The top bars, bartenders, brand ambassadors and spirits writers will be honored at the Tales of the co*cktail festival in New Orleans this July.
By Michael Solomon, Forbes Staff
Expect the champagne to be flowing tonight at the best bars around the world as the Tales of the co*cktail Foundation announced the nominees for the 2024 Spirited Awards.
Established in 2007 and considered to be among the hospitality industry’s highest honors, the Spirited Awards are part of the annual Tales of the co*cktail festival held in New Orleans in July, honoring the finest bars, bartenders, brand ambassadors, and spirits journalists from around the world. The awards are selected by a jury of hospitality peers—acclaimed bartenders, bar owners, and journalists and authors. (Full disclosure: Forbes is the official media partner of the Spirited Awards.)
While there are many familiar watering holes among this year’s nominees—including Double Chicken Please in New York (nominated for Best U.S. co*cktail Bar last year as well), Happy Accidents in Albuquerque, New Mexico (which won in 2023 for Best U.S. Bar Team) and Alquímico in Cartagena, Colombia (which won for Best International Bar Team in 2023)—there are also some innovative newcomers among this year’s top four nominees, including Cobra in Columbus, Ohio and Cat Bite Club in Singapore.
In the United States, New York continues its dominance with five nominations this year, plus Katana Kitten’s Masa Urushido, who was nominated for U.S. Bartender of the Year for the fifth year in a row. But Washington, D.C. is right behind with four nominations. Internationally, Singapore confirms its ascent as a top co*cktail city with five nominations, matching London’s total this year. Mexico is also on the rise with Spirited Award nominations for bars in Mexico City and Tulum.
“While the nomination process and number of judges hasn’t changed,” says Eileen Wayner, CEO of the Tales of the co*cktail Foundation (TOTCF), which hosts the festival and the awards, “we attribute this growth to a recognition for the talent coming out of the bars themselves, and the impact they are making in their home cities. Another huge factor is that people are traveling again—and searching out exceptional co*cktail experiences when they do.”
For those who want an atlas of nominees, Tales of the co*cktail built an interactive map of the world’s best bars in 2022. “This year we’ve added 146 bars to our directory,” says Wayner, “which means that there are 146 new bars being recognized for the first time by the Spirited Awards.”
While most nominees will have to wait until July 25 to learn if they actually won a Spirited Award, there are at least two bars (London’s Cafe Pacifico and San Francisco’s Buena Vista Cafe) and one bartender, Hidetsugu Ueno, who can raise a glass in celebration tonight. Ueno, 2016’s International Bartender of the Year, will be honored with the Helen David Lifetime Achievement Awards as the proprietor of Tokyo’s Ginza-style Bar High Five.
Cafe Pacifico, which will be awarded the prestigious Timeless International Award, introduced tequila and authentic Mexican cuisine to the UK, while Buena Vista Cafe will be honored with the Timeless Award for the United States. The bar is renowned for having introduced Irish coffee to America, serving 2,000 Irish coffees per day, and for serving more Irish whiskey annually than any other bar on the planet.
2024 Spirited Awards Nominees
UNITED STATES
Best U.S. co*cktail Bar
Double Chicken Please (New York, NY)
Happy Accidents (Albuquerque, NM)
Overstory (New York, NY)
Yacht Club (Denver, CO)
Best U.S. Hotel Bar
Allegory at the Eaton Hotel (Washington, D.C.)
Little Rituals at the Residence Inn/Courtyard by Marriott (Phoenix, AZ)
Pacific Standard at the KEX Portland (Portland, OR)
The Sazerac Bar at The Roosevelt New Orleans (New Orleans, LA)
Best U.S. Restaurant Bar
Cleaver: Butchered Meats, Seafood and Classic co*cktails (Las Vegas, NV)
Jaguar Sun (Miami, FL)
Kumiko (Chicago, IL)
Palomar (Portland, OR)
Best New U.S. co*cktail Bar
Cobra (Columbus, OH)
Medium Cool co*cktail Lounge (Miami Beach, FL)
Paradise Lost (New York, NY)
Superbueno (New York, NY)
U.S. Bartender of the Year
McLain Hedges (Yacht Club, Denver, CO)
Christine Kim (Service Bar, Washington, D.C.)
Kapri Robinson (Allegory, Washington, D.C.)
Masa Urushido (Katana Kitten, New York, NY)
Best U.S. Bar Team
Century Grand (Phoenix, AZ)
Jewel of the South (New Orleans, LA)
Pacific co*cktail Haven (San Francisco, CA)
Service Bar (Washington, D.C.)
Best U.S. Bar Mentor
Anu Apte
Jason Asher
Kate Gerwin
Alex Jump
Best U.S. Brand Ambassador
Tad Carducci (Gruppo Montenegro)
Benny Hurwitz (Campari American Whiskeys)
Anna Mains (Monkey Shoulder)
Natasha Sofia (Mijenta Tequila)
INTERNATIONAL
Best International co*cktail Bar
🔶🟥🔵 (London, UK)
Alquímico (Cartagena des Indias, Colombia)
Handshake Speakeasy (Mexico City, Mexico)
Satan’s Whiskers (London, UK)
Best International Hotel Bar
ARGO at the Four Seasons (Hong Kong)
BKK Social Club at Four Seasons Bangkok (Bangkok, Thailand)
Charles H. at the Four Seasons Hotel (Seoul, South Korea)
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)
Danico (Paris, France)
Best New International co*cktail Bar
Bar Leone (Hong Kong)
Bar Nouveau (Paris, France)
Bar Us (Bangkok, Thailand)
Cat Bite Club (Singapore)
International Bartender of the Year
Lorenzo Antinori (Bar Leone, Hong Kong)
Kate Boushel (Atwater co*cktail Club, Milky Way co*cktail Bar, Bon Délire, Montreal, Canada)
Eric van Beek (Handshake Speakeasy, Mexico City, Mexico)
Luke Whearty (Byrdi, Melbourne, Australia)
Best International Bar Team
Handshake Speakeasy (Mexico City, Mexico)
Hanky Panky (Mexico City, Mexico)
Jigger & Pony at the Amara Hotel (Singapore)
Panda & Sons (Edinburgh, Scotland)
Best International Bar Mentor
Ryan Chetiyawardana
Iain McPherson
Danil Nevsky
Christina Veira
Best International Brand Ambassador
Claudia Cabrera (Fratelli Branca)
Jesse Estes (Tequila Ocho)
Caitlin Hill (Rémy Cointreau)
Dave Mitton (Lot 40 / J.P. Wiser's)
WRITING & MEDIA
Best co*cktail & Spirits Publication
Class magazine
SevenFifty Daily
The co*cktail Lovers
The Spirits Business
Best Broadcast, Podcast, or Online Video Series
Bartender at Large
Like•a•ble co*cktails by Kaitlyn Stewart
Perspectives by Campari Academy
Radio Imbibe
Best co*cktail & 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
“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
Best New co*cktail or Bartending Book
Slow Drinks: A Field Guide to Foraging and Fermenting Seasonal Sodas, Botanical co*cktails, Homemade Wines, and More by Danny Childs
The Book of co*cktail Ratios: The Surprising Simplicity of Classic co*cktails by Michael Ruhlman
The Ice Book: Cool Cubes, Clear Spheres, and Other Chill co*cktail Crafts by Camper English
Tropical Standard: co*cktail Techniques and Reinvented Recipes by Garret Richard and Ben Schaffer
Best New Book on Drinks Culture, History, or Spirits
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: co*cktails from Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks by Toni Tipton-Martin
The Maison Premiere Almanac co*cktails, Oysters, Absinthe, and Other Essential Nutrients for the Sensualist, Aesthete, and Flaneur: A co*cktail Recipe Book by Joshua Boissy, Krystof Zizka, Jordan Mackay, William Eilliott
GLOBAL
Best New Spirit or co*cktail Ingredient
Don Fulano Tequila 20 Anniversary Sherry Cask Añejo
J. Rieger & Co. Monogram Whiskey 2023 Kansas City Whiskey (Solera Reserve)
Worthy Park 109
Yuzuco Yuzu Super Juice
World’s Best co*cktail Menu
Allegory at the Eaton Hotel (Washington, D.C.)
Alquímico (Cartagena des Indias, Colombia)
Handshake Speakeasy (Mexico City, Mexico)
Jigger & Pony at the Amara Hotel (Singapore)
World’s Best Spirits Selection
Baba Au Rum (Athens, Greece)
Eleven Madison Park (New York, NY)
Multnomah Whisk{e}y Library (Portland, OR)
Origin Bar at the Shangri-La Hotel (Singapore)
Timeless U.S. Award
The Buena Vista Cafe (San Francisco, CA)
Timeless International Award
Café Pacifico (London, UK)
Helen David Lifetime Achievement Award
Hidetsugu Ueno
Tales Visionary Award
Colin Asare-Appiah
MORE FROM FORBES
ForbesTales Of The co*cktail Launches An Interactive Map Of The World's Best BarsBy Karla AlindahaoForbesWorld's Best Bar: Barcelona's Sips Wins Top Honor At The 2023 Spirited AwardsBy Karla Alindahao
