Some of Australia’s best bars have once again been recognised for their impact on the world stage as they were named in the top ten finalists in the 10th annual Spirited Awards.
Created in 2007, the Spirited Awards recognise the year’s best bars, bartenders, writers, and experts in the global bar industry. Following a “rigorous evaluation” of over 1500 unique nominees, the top ten for each award category were announced last night.
The Australians that will be facing off against the best in the world include Charles Ainsbury, for International Bartender of the Year; and Jason Crawley, Global Best Bar Mentor; while the bar teams at The Baxter Inn and Black Pearl received nods in the Best International Bar Team category.
On the bar front, Bulletin Place is up for Best International Cocktail Bar while that team’s second venue Dead Ringer is up for Best New International Cocktail Bar; Eau De Vie (Melbourne) and The Lobo Plantation are nominated for Best International High Volume Cocktail Bar.
In the global award section, The Baxter Inn picked up a second nomination for World’s Best Spirits Selection.
On Monday, June 20, 2016 at 12:00 p.m. (Pacific Time), these nominees will find out if they have made it to the final four, with the announcement broadcast in real time from Los Angeles via Facebook Live on the Tales of the Cocktail Facebook Page. Each finalist will then be invited to attend the award ceremony in New Orleans.
Recognition in these awards is a huge achievement and emphasises Australia’s place on the global bar industry stage.
“These nominees are just a snapshot of the talent and creativity that is in our industry today. In order to truly capture what is going on in the global cocktail movement, our short lists would need to be doubled.” says Simon Ford, Spirited Awards Chairman® and host. “These awards recognize the people and places that captured the imagination of the 110 judges, but please also remember these awards are celebrating the industry we all love and the resurgence of the cocktail movement.”
The 25 award winners will be announced at the Spirited Awards in New Orleans on Saturday, July 23, 2016 as a part of the 14th Annual Tales of the Cocktail.
This year will also see a celebration of the life of the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Inductee, Sasha Petraske, as well as other industry pioneers that have been lost this year.
For the full nominees list, see here.
