Spirited Awards Top 10 Nominees 2024

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.

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.