Spirited Awards Top 10 Nominees 2024

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The Spirited Awards Top 10 Nominees 2024 were announced by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation. Since its founding in 2007, the Spirited Awards® has become one of the industry’s most sought-after awards, recognising beverage professionals, products, and establishments across every facet of the spirits and cocktail community on a global scale.

The Spirited Awards® are comprised of industry accolades, both domestic and international; writing and media awards; and overall awards that transcend regionality, including World’s Best Cocktail Bar and World’s Best Cocktail Menu.

Here is the full list of the Spirited Awards Top 10 Nominees 2024, broken into  International, U.S., Media & Writing, and Global categories.

Spirited Awards Top 10 Nominees 2024 (in alphabetical order):

Spirited Awards Top 10 Nominees 2024 – INTERNATIONAL CATEGORIES

International Bartender of the Year

• 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

• Simone Caporale
• Ryan Chetiyawardana
• Giacomo Giannotti
• Tato Giovannoni
• Shingo Gokan
• Indra Kantono
• Iain McPherson
• Danil Nevsky
• Jean Trinh
• Christina Veira

Best International Brand Ambassador

• 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

• 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

• 🔶🟥🔵— 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

Spirited Awards Top 10 Nominees 2024 U.S. CATEGORIES

U.S. Bartender of the Year

• 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, D.C.
• Libby Lingua — Highball, Phoenix, AZ
• Caer Maiko Ferguson — Drinkwell, Austin, TX
• Kapri Robinson — Allegory, Washington, D.C.
• Isabel “Izzy” Tulloch — Milady’s, New York, NY
• Masa Urushido — Katana Kitten, New York, NY
• Takuma Watanabe — Martiny’s, New York, NY

Best U.S. Bar Mentor

• 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 U.S. Brand Ambassador

• Tad Carducci — Gruppo Montenegro
• Cameron George — Ardbeg
• A-K Hada — Bacardí Rums
• 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 U.S. Bar Team

• Allegory at the Eaton Hotel — Washington, D.C.
• 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 Cocktail Haven — San Francisco, CA
• Service Bar — Washington, D.C.
• Yacht Club — Denver, CO

Best U.S. Cocktail Bar

• 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, D.C.
• Thunderbolt — Los Angeles, CA
• Trick Dog — San Francisco, CA
• Yacht Club — Denver, CO

Best U.S. Hotel Bar

• Allegory at the Eaton Hotel — Washington, D.C.
• 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 the 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 U.S. Restaurant Bar

• Accomplice Bar — Los Angeles, CA
• Amazonia — Washington D.C.
• Bresca — Washington, DC
• Cleaver – Butchered Meats, Seafood & Classic Cocktails — 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 U.S. Cocktail Bar

• Cobra — Columbus, OH
• Equal Measure — Boston, MA
• FYPM — Phoenix, AZ
• Jolie — New Orleans, LA
• Medium Cool Cocktail 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 Cocktail & Spirits Publication

• 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

• 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

• “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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

Spirited Awards Top 4 Finalists and the recipients for the Helen David Lifetime Achievement Award presented by William Grant & Sons, Visionary Award presented by Johnnie Walker, & International/U.S. Timeless Awards presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation will be named on June 17. All winners will be celebrated on July 25 at the 18th Annual Spirited Awards® Ceremony at the Fillmore New Orleans.