Raise a glass to the world’s best bars and bartenders of 2022—The Tales of the Cocktail Foundation just announced its top 10 nominees for the 16th annual Spirited Awards, which will be held in New Orleans this July.
Considered one of the highest honors in the hospitality industry, the Spirited Awards honor the finest watering holes, mixologists, brand ambassadors, and journalists in the cocktail universe—from Argentina to Sweden and beyond. (Full disclosure: Forbes is the official media partner of the Spirited Awards.)
Like much of the hospitality industry itself, Tales of the Cocktail was put on ice for the past two years—though Spirited Awards were given out virtually in 2021—but the festival will return in person this summer, culminating with the awards ceremony.
Much to the delight of the industry, bars and bartenders are once again included in this year’s Spirited award categories after being put on hiatus during the height of the pandemic because no way to judge them fairly with so many closures. (Last year, only writing and media awards were given out.)
“We realized that there really was no way to award bars or bartenders on an even playing field [in 2021],” Eileen Wayner, Tales of the Cocktail Foundation CEO, said of last year’s ceremony. “Bars were closed—some permanently—and many bartenders and staff were out of work for extended periods of time. And globally, the restrictions for bars varied drastically.”
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Dante
Among this year’s long list of nominees, there’s a good mix of favorite and familiar spots that have made a name for themselves in the international awards circuit—including Florería Atlántico in Buenos Aires, The Clumsies in Athens, and Maybe Sammy in Sydney.
There are also some refreshing new additions among this year’s nominees: The foundation expanded its reach by including establishments in countries and regions that have previously gone unrepresented—including Dead End Paradise in Lebanon, Cause Effect Cocktail Kitchen & Cape Brandy Bar in South Africa; and Charles H. at the Four Seasons Hotel in South Korea.
And for the cocktail cognoscenti who dream of making pilgrimages to these acclaimed watering holes, the foundation created an interactive map of the world’s best bars last year—in case it’s hard to remember where to go next after a well-made Mind Eraser.
See the full list of this year’s Spirited Awards top 10 nominees below.
INTERNATIONAL CATEGORIES
On Top, Down Under: Sydney’s Maybe Sammy is among the 10 nominees for Best International Cocktail … [+]
Maybe Sammy
International Bartender of the Year
Moe Aljaff (Two Schmucks, Barcelona, Spain)
Lorenzo Antinori (Argo/Four Seasons Hotel & Resorts, Hong Kong, China)
Giorgio Bargiani (The Connaught Bar, London, UK)
Kate Boushel (Atwater Cocktail Club/Milky Way Cocktail Bar, Montréal, Québec, Canada)
James Grant (Little HK, Edmonton, Canada)
Keith Motsi (Charles H. Seoul at the Four Seasons Hotel, Seoul, South Korea)
Rémy Savage (A Bar with Shapes for a Name, London, UK)
Daniel Schofield (Schofield’s Bar, Manchester, UK)
Ezra Star (Mostly Harmless, Hong Kong, China)
Luke Whearty (Byrdi, Melbourne, Australia)
Matt Whiley (RE, Sydney, Australia)
Best International Bar Team
Alquímico (Cartagena, Colombia)
Atwater Cocktail Club (Montréal, Québec, Canada)
Jigger & Pony at the Amara Hotel (Singapore)
La Factoría (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
Maybe Sammy (Sydney, Australia)
Salmon Guru (Madrid, Spain)
Tayēr + Elementary (London, UK)
The Clumsies (Athens, Greece)
Tres Monos (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Two Schmucks (Barcelona, Spain)
Best International Cocktail Bar
Alquímico (Cartagena, Colombia)
Atwater Cocktail Club (Montréal, Québec, Canada)
Cause Effect Cocktail Kitchen & Cape Brandy Bar (Cape Town, South Africa)
COA (Hong Kong, China)
Florería Atlántico (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Maybe Sammy (Sydney, Australia)
Paradiso (Barcelona, Spain)
Salmon Guru (Madrid, Spain)
Satan’s Whiskers (London, UK)
Tayēr + Elementary (London, UK)
Three Sheets (London, UK)
Two Schmucks (Barcelona, Spain)
Best International Hotel Bar
Bar Trigona at the Four Seasons Hotel (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
Botanist at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel (Vancouver, BC, Canada)
Bulgari Bar at The Bulgari Resort (Dubai, UAE)
Charles H. Seoul at the Four Seasons Hotel (Seoul, South Korea)
Fifty Mils at the Four Seasons Hotel (Mexico City, Mexico)
Jigger & Pony at the Amara Hotel (Singapore)
Lyaness at Sea Containers London (London, UK)
Mo Bar at the Mandarin Oriental (Singapore)
Origin Bar at The Shangri-La Hotel (Singapore)
The American Bar at The Stafford London (London, UK)
The Donovan Bar at the Brown’s Hotel (London, UK)
Best International Restaurant Bar
Bar Kismet (Halifax, NS, Canada)
Caffe Fernet (Singapore)
Danico (Paris, France)
Le Mary Celeste (Paris, France)
Locale Firenze (Florence, Italy)
LPM Restaurant & Bar (Dubai, UAE)
Pujol (Mexico City, Mexico)
Sexy Fish (London, UK)
The Continental Deli (Newtown, Australia)
Tjoget (Stockholm, Sweden)
Zuma Dubai (Dubai, UAE)
Best New International Cocktail Bar
A Bar with Shapes for a Name (London, UK)
Amaro Bar (London, UK)
Argo (Hong Kong, China)
Dead End Paradise (Beirut, Lebanon)
Dean & Nancy (Sydney, Australia)
RE (Sydney, Australia)
Schofield’s Bar (Manchester, UK)
Side Hustle at the NoMad (London, UK)
SIPS (Barcelona, Spain)
Wax On (Berlin, Germany)
Best International Brand Ambassador
Jenna Ba (Diageo)
Claudia Cabrera (Fratelli Branca)
Irene Díaz (Ron Diplomático)
Martin Hudák (Mr Black Spirits)
Daniyel Jones (House of Angostura)
Ally Martin (Hendrick’s Gin)
Dave Mitton (Pernod Ricard)
Ricardo Nava (Bacardí Latin America)
Tim Phillips-Johansson (Johnnie Walker)
Nicola Riske (The Macallan)
U.S. CATEGORIES
New Deal: Austin’s The Roosevelt Room was nominated for Best U.S. Bar Team.
The Roosevelt Room
U.S. Bartender of the Year
Chris Elford at Trade Winds Tavern, Navy Strength, Rob Roy, Here Today Brewing, (Seattle, WA)
Josh Davis at 16th Street Bar (Chicago, IL)
Chris Hannah at Jewel of the South (New Orleans, LA)
Caer Maiko Ferguson (DrinkWell, Austin, TX)
Chris McMillian at Revel Bar & Cafe (New Orleans, LA)
Christian Suzuki-Orellana at Wildhawk (San Francisco, CA)
Shauna O’Neil at Sweet Liberty (Miami, FL)
Kapri Robinson at Allegory (Washington, DC)
Masahiro “Masa” Urushido at Katana Kitten (New York, NY)
Christine Wiseman at BarLab Hospitality Group (Miami, FL)
Best U.S. Bar Team
Attaboy (New York, NY)
Cleaver Butchered Meats, Seafood & Classic Cocktails (Las Vegas, NV)
Half Step (Austin, TX)
Jaguar Sun (Miami, FL)
Jewel of the South (New Orleans, LA)
Katana Kitten (New York, NY)
The Long Island Bar (Brooklyn, NY)
The Roosevelt Room (Austin, TX)
The Snug (Sacramento, CA)
Thunderbolt (Los Angeles, CA)
Best U.S. Bar Mentor
Colin Asare-Appiah
Julio Cabrera
Kevin Diedrich
Meaghan Dorman
Alba Huerta
Alex Jump
Sean Kenyon
Ms. Franky Marshall
Nectaly Mendoza
Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Best U.S. Brand Ambassador
Kiowa Bryan (Spiribam)
Chris Cabrera (Bacardí USA)
Tad Carducci (Gruppo Montenegro)
Cameron George (Ardbeg)
Vance Henderson (Hendrick’s Gin)
Lynn House (Heaven Hill)
Jenna Murray (The Glenlivet)
Natasha Sofia Velez (Davos Brands)
Ryan Wainwright (Bombay Sapphire)
Daniel Warrilow (Campari America)
Best U.S. Cocktail Bar
Bar Goto (New York, NY)
Beachbum Berry’s Latitude 29 (New Orleans, LA)
Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour (Phoenix, AZ)
DrinkWell (Austin, TX)
Julep (Houston, TX)
Katana Kitten (New York, NY)
Occidental (Denver, CO)
Pearl Diver (Nashville, TN
The Roosevelt Room (Austin, TX)
Thunderbolt (Los Angeles, CA)
Best U.S. Hotel Bar
Bar Marilou at the Maison de la Luz (New Orleans, LA)
Champagne Bar at The Surf Club Miami (Miami, FL)
Dear Irving on Hudson at the Aliz Hotel (New York, NY)
Hey Love at The Jupiter (Portland, OR)
King Cole Bar at The St. Regis New York (New York, NY)
Libertine Social at the Mandalay Bay (Las Vegas, NV)
Little Rituals at the Residence Inn/Courtyard by Marriott (Phoenix, AZ)
Midnight Rambler at the Joule (Dallas, TX)
Mountaineering Club at the Graduate Seattle Hotel (Seattle, WA)
Silver Lyan at the Riggs Washington DC (Washington, DC)
Best U.S. Restaurant Bar
Café La Trova (Miami, FL)
Cleaver: Butchered Meats, Seafood & Classic Cocktails (Las Vegas, NV)
Crown Shy (New York, NY)
Gramercy Tavern (New York, NY)
Jewel of the South (New Orleans, LA)
Kimball House (Decatur, GA)
Kumiko (Chicago, IL)
L’Oursin (Seattle, WA)
Republique (Los Angeles, CA)
Spoon and Stable (Minneapolis, MN)
Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar
Double Chicken Please (New York, NY)
Happy Accidents (Albuquerque, NM)
Kona’s Street Market (San Francisco, CA)
Law Bird (Columbus, OH)
Overstory (New York, NY)
Palmetto (Oakland, CA)
Temple Bar (New York, NY)
Tiki Tatsu-Ya (Austin, TX)
Trade Winds Tavern (Seattle, WA)
Yacht Club (Denver, CO)
WRITING & MEDIA CATEGORIES
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Ten Speed Press
Best Cocktail & Spirits Publication
CLASS magazine
Difford’s Guide
Discard the Zine
DRiNK Magazine Asia
Drinks International
Liquor.com
The Cocktail Lovers magazine
The Spirits Business
VinePair Inc.
Whisky Magazine
Best Broadcast, Podcast, or Online Video Series
A Life In Whisky: The Dennis Malcolm Story (A documentary by Whisky Magazine)
Behind the Bar with Cara Devine
El Club de los Cantineros (Documentary)
Freepour™️
Happy Hour History
“Hospitality Forward” Podcast by Hanna Lee Communications
Radio Imbibe
Shōshin Art Club
The Cocktail Lovers Podcast
The Speakeasy Podcast
Best Cocktail & Spirits Writing
“Get Real: The bar world looks beyond feel-good measures on sustainability and climate change” by Max Falkowitz, for Imbibe Magazine
“Getting high from a new supply: a revolutionary flavour extraction method for cocktails is being pioneered in South Africa” by Leah van Deventer, for TheWorlds50Best.com
“Has the Coronavirus Pandemic Destroyed American Bar Culture?” by Jeffrey Morgenthaler, for Daily Beast
“Making it Through: How a Bar’s Regulars Helped During a Pandemic,” by Rebecca Cate as told to Paul Clarke, Imbibe
“Marc Farrell Wants to Change the Way You Think About Rum” by Yolanda Evans, for Food & Wine
“Meet the Eco-Packaging Innovations Transforming the Drinks Industry” by Betsy Andrews, for SevenFifty Daily
“Mexican Terroir” by Liza Weisstuch, for Whisky Magazine
“The Greatest Drinking Contest in History” by David Wondrich, for Daily Beast
“The Hard Reset: Creating a New Hospitality Culture” by Anna Sebastian, for CLASS
“Turns Out Rye Whiskey Isn’t an American Creation After All” by Lew Bryson, for Daily Beast
Best New Cocktail or Bartending Book
Claridge’s The Cocktail Book by Denis Broci and Nathan McCarley-O’Neill
Cocktail Dive Bar: Real Drinks, Fake History, and Questionable Advice from New
Orleans’s Twelve Mile Limit by T. Cole Newton
Death & Co: Welcome Home by Alex Day, Nick Fauchald, and David Kaplan
Difford’s Guide to Cocktails (Sixteenth Edition) by Simon Difford
Mezcal and Tequila Cocktails by Robert Simonson
The Cocktail Seminars by Brian D. Hoefling
The Japanese Art of the Cocktail by Masahiro Urushido and Michael Anstendig
The Way of the Cocktail: Japanese Traditions, Techniques, and Recipes by Julia Momosé with Emma Janzen
Tokyo Cocktails by Nicholas Coldicott
Zero Proof: 90 Non-Alcoholic Recipes for Mindful Drinking by Elva Ramirez
Best New Book on Drinks Culture, History, or Spirits
A Good Drink: In Pursuit of Sustainable Spirits by Shanna Farrell
Bourbon: The Story of Kentucky Whiskey by Clay Risen
Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization by Edward
Slingerland
Girly Drinks: A World History of Women and Alcohol by Mallory O’Meara
L’Ora dell’Americano by Mauro Mahjoub and Lucio Tucci
Something & Tonic by Nick Kokonas
The Big Book of Amaro by Matteo Zed
The New Kindred Spirits by F. Paul Pacult
The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails edited by David Wondrich with Noah Rothbaum
The Spirit of Rye by Carlo DeVito
GLOBAL CATEGORIES
All Ears: Abasolo, a corn whisky from Mexico, was among the nominees for Best New Spirit or Cocktail … [+]
Abasolo
Best New Spirit or Cocktail Ingredient
Abasolo Ancestral Corn Whisky
Angostura cocoa bitters
Citadelle Gin Jardin d’été
Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal Vida de Muertos
Equiano Light Rum
Fever-Tree Sparkling Lime & Yuzu
Fever-Tree Sparkling Pink Grapefruit
Hendrick’s Lunar Gin
Lyre’s Non Alcoholic Italian Orange
Nixta Licor de Elote
Lost Irish
Ojo de Tigre Mezcal Artesanal
Savoia Americano
World’s Best Cocktail Menu
Alquímico (Cartagena de Indias, Colombia)
Dante NYC (New York, NY)
Himkok (Oslo, Norway)
Little Red Door (Paris, France)
Lyaness at Sea Containers London (London, UK)
Mace Bar (New York, NY)
Paradiso (Barcelona, Spain)
Scarfes Bar at the Rosewood London (London, UK)
Swift Soho (London, UK)
Tayēr + Elementary (London, UK)
World’s Best Spirits Selection
Atla (New York, NY)
Brandy Library (New York, NY)
In-Situ Mezcaleria (Oaxaca City, Mexico)
Jack Rose Dining Saloon (Washington, DC)
Origin Bar at The Shangri-La Hotel (Singapore)
Rumba (Seattle, WA)
Sexy Fish (London, UK)
Swift Soho (London, UK)
The Bamboo Room at Three Dots and a Dash (Chicago, IL)
The Doctor’s Office (Seattle, WA)