Thirsty in LA » spirited awards

Employees Only Named World’s Best Cocktail Bar at the 2011 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards

thirstyinla — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 23:35:23 +0000

The Employees Only crew accepts one of its two Spirited Awards.

The Big Apple felt right at home in The Big Easy last Saturday night, thanks to six New York-based nominees taking home awards at the Fifth Annual Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards, held at the Mahalia Jackson Theater in New Orleans. Leading the way for New York was Employees Only, which won the awards for World’s Best Cocktail Bar and World’s Best Drinks Selection. Also joining the New York party: Kenta Goto (Pegu Club) and Sam Ross (Milk & Honey), who tied for the American Bartender of the Year award (a first for the Spirited Awards); Eleven Madison Park for Best Restaurant Bar (also, winner of the unofficial award for Biggest Group Onstage to Accept a Spirited Award);Pegu Club’s Audrey Saunders, who was presented the Best Bar Mentor award by her own mentor, the legendary Dale DeGroff; and Punch by David Wondrich for Best New Cocktail/Bartending Book.

A few highlights and more unofficial awards from the ceremony:

Simon Ford kicked off the festivities by presenting John Lermayer the tongue-in-cheek Simon Ford Uh Oh Award, so-named for the first words that come to mind when any of the nominees arrive in your bar or city.

The fabulous Franky Marshall!

After this year’s Cocktail Apprentices (including LA’s own Brent Falco) were introduced, Senior Apprentice Franky Marshall (Clover Club) brought down the house with her sizzling performance.

Best Person to Sit Next to at the Spirited Awards: Dänny Ronen (Fair Trade Spirits), whose hysterical running commentary during the show makes me think someone needs to give him a headset so he can broadcast during the online streaming of next year’s awards.

Best Entrance: Camper English (Alcademics), who couldn’t find the steps to the stage and improvised with a graceful somersault/roll to accept his award for Best Cocktail Writing.

Best Impression of Alfred Hitchcock: gaz regan, who started his presentation of the Best New Cocktail/Bartending Book Award with a very droll, “Good eee-vah-ning, muthafuckers.”

The dashing Erik Lorincz (pictured with his award for International Bartender of the Year), presented gaz regan with a very special book.

During his heartfelt acceptance speech for The Savoy’s award for the World’s Best Hotel Bar, Erik Lorincz talked about how one of the first cocktail books he ever owned (before he could even speak English) was written by gaz regan, the man to whom he then handed The Bartenders’ Travelling Book. (FYI if you’re clicking through, the book’s official website starts to auto-play music.)

Congratulations to the winners and cheers to all the nominees!

For more information, visit www.TalesoftheCocktail.com.

Following is the complete list of the 2011 Spirited Awards nominees, with the winners in bold.

American Bartender of the Year

Eric Alperin, Los Angeles, California
Kenta Goto, New York City, New York (tie)
Misty Kalkofen, Boston, Massachusetts
Sam Ross, New York City, New York (tie)
Joaquin Simo, New York City, New York

Best American Brand Ambassador

Colin Asare-Appiah, U’luvka Vodka
Jacques Bezuidenhout, Partida Tequila
Jamie Gordon, Absolut Vodka
Jim Ryan, Hendrick’s Gin

Best American Cocktail Bar

Clover Club, New York City, New York
Drink, Boston, Massachusetts
Employees Only, New York City, New York
The Varnish, Los Angeles, California

Best Bar Mentor

Wayne Collins, London, England
Steve Olson, New York City, New York
Audrey Saunders, New York City, New York
Dushan Zaric, New York City, New York

Best High Volume Cocktail Bar

Eastern Standard, Boston, Massachusetts
Flatiron Lounge, New York City, New York
Florida Room, Miami, Florida
Rickhouse, San Francisco, California

Best Cocktail Writing – Non Book

Best Cocktail Writing – Author

Toby Cecchini, New York City, New York
Camper English, San Francisco, California
Darcy O’Neil, London, Ontario
Naren Young, New York City, New York

Best International Brand Ambassador

Ian Burrell
Claire Smith, Belvedere Vodka
Dan Warner, Beefeater Gin
Angus Winchester, Tanqueray Gin

Best New Cocktail/Bartending Book

Fix the Pumps by Darcy O’Neill
Left Coast Libations by Ted Munat & Michael Lazar
Punch by David Wondrich
Speakeasy by Dushan Zaric and Jay Kosmas

Best New Product

Best Restaurant Bar

The Drawing Room, Chicago, Illinois
Eleven Madison Park, New York City, New York
Hawksmoor Seven Dials, London, England
Hix, London, England

International Bartender of the Year

Erik Lorincz, London, England
Dre Masso, London, England
Sam Ross, New York City, New York
Dushan Zaric, New York City, New York

World’s Best Cocktail Bar

69 Colebrooke Row, London, England
Dry Martini, Barcelona, Spain
Employees Only, New York City, New York
High Five, Tokyo, Japan

World’s Best Cocktail Menu

Artesian Bar at The Langham, London, England
Eau de Vie, Sydney, Australia
Mayahuel, New York City, New York
Sanctuaria, St. Louis, Missouri

World’s Best Drinks Selection

Artesian Bar at The Langham, London, England
Cure, New Orleans, Louisiana
Eau de Vie, Sydney, Australia
Employees Only, New York City, New York

World’s Best Hotel Bar

Artesian Bar at The Langham, London, England
Clive’s Classic Lounge at Chateau Victoria Hotel, Victoria, British Columbia
Clyde Common at The Ace Hotel, Portland, Oregon
The Savoy, London, England

World’s Best New Cocktail Bar

1534, New York City, New York
Dram, New York City, New York
Eau de Vie, Sydney, Australia
Painkiller, New York City, New York

Thirsty in NOLA: Tales of the Cocktail 2011

thirstyinla — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 00:17:30 +0000

The last time I was in New Orleans, it was many years before Katrina, when my girlfriend and I stayed at her best friend’s house in the Garden District and we spent two weeks eating and drinking our way through the Big Easy. Now, after far too long a gap between visits, I’m heading back to New Orleans to join thousands of other attendees at Tales of the Cocktail 2011!

Jackie Patterson has some good advice for first timers like yours truly.

This will be my first time at the annual festival, which gathers top bartenders, spirits brands, cocktail enthusiasts, and sturdy livers from around the world for several days of education, networking, culture, and oh-by-the-way drinking. The massive schedule of events, combined with all the things that New Orleans has to offer, is pretty overwhelming to a Tales newbie like myself. Thankfully, there’s plenty of online advice from the well-organized Tales crew, as well as helpful posts such as A First Timer’s Guide to Tales (fave tip, from Lillet and Solerno Ambassador Jackie Patterson: “Pace yourself, and remember what happens at Tales stays on Facebook forever”); Chuck Taggart’s fourth annual Tales dining guide (which goes to eleven); and Miss Charming’s amazing Guide to Eating & Drinking Well in New Orleans.

Prior commitments prevent me from arriving until late Wednesday night, so I’ll essentially be missing the first day of Tales. Fortunately, I’ve made up for that by packing my schedule for the rest of the week with more seminars and events than any one person should be able to attend.

"Three Rums I Will Most Likely Taste Again" doesn't sound quite as exciting as Ed Hamilton's seminar.

Here’s a sampling of what I’ll be checking out this week:

THURSDAY, JULY 21
My first-ever day at Tales begins with a seminar called 6 Rums You’ll Probably Never Taste Again, moderated by Ed Hamilton (Ministry of Rum). Hamilton leveraged his status as one of the world’s foremost experts on sugar cane spirits to procure beyond-rare samples from distilleries in Venezuela, Tennessee, Panama, Martinique, Guatemala and Nicaragua. How rare are these rums? According to the Tales program, “Most of these rums have never been bottled, much less sold or made available to the public. These are those special rums savored by the distillers to be shared with special guests on special occasions.” (And some lucky ticket holders!)

Hidetsugu Ueno | Photo: TOTC

After that sublime morning seminar, there’s a special mid-day event that promises to be just as enlightening: Non-stop to Tokyo, featuring the legendary Japanese bartender Hidetsugu Ueno, master of the “hard shake” and the owner of Bar High Five in the Ginza. The intimate hour-long sessions were among the first Tales events to sell out, and with a description like this, it’s no wonder:

“Reserve a seat on Suntory Air flight #1923, non-stop from Downtown New Orleans to Ginza and hop on the Tokyo Metro bullet train to the legendary Bar High Five…Once adjusted to Japan-time, we will escort you to the bar where you will be cared for by master Hidetsugu Ueno, one of the most respected barmen in Tokyo. This an experience that very few outside of Tokyo can ever hope to have and a drink that is guaranteed to be one of the most memorable of your life.”

The global cocktail journey continues with the Diageo Happy Hour, featuring cocktails from each of the continents created by 40 of the world’s most acclaimed mixologists. The event will feature a mix of classic and contemporary gin, tequila, whisk(e)y, vodka and rum cocktails.

Then it’s time for a sold out Spirited Dinner at GW Fins , an event I’ve been excited about ever since I first heard about it. Left Coast vs. East Coast Libations is the brainchild of Ted Munat (author of Left Coast Libations) with support from Lush Life Productions. The battle of the cocktail coasts features two half-sized cocktails paired with each dinner course, with one cocktail created by a top West Coast bartender and one from the East Coast.

Following is the GW Fins Spirited Dinner menu, including the paired cocktails:

Amuse
Crudo Trio

Jackie Patterson – Lillet Blanc, compressed heirloom melon ball wrapped in prosciutto and spicy arugula
Anu Apte – Lillet, Gran Classico, Angostura Orange, Fever-Tree Bitter Lemon

First Course
Wood Grilled Octopus – Grapefruit, fennel, avocado

Richard Boccato – Water Lily: lemon juice, creme de violette, Cointreau, Hendrick’s Gin
Jon Santer – Negroni: Hendrick’s Gin, Gran Classico, Dolin Rouge

Second Course
Spicy Vietnamese Glazed Pork Belly – Jicama relish, Cilantro coulis

Jason Littrell – Behind God’s Back: sugar cane syrup, cinnamon syrup, orgeat, Pineapple Juice, lime juice, Chairman’s Reserve Rum
Dave Shenaut – Put a Bird on It: Chairman’s Reserve Rum, Punt e Mes, Rancho de Philo Tripple Creme Sherry, lemon juice, Fentimans tonic, Regan’s Orange bitters

Third Course
Sumac Crusted Grouper – Melted heirloom tomato, Kalamata olives, pesto gnocchi

Marcos Tello – Green Dragon Tea: Bols Genever, Maraschino, Green Chartreuse, Lustau Amontillado Sherry, lemon juice, carbonated green tea
John Lermayer: Bols Genever

Fourth Course
Warm Roasted Pineapple
Coconut sorbet

Keith Waldbauer – Oaxacan Flip:Brown Butter infused Fendencio Mezcal, Benedictine, Grilled Pineapple Gomme syrup, lemon juice, Bitterman’s Mole Bitters, Whole Egg
Don Lee – Cocktail sprayed into the air

Rumor has it there will be PowerPoint presentations, puppets, costumes and skits. Some parting words by Munat, from the dinner invite: “One day, you will tell your grandchildren about this event. Your children will at some point intervene and take the grandchildren away while glaring their disapproval at you. You will chuckle as you revel in the simple truth that it is very, very good to be insane.”

Naomi Schimek

FRIDAY, JULY 22
After a full day of seminars, Friday night comes on strong with back-to-back competitions that feature Los Angeles in the mix. First up is the USBG Bacardi Piña Colada Competition, hosted by Dan “The Imbiber” Dunn. Eighteen competitors from USBG chapters across the country will face off with their original Bacardi Piña Colada recipes. Cocktails will be reviewed by an esteemed panel of judges who will select one “judges’ choice” champion, while attendees will vote for the “people’s choice” winner. Naomi Schimek of The Spare Room will represent the LA chapter with her Havana Au Go Go.

Then it’s time for the Bar Room Brawl, in which teams from around the country will recreate the design of their respective bars and serve original cocktails using Grand Marnier, Hennessy, Belvedere Vodka and 10 Cane Rum. Judges will crown one team as the Bar Room Brawl Champions of the World, and attendees will name the People’s Champion. Last year, The Varnish won the People’s Choice Award (see Savory Hunter’s recap). This year, the LA bar baton has been passed to the Roger Room team of Damian Windsor, Jason Bran and Eric Tecosky.

SATURDAY, JULY 23
Tales of the Cocktail culminates with the 5th Annual Spirited Award Ceremony, featuring a 1920s Atlantic City theme and Boardwalk Empire attire, big band music and a plethora of libations. Among this year’s Spirited Award nominees are The Varnish (Best American Cocktail Bar) and Varnish co-owner Eric Alperin (American Bartender of the Year).

There’s a minute or so after the Spirited Awards to catch your breath (and hopefully do a quick costume change) before heading to the Plymouth Gin Bartenders Breakfast, which Simon Ford and Audrey Saunders started five years ago as an homage to the bartender way of life. Now it’s known as the “official unofficial wrap party” for Tales, featuring live music by Space Capone, DJ Gruners, “incredible cocktails from some of the finest in the business, Pink Gins poured through ice and, of course, some bacon and eggs.”

*WHEW* I’m exhausted looking at that list, and that’s only a few of the events I’ve signed up for! Not shown are more seminars, tasting rooms, meetings, tweetups and various gatherings like Steve Livigni’s birthday party. Thankfully, the LA contingent has Aidan Demarest, acting in his annual role as the unofficial den mother / cat herder, making sure everyone is accounted for and where they’re supposed to be.

You can follow my Tales of the Cocktail adventures via my Twitter feed and Facebook page. For the bigger picture of what’s happening on the ground from several Tales veterans, check out the links from Darcy O’Neil at Art of Drink.

Cheers!

2011 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards Nominees Announced

thirstyinla — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 18:27:16 +0000

The Varnish rings up another Spirited Award nomination. | Photo: 213 Nightlife

The nominees for the 2011 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards have been announced, and once again the Los Angeles cocktail banner is being carried by The Varnish (nominated for Best American Cocktail Bar) and its co-owner, Eric Alperin (an American Bartender of the Year nominee). Now in its ninth year, Tales of the Cocktail is an internationally acclaimed festival of cocktails, cuisine and culture taking place in New Orleans July 20-24.

From the Tales of the Cocktail press release:

Through its annual Spirited Awards, Tales of the Cocktail provides recognition to those individuals and establishments that have shown an outstanding talent for advancing the craft of the cocktail. To embody the ideals with which Tales of the Cocktail was originally founded, these awards will recognize both national and international honorees who will receive exclusive Riedel Crystal awards.

Employees Only is nominated for Best American Cocktail Bar, World’s Best Drink Selection and World’s Best Cocktail Bar. | Photo: Employees Only

New York’s Employees Only leads the field this year with nominations for Best American Cocktail Bar, World’s Best Drink Selection and World’s Best Cocktail Bar. Employees Only owners Jason Kosmas and Dushan Zaric are nominated in the Best New Cocktail/Bartending Book category for Speakeasy: The Employees Only Guide to Classic Cocktails Reimagined. Zaric is also nominated for Best Bar Mentor and International Bartender of the Year.

Two new categories have been added his year, while a third one has been split into two subcategories. The Best High Volume Cocktail Bar award celebrates bars that efficiently deliver cocktail culture to the masses. Nominees have at least 100 seats, with cocktails, lists, bartending, and service all taken into consideration. The Best Restaurant Bar nominees are dedicated to creating a great cocktail experience for their dining guests. Factored into the nomination are the bar’s approach to aperitifs and digestifs, how well it works with the kitchen to pair cocktails with food, as well as general bartending and mixing excellence. The award for Best Cocktail Writing has been divided into two subcategories: Non-Book Publication and Author. The Non-Book category honors publications as a whole for excellence in overall writing. The Author category recognizes individual writers for contributions to furthering information, knowledge and interest in cocktail culture.

The winners will be announced at the Fifth Annual Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards, taking place in New Orleans at the Mahalia Jackson Theater on Saturday, July 23rd.

For information and tickets, visit www.talesofthecocktail.com.

The Drawing Room is nominated for Best Restaurant Bar. | Photo: The Drawing Room

Following is the complete list of the 2011 Spirited Awards nominees.

American Bartender of the Year

Eric Alperin, Los Angeles, California
Kenta Goto, New York City, New York
Misty Kalkofen, Boston, Massachusetts
Sam Ross, New York City, New York
Joaquin Simo, New York City, New York

Best American Brand Ambassador

Colin Asare-Appiah, U’luvka Vodka
Jacques Bezuidenhout, Partida Tequila
Jamie Gordon, Absolut Vodka
Jim Ryan, Hendrick’s Gin

Best American Cocktail Bar

Clover Club, New York City, New York
Drink, Boston, Massachusetts
Employees Only, New York City, New York
The Varnish, Los Angeles, California

Best Bar Mentor

Wayne Collins, London, England
Steve Olson, New York City, New York
Audrey Saunders, New York City, New York
Dushan Zaric, New York City, New York

Best High Volume Cocktail Bar

Eastern Standard, Boston, Massachusetts
Flatiron Lounge, New York City, New York
Florida Room, Miami, Florida
Rickhouse, San Francisco, California

Best Cocktail Writing – Non Book

Best Cocktail Writing – Author

Toby Cecchini, New York City, New York
Camper English, San Francisco, Francisco
Darcy O’Neil, London, Ontario
Naren Young, New York City, New York

Best International Brand Ambassador

Ian Burrell
Claire Smith, Belvedere Vodka
Dan Warner, Beefeater Gin
Angus Winchester, Tanqueray Gin

Best New Cocktail/Bartending Book

Fix the Pumps by Darcy O’Neill
Left Coast Libations by Ted Munat & Michael Lazar*
Punch by David Wondrich
Speakeasy by Dushan Zaric and Jay Kosmas

Best New Product

Best Restaurant Bar

The Drawing Room, Chicago, Illinois
Eleven Madison Park, New York City, New York
Hawksmoor Seven Dials, London, England
Hix, London, England

International Bartender of the Year

Erik Lorincz, London, England
Dre Masso, London, England
Sam Ross, New York City, New York
Dushan Zaric, New York City, New York

World’s Best Cocktail Bar

69 Colebrooke Row, London, England
Dry Martini, Barcelona, Spain
Employees Only, New York City, New York
High Five, Tokyo, Japan

World’s Best Cocktail Menu

Artesian Bar at The Langham, London, England
Eau de Vie, Sydney, Australia
Mayahuel, New York City, New York
Sanctuaria, St. Louis, Missouri

World’s Best Drinks Selection

Artesian Bar at The Langham, London, England
Cure, New Orleans, Louisiana
Eau de Vie, Sydney, Australia
Employees Only, New York City, New York

World’s Best Hotel Bar

Artesian Bar at The Langham, London, England
Clive’s Classic Lounge at Chateau Victoria Hotel, Victoria, British Columbia
Clyde Common at The Ace Hotel, Portland, Oregon
The Savoy, London, England

World’s Best New Cocktail Bar

1534, New York City, New York
Dram, New York City, New York
Eau de Vie, Sydney, Australia
Painkiller, New York City, New York

*Left Coast Libations is the hard back version.
**Cocchi Americano is new to the US Market.

Winners of the 2010 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards Announced

thirstyinla — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:00:31 +0000

Death & Co. wins Spirited Awards for World's Best Cocktail Bar, World's Best Cocktail Menu, and Best American Cocktail Bar. | Photo: Grub Street

The winners for the 2010 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards have been announced, with New York’s Death and Company named the World’s Best Cocktail Bar, World’s Best Cocktail Menu, and Best American Cocktail Bar. Seattle’s beloved Murray Stenson (Zig Zag Café) was named American Bartender of the Year, while International Bartender of the Year went to Agostino Perrone of London’s Connaught Hotel (Hotel Bar of the Year). The full list of winners and nominees is below.

The winners were announced at the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award Ceremony and Dinner last Saturday, July 24. Now in its eighth year, Tales of the Cocktail is an internationally acclaimed festival of cocktails, cuisine and culture that took place in New Orleans from July 21-25. From the Tales of the Cocktail website:

Through its annual Spirited Award Ceremony, Tales of the Cocktail provides recognition to those individuals and establishments that have shown an outstanding talent for advancing the craft of the cocktail. To embody the ideals with which Tales of the Cocktail was originally founded, these awards will recognize both national and international honorees who will receive exclusive Riedel Crystal awards.

Congrats to the winners and cheers to all the nominees!

For more information, visit www.TalesoftheCocktail.com.

Spirited Award Categories with Winners in Bold Italics

Best American Cocktail Bar
Criteria: This award recognizes the influence on cocktail trends within the United States and seeks to award the country’s best cocktail bar.

The Clover Club, Brooklyn
Death & Co, NYC
Rickhouse, San Francisco
The Varnish, Los Angeles

World’s Best Hotel Bar
Criteria: The classic ‘American Bar’ played an important role in the history and development of cocktail culture. The judges are looking for hotel bars, which uphold this tradition (but are not necessarily old) and offer five-star service and consistently well made drinks.

Artesian Bar at The Langham, London
The Bar at The Connaught Hotel, London
The Florida Room at The Delano, Florida
The Bar Hemingway at The Ritz, Paris

Best Cocktail Writing
Criteria: Great journalism is one of the best ways to communicate to the general public the value and significance of great cocktails and related products. This award is for any non-book journalism (Magazine, Newspaper, Website, etc) which promotes bars, bartender, or cocktails in general.

CLASS magazine
Gary Regan
Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller
Naren Young

Best New Product
Criteria: This is awarded to what the judges consider to be the best new cocktail ingredient (spirit, liqueur, syrup or juice) or piece of cocktail equipment (muddler, shaker etc.). To qualify products must be on general retail sale in at least three US states.

Celery Bitters, The Bitter Truth
Cocktail Kingdom’s barware
Crème Yvette by Cooper Spirits
Meehan Cocktail Bag by Jim Meehan

Best American Brand Ambassador
Criteria: An award that recognizes the importance of personality in the promotion of drinks brands across America.

Charlotte Voisey, Hendrick’s Gin
Jacques Bezuidenhout, Partida Tequila
Jamie Gordon, Absolut Vodka
Tals Nadari, Bols Genever

World’s Best Drinks Selection
Criteria: A venue stocking an outstanding range of spirits and liqueurs. The judges will favor discernment as well as sheer numbers of bottles stocked.

Artesian Bar at The Langham Hotel, London
Bar Lebensstern in Café Einstein, Berlin
Macao Trading Co, NYC
The Widder Bar, Zurich

American Bartender of the Year
Criteria: From Jerry Thomas onwards, American bartenders have been amongst the most influential on drinks styles and cocktail culture in general. This award seeks to recognize the most influential American bartender today. The winner should be proficient at making all recognized classic drinks and also have created contemporary cocktails, which have been copied by his/her peers.

Eric Alperin, The Varnish
Kenta Goto, Pegu Club
Murray Stenson, Zig Zag Café
Sam Ross, Milk & Honey

Best New Cocktail/Bartending Book
Criteria: The best book published in 2008 regarding cocktails, liquor, bars, bar design or bartending in general. New editions of existing works may also be nominated.

Beachbum Berry Remixed
Gin Compendium by Gaz Regan
MudPuddle Books by Greg Boehm
Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails by Ted Haigh

World’s Best Cocktail Menu
Criteria: The judges seek to reward innovative and thirst inducing cocktail menus. Both the design and content will be considered.

Death & Co, NYC
The Lonsdale, London
Mayahuel, NYC
Rickhouse, San Francisco

International Bartender of the Year
Criteria: The absolute best drinks mixer in the world. The winner must have received international recognition of their work with their own recipes crossing borders to appear on cocktail menus in numerous countries. (US citizens are not excluded.)

Agostino Perrone, The Connaught Hotel, London
Brian Miller, Death & Co, NYC
Salvatore Calabrese, London
Sam Ross, Milk & Honey, NYC

World’s Best New Cocktail Bar
Criteria: Only bars, which opened after 1st March 2009 may be nominated. This award aims to reward new creativity and ideas as well as well executed drinks.

Cure, New Orleans
Dutch Kills, Queens
Mayahuel, NYC
Rickhouse, San Francisco

World’s Best Cocktail Bar
Criteria: Only truly world-class bars will be considered for this illustrious title. Some bars attain worldwide recognition and this award recognizes the very best of the best.

69 Colebrooke Row, London
The Bar at The Merchant Hotel, Belfast
Death & Co, NYC
Quo Vadis, London

Best International Brand Ambassador
Criteria: An award which recognizes the importance of personality in the promotion of drinks brands and their creative use of brand communication to engage the trade and their ability to execute compelling education and seminars. This person will work in an International capacity or in a Country other than the USA.

Angus Winchester, Tanqueray Gin
Dan Warner, Beefeater Gin
Jacob Briars, 42 Below Vodka
John Gakuru, Sagatiba Pura Cachaça

Best Bar Mentor
Criteria: Not everybody who is having an impact on the quality of the cocktails we drink are working behind the bar as bartenders. There are many people who are creating fine bar programs, training the next generation of great bartenders, and playing an active role in designing the bars we all love to drink in. This award is to recognize those individuals who, in their professional life, play a crucial role in raising the quality of bars, bartenders, and cocktails without currently working as a bartender.

Dale DeGroff
Robert Hess
Sasha Petraske
Tony Abou-Ganim

Helen David Lifetime Achievement Award
Criteria: The impact that some people have on the general cocktail community can span over the course of many years. There are individuals who have worked long and hard to change the industry and educate the public. This award is to provide special recognition to these individuals and the wonderful efforts they have undertaken.

Brian Rea
Gary Regan
Murray Stenson
Tony Abou-Ganim

2010 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards Nominees Announced

thirstyinla — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 20:08:59 +0000

The Varnish, nominated for Best American Cocktail Bar. | Photo: ZagatBuzz - Flickr

The nominees for the 2010 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards have been announced, with Los Angeles represented by The Varnish (Best American Cocktail Bar) and its head bartender, Eric Alperin (American Bartender of the Year). New York’s Death and Company made a strong showing, with nominations in the Best American Cocktail Bar, World’s Best Cocktail Menu, International Bartender of the Year, and World’s Best Cocktail Bar categories.

Now in its eighth year, Tales of the Cocktail is an internationally acclaimed festival of cocktails, cuisine and culture taking place in New Orleans July 21-25. From the Tales of the Cocktail website:

The winners will be announced at the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award Ceremony and Dinner on Saturday, July 24, 2010. Congrats and cheers to all the nominees!

For more information, visit www.TalesoftheCocktail.com.

Fellow nominees Eric Alperin (L) and Dan Warner (R). | Photo: Soul Brother Photography for Pernod Ricard

Award Categories with Criteria and Shortlist (in no particular order)

Best American Cocktail Bar
Criteria: This award recognizes the influence on cocktail trends within the United States and seeks to award the country’s best cocktail bar.

The Clover Club, Brooklyn
Death & Co, NYC
Rickhouse, San Francisco
The Varnish, Los Angeles

CLASS magazine
Gary Regan
Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller
Naren Young

Celery Bitters, The Bitter Truth
Cocktail Kingdom’s barware
Crème Yvette by Cooper Spirits
Meehan Cocktail Bag by Jim Meehan

Best American Brand Ambassador
Criteria: An award that recognizes the importance of personality in the promotion of drinks brands across America.

Charlotte Voisey, Hendrick’s Gin
Jacques Bezuidenhout, Partida Tequila
Jamie Gordon, Absolut Vodka
Tals Nadari, Bols Genever

World’s Best Drinks Selection
Criteria: A venue stocking an outstanding range of spirits and liqueurs. The judges will favor discernment as well as sheer numbers of bottles stocked.

Artesian Bar at The Langham Hotel, London
Bar Lebensstern in Café Einstein, Berlin
Macao Trading Co, NYC
The Widder Bar, Zurich

Eric Alperin, The Varnish
Kenta Goto, Pegu Club
Murray Stenson, Zig Zag Café
Sam Ross, Milk & Honey

Beachbum Berry Remixed
Gin Compendium by Gaz Regan
MudPuddle Books by Greg Boehm
Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails by Ted Haigh

World’s Best Cocktail Menu
Criteria: The judges seek to reward innovative and thirst inducing cocktail menus. Both the design and content will be considered.

Death & Co, NYC
The Lonsdale, London
Mayahuel, NYC
Rickhouse, San Francisco

Agostino Perrone, The Connaught Hotel, London
Brian Miller, Death & Co, NYC
Salvatore Calabrese, London
Sam Ross, Milk & Honey, NYC

World’s Best New Cocktail Bar
Criteria: Only bars, which opened after 1st March 2009 may be nominated. This award aims to reward new creativity and ideas as well as well executed drinks.

Cure, New Orleans
Dutch Kills, Queens
Mayahuel, NYC
Rickhouse, San Francisco

69 Colebrooke Row, London
The Bar at The Merchant Hotel, Belfast
Death & Co, NYC
Quo Vadis, London

Angus Winchester, Tanqueray Gin
Dan Warner, Beefeater Gin
Jacob Briars, 42 Below Vodka
John Gakuru, Sagatiba Pura Cachaça

Dale DeGroff
Robert Hess
Sasha Petraske
Tony Abou-Ganim

Brian Rea
Gary Regan
Murray Stenson
Tony Abou-Ganim