ble Cocktails by Kaitlyn
- no proof with Joshua Gandee
- Perspectives by Campari Academy
- Radio Imbibe
- Served Up the Podcast
- Shōshin Art Club
- The Blackbird Podcast by Josh Lindley of Bartender Atlas
- The Modern Bar Cart Podcast
Best Cocktail & Spirits Writing presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation
- “A New Spirit Confronts the Consequences of Colonialism,” by Adaorah Oduah, for Punch
- “Facing Rum’s Problematic Past Is Allowing Producers to Embrace the Spirit’s Future,” by Christine Sismondo, for Imbibe
- “Family Matters: The Mezcal Boom and the Lives of the Families who Make It,” by Noah Arenstein, for Imbibe
- “Indigenous Women Working in Mezcal Are Ready to Be Recognized for Their Work,” by Shayna Conde, for Wine Enthusiast
- “Meet the People Keeping Queer Bars Safe,” by Rax Will, for Punch
- “Mexican Spirits, Philly Energy,” by Craig LaBan, for the Philadelphia Inquirer
- “Sotol and the Making of the Next Big Drink,” by Rachel Monroe, for the New Yorker
- “The Ghostly Outline of a Shadow — Tracing the Footsteps of Whiskey Near-Legend of Jokichi Takamine,” by Kara Newman, for Good Beer Hunting
- “The Martini Whisperer,” by Robert Simonson, for Grub Street
- “Why Has the Modern Cocktail Movement Ignored the LGBTQ+ Community?” by Brad Japhe, for VinePair
Best New Cocktail or Bartending Book presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation
- How to Make Better Cocktails: Cocktail Techniques, Pro-Tips and Recipes by Sebastian Hamilton-Mudge, Natalia Garcia Bourke and Andy Shannon
- Mr Lyan’s Cocktails at Home: Good Things to Drink with Friends by Ryan Chetiyawardana
- Saved by the Bellini & Other 90s-Inspired Cocktails by John deBary
- Signature Cocktails by Amanda Schuster
- Slow Drinks: A Field Guide to Foraging and Fermenting Seasonal Sodas, Botanical Cocktails, Homemade Wines, and More by Danny Childs
- Strong, Sweet & Bitter by Cara Devine
- The Book of Cocktail Ratios: The Surprising Simplicity of Classic Cocktails by Michael Ruhlman
- The Ice Book: Cool Cubes, Clear Spheres, and Other Chill Cocktail Crafts by Camper English
- TROPICAL STANDARD: Cocktail Techniques and Reinvented Recipes by Garret Richard & Ben Schaffer
- Wild Drinks: The New Old World of Small-Batch Brews, Ferments and Infusions by Sharon Flynn
Best New Book on Drinks Culture, History, or Spirits presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation
- A Field Guide to Tequila by Clayton Szczech
- A Passion for Whisky: How the tiny Scottish island of Islay creates malts that captivate the world by Ian Wisniewsk
- Hospitality DNA by Dave Nitzel and Dave Domzalski
- How to Taste: A Guide to Discovering Flavor and Savoring Life by Mandy Naglich
- ICE: From Mixed Drinks to Skating Rinks–a Cool History of a Hot Commodity by Amy Brady
- Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs, and Juice: A Cocktail Recipe Book Cocktails from Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks by Toni Tipton-Martin
- The Absinthe Frappé by Marielle Songy
- The Encyclopedia of Cocktails by Robert Simonson
- The Essential Tequila & Mezcal Companion by Tess Rose Lampert
- The Maison Premiere Almanac Cocktails, Oysters, Absinthe, and Other Essential Nutrients for the Sensualist, Aesthete, and Flaneur: A Cocktail Recipe Book by Joshua Boissy, Krystof Zizka, Jordan Mackay, William Eilliott
GLOBAL CATEGORIES
Best New Spirit or Cocktail Ingredient presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation
- DeGroff Bitter Aperitivo
- Don Fulano 20th Anniversary Añejo
- Ferrand Dry Curaçao Yuzu Late Harvest
- J. Rieger & Co. Monogram Whiskey 2023 Kansas City Whiskey – Solera Reserve
- Joseph Cartron Bergamote
- La Escondida Sotol Blanco
- Powers Irish Rye
- Ten To One Rum Black History Month Artist Edition
- Worthy Park 109
- YUZUCO Yuzu Super Juice
World’s Best Cocktail Menu presented by Diageo Bar Academy
- Allegory at the Eaton Hotel — Washington, D.C.
- ALQUÍMICO — Cartagena des Indias, Colombia
- Angelita — Madrid, Spain
- Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour — Phoenix, AZ
- Danico — Paris, France
- Handshake Speakeasy — Mexico City, Mexico
- Hope & Sesame — Guangzhou, China
- Jigger & Pony at the Amara Hotel — Singapore
- Maybe Sammy — Sydney, Australia
- Paradiso — Barcelona, Spain
World’s Best Spirits Selection presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation
- Baba Au Rum — Athens, Greece
- Eleven Madison Park — New York, NY
- KOL Mezcaleria — London, UK
- Multnomah Whisk{e}y Library — Portland, OR
- Origin Bar at the Shangri-La Hotel — Singapore
- Rumba — Seattle, WA
- Salón de Agave at Casa Prunes — Mexico City, Mexico
- Sexy Fish — London, UK
- The Baxter Inn — Sydney, Australia
- Tlecān — Mexico City, Mexico
Recipients will be honoured during the Tales of the Cocktail (TOTC) conference, which is now celebrating its 22nd year, in New Orleans between 21 and 26 July.
