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)