The Tales of the Cocktail Foundation has announced the international nominees for the 2022 Spirited Awards, with seven Australian-based finalists vying for titles.
This year marks the 16th edition of the Spirited Awards, which was founded in 2007 to ‘spotlight a range of talent from bartenders, journalists, and brand ambassadors, to brands and media, to ensure each aspect of the industry is well represented and recognised for its contributions.’
The flagship award of International Bartender of the Year is being contested by both Luke Whearty from BYRDI in Melbourne, and Matt Whiley from Sydney’s RE bar. RE is also up for Best New International Cocktail Bar, as is Dean & Nancy on 22, while Newtown venue Continental Deli is in the mix for Best International Restaurant Bar.
Dean & Nancy on 22’s sibling bar, Maybe Sammy, is in contention for two awards: Best International Bar Team and Best International Cocktail Bar.
This latest nomination comes after Maybe Sammy was deemed the best bar in Australasia for the second year running by the World’s 50 Best Bars.
Maybe Sammy Co-Founder, Martin Hudák, told The Shout how the bar team had reacted.
“We couldn’t be happier the Maybe Sammy team has been shortlisted for these awards. It’s very humbling to be recognised for the hard work the whole team puts in and we feel honoured to be included alongside some of our favourite bars.”
The list makes for happy reading for Hudák, as he has also been nominated for the Best International Brand Ambassador award, for his work for Mr Black Spirits.
Jaco Briars, Spirited Awards International Chair, believes the awards are a fitting tribute for an industry that has endured so much in recent times.
“It’s been a challenging couple of years for bars and restaurants, but these nominees are a reflection of the strong spirit of our industry in spite of challenges – bold new openings, bars and bartenders who continue to strive for excellence, and a whole lot of hard-working staff who deserve amazing recognition and our support.”
“As our world opens up again, these nominees should be at the top of your list when deciding where to go next and what to drink there,” Briars said.
The top four finalists in each category will be announced publicly on June 21. The Tales of the Cocktail Foundation will announce eventually winners at its conference, returning as an in-person event for 2022 – the conference’s 20th anniversary. The event will be held from July 25 to 29.
The full list of international finalists involving Australian venues and staff is as follows:
International Bartender of the Year presented by Patrón
- Moe Aljaff — Two Schmucks, Barcelona, Spain
- Lorenzo Antinori — ARGO / Four Seasons Hotel & Resorts, Hong Kong, China
- Giorgio Bargiani — The Connaught Bar, London, UK
- Kate Boushel — Atwater Cocktail Club / Milky Way Cocktail Bar, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- James Grant — Little HK, Edmonton, Canada
- Keith Motsi — Charles H. Seoul at the Four Seasons Hotel, Seoul, South Korea
- Rémy Savage — A Bar with Shapes for a Name, London, UK
- Daniel Schofield — SCHOFIELD’S BAR, Manchester, UK
- Ezra Star — Mostly Harmless, Hong Kong, China
- Luke Whearty — BYRDI, Melbourne, Australia
- Matt Whiley — RE, Sydney, Australia
Best International Brand Ambassador presented by Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic
- Jenna Ba — Diageo
- Claudia Cabrera — Fratelli Branca
- Irene Díaz — Ron Diplomático
- Martin Hudák — Mr Black Spirits
- Daniyel Jones — House of Angostura
- Ally Martin — Hendrick’s Gin
- Dave Mitton — Lot No. 40 / J.P. Wiser’s
- Ricardo Nava — Bacardí Latin America
- Tim Phillips-Johansson — Johnnie Walker
- Nicola Riske — The Macallan
Best International Bar Team presented by House of Angostura
- ALQUÍMICO — Cartagena, Colombia
- Atwater Cocktail Club — Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Jigger & Pony at the Amara Hotel — Singapore
- La Factoría — San Juan, Puerto Rico
- MAYBE SAMMY — Sydney, Australia
- Salmon Guru — Madrid, Spain
- Tayēr + Elementary — London, UK
- The Clumsies — Athens, Greece
- Tres Monos — Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Two Schmucks — Barcelona, Spain
Best International Cocktail Bar presented by Tequila Fortaleza
- ALQUIMICO — Cartagena, Colombia
- Atwater Cocktail Club — Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Cause Effect Cocktail Kitchen & Cape Brandy Bar — Cape Town, South Africa
- COA — Hong Kong, China
- Florería Atlántico — Buenos Aires, Argentina
- MAYBE SAMMY — Sydney, Australia
- Paradiso — Barcelona, Spain
- Salmon Guru — Madrid, Spain
- Satan’s Whiskers — London, UK
- Tayēr + Elementary — London, UK
- Three Sheets — London, UK
- Two Schmucks — Barcelona, Spain
*Includes 12 nominees due to a tie
Best International Restaurant Bar presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation
- Bar Kismet — Halifax, NS, Canada
- Caffe Fernet — Singapore
- Danico — Paris, France
- Le Mary Celeste — Paris, France
- Locale Firenze — Florence, Italy
- LPM Restaurant & Bar — Dubai, UAE
- Pujol — Mexico City, Mexico
- Sexy Fish — London, UK
- The Continental Deli — Newtown, Australia
- Tjoget — Stockholm, Sweden
- Zuma Dubai — Dubai, UAE
*Includes 11 nominees due to a tie
Best New International Cocktail Bar presented by Stranger & Sons
- 🔶🟥🔵 A Bar with Shapes for a Name — London, UK
- Amaro Bar — London, UK
- ARGO — Hong Kong, China
- Dead End Paradise — Beirut, Lebanon
- DEAN & NANCY — Sydney, Australia
- RE — Sydney, Australia
- Schofield’s Bar — Manchester, UK
- Side Hustle at the NoMad — London, UK
- SIPS — Barcelona, Spain
- Wax On — Berlin, Germany