Spirited Awards selects US finalists
Tales of the Cocktail Foundation (TOTCF) has whittled the regional US nominees for this year’s Spirited Awards down to national top 10s.
The Spirited Awards will take place on 23 July, during the 24th Tales of the Cocktail (TOTC) festival (19-24 July).
The Spirited Awards are divided into geographical regions, with the US being divided into Central, East, and West. The top 10 nominees for each region, which were announced in April, have now been pitted against one another.
“The magic of cocktail culture has never just lived in what’s in the glass – it lives in the people, the stories, and the hospitality that stay with us long after the last sip,” said Tiffanie Barriere, Spirited Awards’ US chair. “This year’s nominees embody the passion, creativity, and cultural influence that continue to shape how the world gathers, celebrates, and connects.”
This year’s US co-chairs were Amanda Carto and Erika Flowers for the Central region; Vance Henderson and Jaymee Mandeville for the East; and Nick Amano Dolan and Mary Allison Wright for the West.
Below is the full list of the top 10 finalists across the US for the Spirited Awards 2026.
US Bartender of the Year presented by Brown-Forman
- Eric Bennett – Continental Drift, Birmingham, AL
- Linda Douglas – Donna’s, Los Angeles, CA
- Andrea Grujic – Sip & Guzzle, New York, NY
- Juliette Larrouy – Schmuck, New York, NY
- Libby Lingua – Highball, Phoenix, AZ
- Daddy Long Legs – Hawksmoor, Chicago, IL
- Shammai Mading – Superbueno, New York, NY
- Steve Schneider – Sip & Guzzle, New York, NY
- Takuma Watanabe – Martiny’s, L’Americana and Midnight Blue, New York, NY
- J’Nai Angelle Williams – Chandelier Bar at the Four Seasons, New Orleans, LA
Best US Bar Mentor
- Steva Casey
- Meaghan Dorman
- Kate Gerwin
- Iain Griffiths
- Amanda Gunderson and Travis Nass
- Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Jiménez
- Anne Louise Marquis
- Jeffrey Morgenthaler
- LP O’Brien
- Christine Wiseman
Best US Brand Ambassador
- Erik Andersson – Hendrick’s Gin
- Joe Brooke – Fords Gin
- Kiowa Bryan – Saint Benevolence
- Tad Carducci – Gruppo Montenegro
- Benny Hurwitz – Campari American whiskies
- Alexander ‘Zan’ Kong – Worthy Park Estate
- Jessi Lorraine – Old Forester
- Mary Palac – Campari Mexican spirits
- Cesar Sandoval – Casa Lumbre Spirits
- Erin Schaeferle – Mr Black Coffee Liqueur
Best US Bar Team presented by William Grant & Sons
- Bar Snack – New York, NY
- Cobra – Columbus, OH
- Highball – Phoenix, AZ
- Lady Jane – Denver, CO
- Nickel City – Austin, TX
- Pacific Cocktail Haven – San Francisco, CA
- Service Bar – Washington, DC
- Sip & Guzzle – New York, NY
- Superbueno – New York, NY
- Yacht Club – Denver, CO
Best US Cocktail Bar
- Bar Snack – New York, NY
- Best Intentions – Chicago, IL
- Double Chicken Please – New York, NY
- Martiny’s – New York, NY
- Overstory – New York, NY
- Service Bar – Washington, DC
- Sip & Guzzle – New York, NY
- Superbueno – New York, NY
- Thunderbolt – Los Angeles, CA
- True Laurel – San Francisco, CA
Best US Hotel Bar
- Carousel Bar & Lounge at Hotel Monteleone – New Orleans, LA
- Champagne Bar at the Four Seasons Surf Club – Miami, FL
- Chandelier Bar at the Four Seasons New Orleans – New Orleans, LA
- Dear Irving on Hudson at the Aliz Hotel – New York, NY
- Midnight Rambler at The Joule – Dallas, TX
- Raines Law Room at the William – New York, NY
- The Manor Bar at the Rosewood Miramar Beach – Montecito, CA
- The Sazerac Bar at The Roosevelt New Orleans – New Orleans, LA
- ViceVersa at the Elser Hotel – Miami, FL
- White Limozeen at The Graduate – Nashville, TN
Best US Restaurant Bar
- Amazonia – Washington, DC
- Arnaud’s French 75 Bar – New Orleans, LA
- Bar Madonna – Brooklyn, NY
- Cobra – Columbus, OH
- Daisies – Chicago, IL
- Hungry Eyes – New Orleans, LA
- Kimball House – Decatur, GA
- Mírate – Los Angeles, CA
- Sunny’s Steakhouse – Miami, FL
- Viridian – Oakland, CA
Best New US Cocktail Bar
- Daisy Margarita Bar – Los Angeles, CA
- Dolores – Brooklyn, NY
- Donna’s – Houston, TX
- Eleven11 – Nashville, TN
- Junebug – New Orleans, LA
- Rougarou – Denver, CO
- Schmuck – New York, NY
- Semiprecious – Denver, CO
- The Peach Crease Club – Denver, CO
- Vandell – Los Angeles, CA
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