Spirited Awards reveals 2024 nominees - The Spirits Business (2024)

Tales of the co*cktail Foundation (TOTCF) has revealed the top 10 nominees for its 2024 Spirited Awards, with The Spirits Business selected as a finalist for Best co*cktail & Spirits Publication.

Established in 2007, the Spirited Awards is now in its 18th year. The Spirited Awards aims to celebrate the best of the on-trade around the world, from bars to bartenders, bar teams and co*cktail menus.

The nominees for its regional awards were announced last month, with 10 for each category now selected.

Further award shortlists have also been revealed, including Best co*cktail & Spirits Publication, Bartender of the Year and Best International Brand Ambassador.

The shortlists will be reduced to a top four for each category next month.

The winners will be named during the 2024 Spirited Awards ceremony, which will take place during the Tales of the co*cktail conference in New Orleans, US, from 21-26 July.

“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,” said Charlotte Voisey, Spirited Awards Overall and International chair.

“We are so impressed by these nominees, their hard work and dedication to creating innovative and exceptional co*cktails, and to improving the industry on a global level to provide extraordinary experiences and unmatched hospitality.”

Below is the full list of the top 10 honourees for the Spirited Awards 2024.

International categories

International Bartender of the Year presented by Tales of the co*cktail Foundation

• Lorenzo Antinori – Bar Leone, Hong Kong, China
• Gina Barbachano – Hanky Panky, Mexico City, Mexico
• Kate Boushel – Atwater co*cktail Club, Milky Way co*cktail 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 co*cktail 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 co*cktail 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 co*cktail Foundation

• Atwater co*cktail 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 co*cktail Bar presented by Patrón Tequila

• A Bar with Shapes for a Name – 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 co*cktail 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

US categories

US Bartender of the Year presented by Pernod Ricard

• Erika Flowers – Compère Lapin, New Orleans, LA
• Nicole Giampino – Platform 18/Century Grand, Phoenix, AZ
• McLain Hedges – Yacht Club, Denver, CO
• Christine Kim – Service Bar, Washington, DC
• Libby Lingua – Highball, Phoenix, AZ
• Caer Maiko Ferguson – Drinkwell, Austin, TX
• Kapri Robinson – Allegory, Washington, DC
• Isabel ‘Izzy’ Tulloch – Milady’s, New York, NY
• Masa Urushido – Katana Kitten, New York, NY
• Takuma Watanabe – Martiny’s, New York, NY

Best US Bar Mentor presented by Jameson Irish Whiskey

• Anu Apte
• Jason Asher
• Steva Casey
• Laura Cullen
• Touré Folkes
• Kate Gerwin
• Alex Jump
• Anne Louise Marquis
• Nectaly Mendoza
• Amanda Gunderson and Travis Nass

Best US Brand Ambassador presented by Tales of the co*cktail Foundation

• Tad Carducci – Gruppo Montenegro
• Cameron George – Ardbeg
• A-K Hada – Bacardí Rum
• Benny Hurwitz – Campari American whiskeys
• Stephen Kurpinsky – Mr Black Spirits
• Anna Mains – Monkey Shoulder
• Mary Palac – Campari Mexican spirits
• Aleka Ross – Hotaling & Co
• Cesar Sandoval –Casa Lumbre Spirits
• Natasha Sofia – Mijenta Tequila

Best US Bar Team presented by William Grant & Sons

• Allegory at the Eaton Hotel – Washington, DC
• Best Intentions – Chicago, IL
• Century Grand – Phoenix, AZ
• Jewel of the South – New Orleans, LA
• Martiny’s – New York, NY
• Milady’s – New York, NY
• Nickel City – Austin, TX
• Pacific co*cktail Haven – San Francisco, CA
• Service Bar – Washington, DC
• Yacht Club – Denver, CO

Best US co*cktail Bar presented by Del Maguey Mezcal

• Bar Goto – New York, NY
• Best Intentions – Chicago, IL
• Double Chicken Please – New York, NY
• Happy Accidents – Albuquerque, NM
• Martiny’s – New York, NY
• Overstory – New York, NY
• Service Bar – Washington, DC
• Thunderbolt – Los Angeles, CA
• Trick Dog – San Francisco, CA
• Yacht Club – Denver, CO

Best US Hotel Bar presented by Grey Goose

• Allegory at the Eaton Hotel – Washington, DC
• Champagne Bar at the Four Seasons Surf Club – Miami, FL
• Chandelier Bar at the Four Seasons New Orleans – New Orleans, LA
• Dear Irving on Hudson at the Aliz Hotel – New York, NY
• Little Rituals at the Residence Inn/Courtyard by Marriott – Phoenix, AZ
• Milk Room at the Chicago Athletic Hotel – Chicago, IL
• Nubeluz at The Ritz-Carlton New York, Nomad – New York, NY
• Pacific Standard at Kex Portland – Portland, OR
• Raines Law Room at the William – New York, NY
• The Sazerac Bar at The Roosevelt New Orleans – New Orleans, LA

Best US Restaurant Bar presented by Tales of the co*cktail Foundation

• Accomplice Bar – Los Angeles, CA
• Amazonia – Washington DC
• Bresca – Washington, DC
• Cleaver – Butchered Meats, Seafood & Classic co*cktails – Las Vegas, NV
• Crown Shy – New York, NY
• Gramercy Tavern – New York, NY
• Grey Ghost – Detroit, MI
• Jaguar Sun – Miami, FL
• Kumiko – Chicago, IL
• Palomar – Portland, OR

Best New US co*cktail Bar presented by Diageo Bar Academy

• Cobra – Columbus, OH
• Equal Measure – Boston, MA
• FYPM – Phoenix, AZ
• Jolie – New Orleans, LA
• Medium Cool co*cktail Lounge – Miami Beach, FL
• Murray’s Tavern – Austin, TX
• Paradise Lost – New York, NY
• Pretty Decent – Louisville, KY
• Superbueno – New York, NY
• Wild Child – Kansas City, MO

Writing & media categories

Best co*cktail & Spirits Publication presented by Tales of the co*cktail Foundation

• Boothby
• Candra Drinks
• Class magazine
• Club Oenologique
• Difford’s Guide
• Guest Check
• InsideHook
• SevenFifty Daily
• The co*cktail Lovers
• The Spirits Business

Best Broadcast, Podcast, or Online Video Series presented by Tales of the co*cktail Foundation

• Bartender at Large
• Freepour
• Like•a•ble co*cktails by Kaitlyn Stewart
• 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 co*cktail & Spirits Writing presented by Tales of the co*cktail 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 co*cktail Movement Ignored the LGBTQ+ Community?” by Brad Japhe, for VinePair

Best New co*cktail or Bartending Book presented by Tales of the co*cktail Foundation

• How to Make Better co*cktails: co*cktail Techniques, Pro-Tips and Recipes by Sebastian Hamilton-Mudge, Natalia Garcia Bourke and Andy Shannon
• Mr Lyan’s co*cktails at Home: Good Things to Drink with Friends by Ryan Chetiyawardana
• Saved by the Bellini & Other 90s-Inspired co*cktails by John deBary
• Signature co*cktails by Amanda Schuster
• Slow Drinks: A Field Guide to Foraging and Fermenting Seasonal Sodas, Botanical co*cktails, Homemade Wines, and More by Danny Childs
• Strong, Sweet & Bitter by Cara Devine
• The Book of co*cktail Ratios: The Surprising Simplicity of Classic co*cktails by Michael Ruhlman
• The Ice Book: Cool Cubes, Clear Spheres, and Other Chill co*cktail Crafts by Camper English
• Tropical Standard: co*cktail 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 co*cktail 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 Wisniewski
• 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 co*cktail Recipe Book co*cktails from Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks by Toni Tipton-Martin
• The Absinthe Frappé by Marielle Songy
• The Encyclopedia of co*cktails by Robert Simonson
• The Essential Tequila & Mezcal Companion by Tess Rose Lampert
• The Maison Premiere Almanac co*cktails, Oysters, Absinthe, and Other Essential Nutrients for the Sensualist, Aesthete, and Flaneur: A co*cktail Recipe Book by Joshua Boissy, Krystof Zizka, Jordan Mackay, William Elliott

Global categories

Best New Spirit or co*cktail Ingredient presented by Tales of the co*cktail 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 co*cktail Menu presented by Diageo Bar Academy

• Allegory at the Eaton Hotel – Washington, DC
• Alquímico – Cartagena des Indias, Colombia
• Angelita – Madrid, Spain
• Bitter & Twisted co*cktail 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 co*cktail Foundation

• Baba Au Rum – Athens, Greece
• Eleven Madison Park – New York, NY
• Kol Mezcaleria – London, UK
• Multnomah Whiskey 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