Helmsman backs bartender mentors at Spirited Awards
New York-based Helmsman Imports is co-presenting three categories at Tales of the Cocktail Foundation’s (TOTCF) 2026 Spirited Awards ceremony this evening (23 July).
Helmsman has chosen to sponsor three categories based on mentorships and founder-led brands.
The importer will co-present awards for Best Bartender Mentor in the US and international categories, and Best New Spirit or Cocktail Ingredient.
The winners in each category of the 2026 Spirited Awards, the 20th edition of the event, will be announced today at The Fillmore in New Orleans.
This follows a judging process that narrowed a global nominee pool down to 10 regional honorees and then to four finalists for each category.
Charlotte Voisey, executive director of TOTCF, said: “It is fitting that a company built by founders who know firsthand what it takes to bring a brand to life is standing behind our Best Bartender Mentor categories this milestone year. We’re thankful for their partnership and look forward to celebrating together in New Orleans.”
Helmsman identifies as ‘the founder’s importer’. This model is based on the belief that operators who have successfully built and managed a brand are better equipped to support new entrants than importers who lack firsthand experience in launching a brand and navigating its unique challenges.
Founder and CEO Jeff Diego launched five spirits brands before founding Helmsman in New York, including Casa Malka Tequila. He sees bartenders as the last link in the chain to raise brands’ awareness among consumers.
“Mentorship is not a side interest for us; it is the model,” Diego explained. “The bartenders training the next generation instead of guarding what they know are the reason this industry gets better every year. Backing both the US and international mentor categories was the easy call.”
The third co-presented category, Best New Spirit or Cocktail Ingredient, showcases Helmsman’s dedication to industry innovation.
Janzen Eagler, Helmsman’s chief strategy officer with experience as a co-founder of a spirits brand, emphasised that this category aligns perfectly with Helmsman’s goal of helping both international and domestic brands scale efficiently.
“While conventional wisdom holds that only brands entering the US from abroad need a US importer, domestically produced brands hit the same complex web of compliance, registration, and distributor-chargeback workloads once they scale past a certain number of states,” Eagler said.
“By supporting Best New Spirit or Cocktail Ingredient, we are championing the operational endurance required to bring groundbreaking spirits to market, regardless of where they are distilled.”
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