Spirited Awards Winners Video - Tales of the Cocktail 2016

One of my favorite projects of the year is hosting / co-producing the annual Spirited Awards Winners Video at Tales of the Cocktail. This is the eight year in a row that I have had the honor of speaking with the world's most illustrious bar folk as they walked off the stage, shiny new plate in hand. See what they had to say in this year's video, thanks to the wonderful team at 4th Row Films. Oh, and this year, actress / author / bottled cocktail creator Aisha Tyler co-hosted the Awards themselves. For its tenth anniversary, the Spirited Awards sizzled as an all-star affair!

BEST AMERICAN BRAND AMBASSADOR presented by El Dorado Rum

Colin Asare-Appiah (Bacardi)

BEST INTERNATIONAL BRAND AMBASSADOR presented by Rutte Distillateurs

Max Warner (Chivas Regal)

BEST AMERICAN RESTAURANT BAR presented by Goose Island Beer Company

Saxon + Parole (New York)

BEST INTERNATIONAL RESTAURANT BAR  presented by Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte

Hawksmoor Spitalfields (London, United Kingdom)

WORLD’S BEST COCKTAIL MENU presented by Beam Suntory

Dandelyan (London, United Kingdom)

BEST COCKTAIL & SPIRITS WRITER presented by Beam Suntory

Jeffrey Morgenthaler

BEST NEW COCKTAIL & BARTENDING BOOK presented by Nikka Whisky

The Dead Rabbit Drinks Manual: Secret Recipes and Barroom Tales from Two Belfast Boys Who Conquered the Cocktail World by Sean Muldoon, Jack McGarry, and Ben Schaffer

BEST COCKTAIL & SPIRITS PUBLICATION presented by Fords Gin

Cocktail Lovers

BEST NEW SPIRITS BOOK presented by Maison Ferrand

Divided Spirits - Tequila, Mezcal and the Politics of Production by Sarah Bowen

BEST NEW INTERNATIONAL COCKTAIL BAR presented by Maison Ferrand

Oriole (London, United Kingdom)

BEST NEW AMERICAN COCKTAIL BAR presented by Luxardo

Sweet Liberty (Miami Beach)

BEST AMERICAN HOTEL BAR presented by Ramazzotti

The Elephant Bar at The NoMad (New York)

BEST INTERNATIONAL HOTEL BAR presented by The Cromwell

The Connaught Bar at The Connaught (London, United Kingdom)

BEST INTERNATIONAL HIGH VOLUME presented by The Cromwell

Callooh Callay (London, United Kingdom)

BEST AMERICAN HIGH VOLUME COCKTAIL BAR presented by William Grant & Sons

Herbs & Rye (Las Vegas)

BEST AMERICAN BAR TEAM presented by William Grant & Sons

ABV (San Francisco)

BEST INTERNATIONAL BAR TEAM presented by House of Angostura

American Bar at the Savoy (London, United Kingdom)

BEST NEW SPIRIT OR COCKTAIL INGREDIENT presented by the Parlor Lounge at The Mirage

Stiggins’ Fancy Plantation Pineapple (Barbados)

WORLD’S BEST SPIRITS SELECTION presented by the Parlor Lounge at The Mirage

Tommy’s (San Francisco, United States)

BEST BAR MENTOR  presented by BarSmarts

Angus Winchester

BEST INTERNATIONAL COCKTAIL BAR presented by Chivas Regal

Happiness Forgets (London, United  Kingdom)

BEST AMERICAN COCKTAIL BAR presented by Pernod Absinthe

Smuggler’s Cove (San Francisco)

AMERICAN BARTENDER OF THE YEAR  presented by Bacardi USA

Jeffrey Morgenthaler of Clyde Common (Portland)

INTERNATIONAL BARTENDER OF THE YEAR presented by Bacardi USA

Hidetsugu Ueno of Bar High Five (Tokyo, Japan)

WORLD’S BEST COCKTAIL BAR presented by Gazela Vinho Verde

The Connaught Bar at the Connaught Hotel (London, United Kingdom)