2015 Spirited Awards Announced at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans

     The winners of the ninth annual Spirited Awards were announced Saturday night (July 18), concluding the Tales of the Cocktail conference in the French Quarter. The world's best bars, bartenders, brands and drinks writers were honored in 24 separate categories. See the complete list of Spirited Awards winners below.

     These are the annual winners that are chosen by the members of the panel of industry professionals.   Congratulations to all of the winners and those who were nominated as well.

AMERICAN CATEGORIES

• American Bartender of the Year: Ivy Mix (Brooklyn)
• Best American Bar Team: Employees Only (New York)
• Best American Brand Ambassador: Brooke Arthur (House Spirits)
• Best American Cocktail Bar: Williams & Graham (Denver)
• Best American High Volume Cocktail Bar: Employees Only (New York)
• Best American Hotel Bar: The Broken Shaker (Miami Beach)
• Best American Restaurant Bar: Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks    (Boston)
• Best New American Cocktail Bar: ABV (San Francisco)

INTERNATIONAL CATEGORIES

• International Bartender of the Year: Ryan Chetiyawardana    (London)
• Best International Bar Team: 28 Hong Kong Street (Singapore)
• Best International Brand Ambassador: Claire Smith-Warner (Belvedere Vodka)
• Best International Cocktail Bar: The Artesian (London)
• Best International High Volume Cocktail Bar: The Black Pearl & The Attic (Melbourne)
• Best International Hotel Bar: The Beaufort Bar, The Savoy (London)
• Best International Restaurant Bar: The Blind Pig at Social Eating House (London)
• Best New International Cocktail Bar: Dandelyan (London)

WRITING

• Best Cocktail & Spirits Publication: PUNCH (United States)
• Best Cocktail & Spirits Writer: Dave Broom (United States)
• Best New Cocktail Book: "Liquid Intelligence: The Art & Science of the Perfect Cocktail," by Dave Arnold
• Best New Spirits Book: "Whisky, the Manual," by Dave Broom

OVERALL CATEGORIES

• Best Bar Mentor: Jim Meehan
• Best New Spirit or Cocktail Ingredient: Amaro di Angostura
• World's Best Cocktail Menu: The Dead Rabbit (New York)
• World's Best Spirits Selection: Canon (Seattle)
• Helen David Lifetime Achievement Award: Jonathan Downey