Tales of the Cocktail, taking place virtually this week, announced the first batch 2020 Spirited Awards on Sept 21. Founded in 2007, the Spirited Awards celebrate beverage professionals, products, and establishments across all facets of the global spirits and cocktail community and are typically announced at the drink convention in New Orleans every July.

A panel of respected bartenders, bar owners, educators and writers from around the world serve as judges for the competition. Here’s a list of the winners so far; the rest will be announced on Sept. 24, 2020, during the digital Spirited Awards ceremony.

AMERICAN CATEGORIES

• Best American Bar Team (presented by William Grant & Sons)

Café La Trova — Miami, FL

• Best American Brand Ambassador (presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation)

Robin Nance — Beam Suntory 

• Best American Cocktail Bar (presented by Pernod Ricard)

Pacific Cocktail Haven — San Francisco, CA

• Best American High Volume Cocktail Bar (presented by Diageo Bar Academy)

ABV — San Francisco, CA

• Best American Hotel Bar presented by (Diageo Bar Academy)

The Spare Room at The Hollywood Roosevelt — Los Angeles, CA

• Best American Restaurant Bar (presented by Woodford Reserve) 

The Silver Dollar — Louisville, KY

• Best New American Cocktail Bar (presented by Elijah Craig)

Silver Lyan — Washington, D.C.

INTERNATIONAL CATEGORIES

• Best International Bar Team (presented by House of Angostura) 

The Connaught Bar — London, U.K.

• Best International Brand Ambassador (presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation

Camille Austin — Casa Lumbre Spirits

• Best International Cocktail Bar (presented by Tequila Fortaleza)

Native — Singapore

• Best International High Volume Cocktail Bar presented by Beam Suntory)

Licorería Limantour — Mexico City, Mexico

• Best International Hotel Bar (presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation) 

Scarfes Bar at the Rosewood Hotel — London, U.K.

• Best International Restaurant Bar (presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation)

Sober Company — Shanghai, China

• Best New International Cocktail Bar (presented by Perrier)

Kwānt — London, U.K.

WRITING & MEDIA CATEGORIES

• Best Cocktail & Spirits Publication (presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation)

Half Full

• Best Cocktail & Spirits Writing (presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation)

“JaNee: Where is She Now” by Aaron Goldfarb for PUNCH

• Best New Cocktail or Bartending Book (presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation)

The Martini Cocktail: A Meditation on the World’s Greatest Drink, with Recipes by Robert Simonson

• Best New Book on Drinks Culture, History or Spirits (presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation)

Last Call: Bartenders on Their Final Drink and the Wisdom and Rituals of Closing Time by Brad Thomas Parsons

• Best Broadcast, Podcast or Online Video Series (presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation)

WhiskyCast

GLOBAL CATEGORIES

• Best New Spirit or Cocktail Ingredient (presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation)

Tequila Fortaleza Winter Blend 2019

• World’s Best Cocktail Menu (presented by Perrier)

ATLAS Bar — Singapore

• World’s Best Spirits Selection (presented by Beam Suntory)

Amor Y Amargo – New York, NY

Spirited Awards Chairs:

Below is a list of Spirited Awards Chairs responsible for overseeing the judging process this year:

Overall Chair — Charlotte Voisey
International Chair — Jacob Briars
Central U.S. Co-Chairs —  Bridget Albert, Shaun Traxler
West U.S. Co-Chairs — Kiowa Bryan, Mary Palac
East U.S. Co-Chairs — Laura Cullen, Andy Seymour
Europe Co-Chairs — Guiseppe Gallo, Claire Warner
Canada Co-Chairs — Evelyn Chick, Lauren Mote
Middle East & Africa Co-Chairs — Richard Irwin, Stephanie Simbo
Latin America & Caribbean Co-Chairs — Camille Austin, Tato Giovannini
Asia Pacific Co-Chair — Hayley Morison
Writing & Media Co-Chairs — Paul Clarke, Sandrea Lawrence, Francois Monti, Matthew Rowley