Nominations for Tales of the Cocktail’s awards programme open for 2015.
It’s that time of year when we say ‘it’s that time of year’ again…
Yes, Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards have opened their doors for nominations. If you think a particular bar, bartender, brand ambassador or new product deserves some love, now is the time to nominate them.
You need to act reasonably quickly, as the nomination process closes on April 30th.
A single nomination is enough for a nominee to be considered by the judging committees, but don’t assume someone else will do it, because they are probably procrastinating too.
Once you have decided who / what you want to submit, you can fill out a form, which is marginally less frustrating than the Russian Visa Website, here:
http://spiritedawards.talesofthecocktail.com/nominations/
List of available categories
American & International Categories
Best American/International Bar Team
From a tandem of two dynamic tenders who bring a unique, compelling chemistry to their small bar to the larger troupes that orchestrate the theater of a high-volume craft experiences, it is teamwork that often makes the difference in a world-class bar. This award recognizes the best collection of talent working in a bar today, including bartenders, barbacks, servers and front of house. Judges will look for those qualities that collectively contribute to the overall success of the bar, including professionalism, dedication, hospitality, consistency of service and high quality cocktails. To be considered for this category, nominees must have opened by March 31, 2014.
American/International Bartender of the Year
This award recognizes the bartenders that have had the most influence on drinks styles and cocktail culture this year. The winner should be innovative, experienced, personable and possess extensive technical and practical skills and knowledge. The winner must have received national/international recognition of their work with their own recipes crossing borders to appear on cocktail menus in other areas. Nominees must be regularly working behind the bar. This award is not based on nationality but rather the location where the bartender works.
Best American/International Brand Ambassador
This award recognizes the importance of personality in the promotion of drink brands and their creative use of brand communication to engage the trade and their ability to execute compelling education and seminars. This person must be working as a full-time Brand Ambassador with a primary focus on education on the trade and excludes any Brand Executives.
Best American/International Cocktail Bar
This award recognizes the bars that set the highest of standards and influences cocktail trends and seeks to award the best cocktail bar both international and in the United States. Menu, bar teams, atmosphere and cocktail quality are all considered. To be considered for this category, nominees must have opened by March 31, 2014 and must be a free standing bar.
Note: For those bars that qualify for Best American/International Cocktail Bar, Restaurant Bar and Hotel Bar will only considered for final ten and final four in one of the above categories. In case of ambiguity, the judging panel reserves the right to decide which category is the most appropriate.
Best American/International High Volume Cocktail Bar
This award recognizes the bar that consistently delivers top quality cocktails at bars with a capacity of 100 people or more. This award celebrates the bars that deliver cocktail culture to the masses efficiently. Cocktails, menus, bartending and service are all considered. To be considered for this category, nominees must have opened by March 31, 2014.
Best American/International Hotel Bar
The classic hotel bar has played an important role in the history and development of cocktail culture. The award recognizes the hotel bars that uphold this tradition (but are not necessarily old) and offer five-star service and consistently well-made drinks in a comfortable setting. The ability to cater to an International guest is also considered. To be considered for this category, nominees must have opened by March 31, 2014.
Note: For those bars that qualify for Best American/International Cocktail Bar, Restaurant Bar and Hotel Bar will only considered for final ten and final four in one of the above categories. In case of ambiguity, the judging panel reserves the right to decide which category is the most appropriate.
Best American/International Restaurant Bar
This award recognizes the restaurant bar that is dedicated to creating a great cocktail experience for their dining guests. Considerations will go to the approach they have to aperitif and digestive drinks, how well they work with the kitchen to pair cocktails with food, as well as general bartending and mixing excellence. It is important that the primary business of the restaurant is food and wine and that it is a restaurant has been given high ratings as such. To be considered for this category, nominees must have opened by March 31, 2014.
Note: For those bars that qualify for Best American/International Cocktail Bar, Restaurant Bar and Hotel Bar will only considered for final ten and final four in one of the above categories. In case of ambiguity, the judging panel reserves the right to decide which category is the most appropriate.
Best New American/International Cocktail Bar
New bars are constantly opening and this award aims to reward those bars that make an immediate impact on cocktail culture and set new high standards for the industry. This award recognizes creativity, décor and service as well as well-executed drinks. Only bars that opened between April 1, 2014 and March 31, 2015 will be eligible for this award.
Writing Categories
Best Cocktail & Spirits Publication
This award recognizes the outstanding non-book journalism (Magazine, Newspaper, Website, etc) that features bars, bartender, cocktails, spirit reviews and drink trends in the industry. Judges will not only look at content but also at presentation, photography and collection of writers. To be considered for this award, a sample must be attached.
Best Cocktail & Spirits Writer
Great journalism is one of the best ways to communicate to the general public the value and significance of great bars, bartenders, cocktails and related products. This award recognizes an outstanding author that highlights bars, bartender, cocktails, spirit reviews and drink trends in the industry. To be considered for this award, a writing sample must be attached.
Best New Cocktail/Bartending Book
This award recognizes the best book published in the past year regarding cocktails, bars, bar design or bartending in general. New editions of existing works may also be nominated. To be considered for this award, the book must have been published between April 1, 2014 and March 31, 2015.
Note: A book can only be nominated one of these categories (Best New Cocktail/Bartending Book or Best New Spirits Book). In case of ambiguity, the judging panel reserves the right to decide which category is the most appropriate.
Best New Spirits Book
This award recognizes the best book published in past year regarding spirits or other things widely accepted as cocktail ingredients. New editions of existing works may also be nominated. To be considered for this award, the book must have been published between April 1, 2014 and March 31, 2015.
Note: A book can only be nominated one of these categories (Best New Cocktail/Bartending Book or Best New Spirits Book). In case of ambiguity, the judging panel reserves the right to decide which category is the most appropriate.
Overall Categories
Best Bar Mentor
Not everybody who is having an impact on the quality of cocktails works behind the bar as bartenders. There are many people who are creating outstanding bar programs, training the next generation of great bartenders, and playing an active role in designing the bars that we all love to drink in. This award recognizes those individuals who, in their professional life, play a crucial role in raising the quality of bars, bartenders, and cocktails without currently working as a bartender. The winner of this award is also someone who has inspired many others in this industry.
Best New Spirit or Cocktail Ingredient
This award recognizes the item that has made the most significant impact on the cocktail and bar industry in the past year. Up for consideration are cocktail ingredients (spirit, liqueur, tonic, bitters, syrup or garnish) that bartenders might use at home or at their bar for improved cocktail service. To be considered for this award, products must have been launched between April 1, 2014 and March 31, 2015 and must be available for purchase.
World’s Best Cocktail Menu
A comprehensive menu is the best way for a bar to communicate it’s capabilities to the guest and to show their creativity and individuality. Based on the physical menu itself, the judges will consider design, content (range of spirits and specialty cocktails), originality, diversity, research and styles of cocktails presented. To be considered for this award, a PDF or JPEG copy of the menu should be attached.
World’s Best Spirits Selection
This award recognizes a venue that stocks an outstanding range of spirits. The judges will favor comprehensiveness, discernment and extraordinary dedication to a particular spirit and take staff knowledge, sheer number of bottles stocked and specialty, rare and vintage selections into account in making their decision. To be considered for this award, a PDF or JPEG copy of the spirits selection should be attached.
Any person or establishment that won an award at last year’s Spirited Awards® is not eligible for nomination in the category for which it won. Also, no person or establishment can win an award more than twice in the same category.