TALES OF THE COCKTAIL FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES 2022 SPIRITED AWARDS® WINNERS
Celebrated during Tales of the Cocktails in New Orleans, the 16th Annual Spirited Awards® honor excellence in the drink industry and recognize the world’s top professionals, organizations, and establishments. NEW ORLEANS, LA (July 28, 2022) — Tales of the Cocktail Foundation (TOTCF) is honored to announce the winners of the 2022 Spirited Awards®. Since its inception in 2007, the Spirited Awards have become one of the most globally recognized accolades, recognizing beverage professionals, brands, media, journalists, and establishments across all areas of the cocktail industry. In partnership with Forbes, the Spirited Awards® official media partner, TOTCF honored the Spirited Awards recipients during an in-person celebration at the conference’s 2022 host venue, The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans. Recognized through the lens of this year’s conference theme, “Progress” -- chosen for its appreciation of the nimble and adaptive development of the drinks community, the winners of the 2022 Spirited Awards have made strides in progressing the beverage industry forward. Honoring writers and brand ambassadors alongside bartenders and bars, the Spirited Awards showcase talent on a global stage. The evening’s award recipients were carefully considered by a panel of over 200 industry experts, led by Charlotte Voisey, the Spirited Awards Overall Chair. “The Spirited Awards celebrates excellence in our industry and this year’s winners embody that standard so well,” says Charlotte Voisey, Spirited Awards Overall Chair. “After a difficult few years, it is truly inspiring to gather together once more and see what these recognitions really mean to everyone nominated.” In celebrating the growth and achievements of the drinks industry, the Foundation is pleased to announce this year’s winners, broken into International, U.S., Media & Writing, and Global categories, along with announcing the winner of the Helen David Lifetime Achievement Award and World’s Best Bar. 2022 Spirited Awards® Winners: INTERNATIONAL CATEGORIES Photography by Cory Fontenot International Bartender of the Year presented by Patrón Tequila
Remy Savage — 🔶🟥🔵 A Bar with Shapes for a Name, London, UK
Best International Bar Mentor presented by Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic
Lauren Mote
Best International Brand Ambassador presented by Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic
Martin Hudak — Mr Black Spirits
Best International Bar Team presented by House of Angostura
MAYBE SAMMY — Sydney, Australia
Best International Cocktail Bar presented by Tequila Fortaleza
Tayēr + Elementary — London, UK
Best International Hotel Bar presented by Perrier
Lyaness at Sea Containers London — London, UK
Best International Restaurant Bar presented by Amaro Montenegro and Select Aperitivo
Sexy Fish — London, UK
Best New International Cocktail Bar presented by Stranger & Sons
🔶🟥🔵 A Bar with Shapes for a Name — London, UK
U.S. CATEGORIES
U.S. Bartender of the Year presented by Del Maguey
Chris Hannah — Jewel of the South, New Orleans, LA
Best U.S. Bar Mentor presented by BarSmarts
Sean Kenyon
Best U.S. Brand Ambassador presented by Libbey
Lynn House — Heaven Hill
Best U.S. Bar Team presented by William Grant & Sons
Katana Kitten — New York, NY
Best U.S. Cocktail Bar presented by Absolut Vodka
Katana Kitten — New York, NY
Best U.S. Hotel Bar presented by Grey Goose
Silver Lyan at the Riggs — Washington, DC
Best U.S. Restaurant Bar presented by Maison Ferrand
Jewel of the South — New Orleans, LA
Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar presented by Aviation Gin
Happy Accidents — Albuquerque, NM
WRITING & MEDIA CATEGORIES
Best Cocktail & Spirits Publication presented by Diageo Bar Academy
VinePair
Best Broadcast, Podcast, or Online Video Series presented by Diageo Bar Academy
The Cocktail Lovers
Best Cocktail & Spirits Writing presented by Diageo Bar Academy
"Get Real: The bar world looks beyond feel-good measures on sustainability and climate change" by Max Falkowitz for Imbibe Magazine
Best New Cocktail or Bartending Book presented by Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic
The Japanese Art of the Cocktail by Masahiro Urushido and Michael Anstendig
Best New Book on Drinks Culture, History, or Spirits presented by Diageo Bar Academy
The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails edited by David Wondrich with Noah Rothbaum
GLOBAL CATEGORIES
Best New Spirit or Cocktail Ingredient presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation
Lyre's Non-Alcoholic - Italian Orange
World’s Best Cocktail Menu presented by Diageo Bar Academy
Little Red Door — Paris, France
World’s Best Spirits Selection presented by Beam Suntory
Jack Rose Dining Saloon — Washington, DC
Pioneer Award Presented by The Blend
Amanda Gunderson – CEO & Co-Founder, Another Round Another Rally
Timeless International Award presented by Jägermeister
Harry's New York Bar — Paris, France
Timeless U.S. Award presented by Johnnie Walker
Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel — New York, NY
Helen David Lifetime Achievement Award presented by William Grant & Sons
Julie Reiner — Co-Founder Clover Club, Leyenda, Social Hour Cocktails, & Mixtress Consulting
World’s Best Bar presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation
Lyaness at Sea Containers London — London, UK
Spirited Awards Directory
Tales of the Cocktail is excited to share the Spirited Awards® Directory in partnership with marquee sponsor Diageo Bar Academy with support from Angostura, Bacardi Limited, CAMPARI, Elijah Craig, Hendricks Gin, Tequila Fortaleza, and The Blend. Giving discerning imbibers a comprehensive compendium of all 900+ Spirited Awards winners and nominees from the past 16 years, the Directory is an interactive, global map created to easily guide guests to officially recognized Spirited Awards establishments.
This resource will be updated year over year, making it an easy-to-use tool to plan which bars to visit at home or when traveling. Use the Spirited Awards® Directory today to explore award-winning bars, including 183 bars added this year.
The Spirited Awards Chairs and Co-Chairs
Below is a list of Spirited Awards® Chairs, responsible for overseeing the judging process this year:
Spirited Awards Overall Chair
Charlotte Voisey
Spirited Awards International Chair
Jacob Briars
Asia Pacific Co-Chairs
Lorenzo Antinori
Pankaj Balachandran
Hayley Morison
Charmaine Thio
Canada Co-Chairs
Evelyn Chick
Sabrine Dhaliwal
Europe Co-Chairs
Guiseppe Gallo
Nicola Riske
Latin America & Caribbean Co-Chairs
Camille Austin
Jean Trinh
Tato Giovannini
Middle East & Africa Co-Chairs
Cassandra Eichhoff
Richard Irwin
U.S. Central Co-Chairs
Bridget Albert
Steva Casey
U.S. East Co-Chairs
Laura Cullen
Andy Seymour
U.S. West Co-Chairs
Kiowa Bryan
Mary Palac
Writing & Media Co-Chairs
François Monti
Paul Clarke
Matthew Rowley
Sandrae Lawrence
Timeless Co-Chair
Christine Sismondo
Colin Asare-Appiah
Spirited Awards® judges are a collection of respected bartenders, bar owners, educators, and writers from across the globe entrusted with this critical calling. Drawing on their years of experience and their knowledge of the current work being done locally, nationally, and internationally, together the judges can evaluate nominees from far and wide to ensure that the Spirited Awards® represents the breadth and diversity of the global drinks industry.
Tales of the Cocktail Foundation’s Spirited Awards® Committee is dedicated to valuing the inclusion of the communities we serve by ensuring that our judging panel reflects their incredible diversity in terms of race, gender, ethnicity, and sexuality. Recognizing that inclusion is key to a well-represented committee, TOTCF strives to ensure that we have an equitable representation of gender across the judging panel. The Spirited Awards® are not based on popular vote and all nominations will be evaluated by their respective judging committees.
To learn more about the Spirited Awards Committee and awards criteria, please visit the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation’s Spirited Awards page.
A Note on Sponsors
Tales of the Cocktail Foundation would like to thank all of its Spirited Awards sponsors. Title Partners: Diageo Bar Academy, Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic, Pernod Ricard (Absolut Vodka, BarSmarts, and Del Maguey); Presenting Partners: Bacardi (Grey Goose and Patron), Beam Suntory and The Blend, William Grant & Sons; Supporting Partners: Aviation Gin, Gruppo Montenegro, House of Angostura, Jägermeister, Johnnie Walker, Libbey, Maison Ferrand, Perrier, Stranger & Sons, Tequila Fortaleza; Official Barware: Bull in China; Official Champagne: G.H. Mumm. Tales of the Cocktail 2022 Official Partners include Official Glassware: Libbey, Official Mixer: Q Mixers, and Official Water: Perrier.
Spirited Awards® 2022 Updates
In light of global events with the Russian government’s invasion of Ukraine, and the humanitarian crisis that is ongoing in Ukraine and in Europe, the Spirited Awards Committee and Tales of the Cocktail Foundation Board will not consider nominees from Russia for this year’s awards. Similarly, the Spirited Awards currently has two sitting judges from Russia, both of whom mutually agreed to abstain from judging this year.
The Foundation stands in solidarity with colleagues and friends in the hospitality industry in Ukraine and to all citizens impacted by this catastrophic invasion. And, the organization acknowledges industry colleagues in Russia who do not support this war, but also have very limited ways to protest without risking their own personal safety. In the weeks and months to come, Tales of the Cocktail Foundation will continue efforts to directly support the hospitality community of Ukraine.
Please follow along for additional information on the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, please visit the website, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
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About Tales of the Cocktail Foundation:
Tales of the Cocktail Foundation is a non-profit organization that educates, advances, and supports the global hospitality industry and creates a lasting impact in our host communities. Tales of the Cocktail Foundation is the global leader in spirits education and a platform to tackle issues facing the industry. The pillars of the Foundation are to Educate, Advance, and Support the hospitality industry through programs that benefit individuals and organizations in the community and to make a lasting impact in communities that host our events.
About Forbes:
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