The 17th annual Spirited Awards celebrates global excellence in the drinks industry and recognizes professionals, organizations, and establishments shaping the cocktail community
June 5th, 2023
Tales of the Cocktail Foundation (TOTCF) announced on June 1st the Top 10 Nominees for their 17th annual Spirited Awards®.The Spirited Awards are comprised of industry accolades, both domestic and international, writing and media awards, and overall awards that transcend regionality, including World’s Best Cocktail Bar and World’s Best Cocktail Menu.
2023 Spirited Awards® Top 10 Nominees (in alphabetical order):
INTERNATIONAL CATEGORIES (not including USA Categories)
International Bartender of the Year presented by The Busker
- Gina Barbachano — Hanky Panky, Mexico City, Mexico
- Giorgio Bargiani — The Connaught Bar, London, UK
- Aaron Diaz — Carnaval, Lima, Peru
- Kate Boushel — Atwater Cocktail Club / Milky Way Cocktail Bar, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Giacomo Giannotti — Paradiso, Barcelona, Spain
- Martin Hudak — Maybe Sammy, Sydney, Australia
- Uno Jang — Jigger & Pony at the Amara Hotel, Singapore
- Alessandro Palazzi — DUKES at Dukes Hotel, London, UK
- Daniel Schofield — SCHOFIELD’S BAR, Manchester, UK
- Luke Whearty — BYRDI, Melbourne, Australia
Best International Bar Mentor* presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation
- Lorenzo Antinori
- Simone Caporale
- Evelyn Chick
- Shingo Gokan
- Trevor Kallies
- Jose Luis Leon
- Dre Masso
- Iain McPherson
- Danil Nevsky
- Agostino Perrone
- Christina Veira
*denotes 11 nominees due to a tie
Best International Brand Ambassador* presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation
- Jenna Ba — Diageo
- Jordan Bushell — Hennessy Cognac
- Dickie Cullimore — Bacardi Rum
- Caitlin Hill — Rémy Cointreau
- Daniyel Jones — House of Angostura®
- Ally Martin — Hendrick’s Gin
- Dave Mitton — Lot 40 / J.P. Wiser’s
- Léa Messier — Dandurand Spirits
- Tim Philips-Johansson — Johnnie Walker
- Nicola Riske — The Macallan
- Claudia Cabrera Rodriguez — Fernet Branca
- Charmaine Thio — Hendrick’s Gin
*denotes 12 nominees due to a tie
Best International Bar Team presented by Angostura Caribbean Rum
- ALQUÍMICO — Cartagena, Colombia
- Atwater Cocktail Club — Montreal, QC, Canada
- COA — Hong Kong, China
- Handshake Speakeasy — Mexico City, Mexico
- Hanky Panky — Mexico City, Mexico
- Jigger & Pony at the Amara Hotel — Singapore
- La Factoria — San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Paradiso — Barcelona, Spain
- Tayēr + Elementary — London, UK
- The Clumsies — Athens, Greece
Best International Cocktail Bar presented by Patrón Tequila
- 🔶🟥🔵 — London, UK
- ALQUÍMICO — Cartagena, Colombia
- Atwater Cocktail Club — Montreal, QC, Canada
- BYRDI — Melbourne, Australia
- COA — Hong Kong, China
- MAYBE SAMMY — Sydney, Australia
- Panda & Sons — Edinburgh, Scotland
- Paradiso — Barcelona, Spain
- Satan’s Whiskers — London, UK
- SIPS — Barcelona, Spain
Best International Hotel Bar presented by Perrier
- ARGO at the Four Seasons — Hong Kong, China
- BKK Social Club at Four Seasons Bangkok — Bangkok, Thailand
- Botanist at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel — Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Bulgari Bar at The Bvlgari Resort — Dubai, UAE
- Charles H. at the Four Seasons Hotel — Seoul, South Korea
- Dean & Nancy on 22 at the A by Adina hotel — Sydney, Australia
- Fifty Mils at the Four Seasons Hotel — Mexico City, Mexico
- Jigger & Pony at the Amara Hotel — Singapore
- Side Hustle at The NoMad Hotel London — London, UK
- The Donovan Bar at the Brown’s Hotel — London, UK
Best International Restaurant Bar presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation
- Analogue Initiative — Singapore
- ARCA Restaurant & Bar — Tulum, Mexico
- Bar Kismet — Halifax, NS, Canada
- COCHINCHINA — Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Continental Deli Bar Bistro — Sydney, Australia
- COYA Dubai — Dubai, UAE
- Danico — Paris, France
- Le Mary Celeste — Paris, France
- No Sleep Club — Singapore
- Zuma Dubai — Dubai, UAE
Best New International Cocktail Bar presented by Diageo Bar Academy
- Bar Planet — Sydney, Australia
- Caretaker’s Cottage — Melbourne, Australia
- CATA Agave Bar – Tamarindo, Costa Rica
- Ergo Cocktail Bar & Restaurant — Dubai, UAE
- Gucci Giardino 25 — Florence, Italy
- Last Word — Singapore
- Line Athens — Athens, Greece
- Mahaniyom Cocktail Bar — Bangkok, Thailand
- Night Hawk — Singapore
- Seed Library at One Hundred Shoreditch hotel — London, UK
GLOBAL CATEGORIES
Best New Spirit or Cocktail Ingredient presented by Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic
- Contraluz Cristalino Mezcal
- Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin California Orange Citrus
- Hendrick’s Neptunia
- Martini & Rossi Floreale Non Alcoholic Aperitivo
- Martini & Rossi Vibrante Non Alcoholic Aperitivo
- Mijenta Añejo Gran Reserva
- Nocheluna Sotol
- PATRÓN El Alto Tequila
- Saint Benevolence Aged Rum Clairin
- The Fords Gin Co. Sloe Gin
World’s Best Cocktail Menu presented by Diageo Bar Academy
- Allegory at the Eaton Hotel — Washington, DC
- ALQUÍMICO — Cartagena, Colombia
- Bitter and Twisted — Phoenix, AZ
- Botanist at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel — Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Double Chicken Please — New York, NY
- Handshake Speakeasy — Mexico City, Mexico
- Jigger & Pony at the Amara Hotel — Singapore
- Licorería Limantour — Mexico City, Mexico
- Panda & Sons — Edinburgh, Scotland
- Paradiso — Barcelona, Spain
World’s Best Spirits Selection presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation
- Baba Au Rum — Athens, Greece
- Barro Negro — Athens, Greece
- In Situ Mezcalería — Oaxaca, Mexico
- KOL Mezcaleria — London, UK
- Origin Bar at the Shangri-La Hotel — Singapore
- Raised by Wolves — San Diego, CA
- Salón de Agave at Casa Prunes — Mexico City, Mexico
- Sexy Fish London — London, UK
- Swift Soho — London, UK
- The Office — Chicago, IL
Spirited Awards® 2023
Spirited Awards Top 4 Finalists and the recipients for the Helen David Lifetime Achievement, Visionary & International/U.S. Timeless Awards will be named on June 21, 2023. All winners will be celebrated on July 27, 2023 at the 17th Annual Spirited Awards Ceremony at the Fillmore New Orleans.
Spirited Awards Ceremony tickets will be available via the TOTCF website on June 8, 2023.
(images credit Tales of the Cocktail Foundation)
