2015 Spirited Awards Finalists

Tales of the Cocktail is around the corner, which means everyone is gearing up for the festivities. One of the highlights of the annual event is the Spirited Awards, which honors a variety of industry categories. Last year Imbibe took home the award for Best Cocktail & Spirits Publication, and our Executive Editor, Paul Clarke, was named Best Cocktail & Spirits Writer, and we’re excited to see who comes out on top in those and other categories this year. Selected by a panel of judges from more than 2,000 nominees around the world, here are the top four candidates in each category. Good luck, everyone!

Best Cocktail & Spirits Publication
Difford’s Guide
Liquor.com
Punch Drink
The Cocktail Lovers
2014 winner: Imbibe (United States)

Best Cocktail & Spirits Writer
Dave Broom
Camper English
Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Robert Simonson
2014 winner: Paul Clarke (United States)

Book
Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails by David Kaplan, Nick Fauchald, and Alex Day
Liquid Intelligence: The Art and Science of the Perfect Cocktail by Dave Arnold
The Bar Book by Jeff Morgenthaler
The Old-Fashioned by Robert Simonson
2014 winner: Beachbum Berry’s Potions of the Caribbean by Jeff Berry

Best New Spirits Book (new category)
Sherry by Talia Baiocchi
The Curious Bartender: An Odyssey of Malt Bourbon & Rye Whiskies by Tristan Stephenson
Thinking Drinkers: The Enlightened Imbiber’s Guide to Alcohol by Ben McFarland and Tom Sandham
Whisky: The Manual by Dave Broom

Best American Bar Team
ABV (San Francisco)
Dead Rabbit (New York)
Employees Only (New York)
Williams & Graham (Denver)
2014 winner: Trick Dog (San Francisco)

Best International Bar Team 
28 Hong Kong Street (Singapore)
American Bar at the Savoy Hotel (London)
Black Pearl (Melbourne)
Le Lion Bar de Paris (Hamburg)
2014 winner: Artesian at the Langham (London)

Best American Brand Ambassador
Brooke Arthur (House Spirits)
Colin Asare-Appiah (Bacardi)
Jamie Gordon (Absolut Elyx)
Chris Patino (Pernod-Ricard)
2014 winner: Neyah White (Suntory Japanese Whiskies)

Best International Brand Ambassador
Ian Burrell (Global Rum)
Dean Callan (Monkey Shoulder)
George Nemec (Becherovka)
Claire Smith-Warner (Belvedere Vodka)
2014 winner: Giuseppe Gallo (Martini)

Best American High Volume Cocktail Bar
Employees Only (New York)
Flatiron Lounge (New York)
Harvard & Stone (Los Angeles)
Honeycut (Los Angeles)
2014 winner: Polite Provisions (San Diego)

Best International High Volume Cocktail Bar
Callooh Callay (London)
Eau de Vie (Melbourne)
The Black Pearl/The Attic (Melbourne)
Trailer Happiness (London)
2014 winner: Schumann’s Bar (Munich)

Best American Cocktail Bar
Prizefighter (Emeryville)
Smuggler’s Cove (San Francisco)
Trick Dog (San Francisco)
Williams & Graham (Denver)
2014 winner: The Dead Rabbit (New York)

Best International Cocktail Bar
Artesian (London)
Candelaria (Paris)
Happiness Forgets (London)
White Lyan (London)
2014 winner: 28 HongKong Street (Singapore)

American Bartender of the Year
Chris Hannah (New Orleans)
Bobby Heugel (Houston)
Ivy Mix (New York)
Jeffrey Morgenthaler (Portland)
2014 winner: Sean Kenyon (Denver)

International Bartender of the Year
Marian Beke (London)
Ryan Chetiyawardana (London)
Zdenek Kastanek (Singapore)
Hidetsugu Ueno (Tokyo)
2014 winner: Simone Caporale (London)

Best American Hotel Bar
Sable Kitchen and Bar (Chicago)
Spare Room (Los Angeles)
The Broken Shaker (Miami Beach)
The Hawthorne (Boston)
2014 winner: Clyde Common (Portland)

Best International Hotel Bar
American Bar, The Savoy (London)
Beaufort Bar, The Savoy (London)
The Punch Room, The Edition Hotel (London)
Zetter Townhouse (London)
2014 winner: Artesian at the Langham (London)

Best American Restaurant Bar
Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks (Boston)
Gramercy Tavern (New York)
Nopa (San Francisco)
The Rieger Hotel Grill and Exchange (Kansas City)
2014 winner: The NoMad (New York)

Best International Restaurant Bar
Blind Pig at Social Eating House (London)
Hawksmoor Spitalfields (London)
Tippling Club (Singapore)
Zuma (Dubai)
2014 winner: The Bon Vivant (Edinburgh)

Best New American Cocktail Bar
ABV (San Francisco)
Julep (Houston)
Latitude 29 (New Orleans)
The NoMad Bar (New York)
2014 winner: Three Dots and A Dash (Chicago)

Best New International Cocktail Bar
Bar Termini (London)
Dandelyan (London)
Le Syndicat Cocktail Club (Paris)
The Clumsies (Athens)
2014 winner: White Lyan (London)

Best Bar Mentor
Bridget Albert (Chicago)
Francesco Lafranconi (Las Vegas)
Jim Meehan (Portland)
Angus Winchester (God knows)
2014 winner: Dushan Zaric

World’s Best Cocktail Menu 
Artesian (London)
Beaufort Bar at the Savoy (London)
Dead Rabbit (New York)
Trick Dog (San Francisco)
2014 winner: The Aviary (Chicago)

Best New Spirit or Cocktail Ingredient
Amaro  di Angostura
J. Rieger & Co. Kansas City Whiskey
Mister Katz’s Rock and Rye
Suze Bitters
2014 winner: Del Maguey Ibérico mezcal

World’s Best Spirits Collection (new category)
Multnomah Whiskey Library (Portland)
The Baxter Inn (Sydney)
Tommy’s (San Francisco)
Canon (Seattle)