Good luck to Baxter Inn in the 2018 Spirited Awards!

Sydney's Baxter Inn has made it to the final four for the Best International High Volume Cocktail Bar category at the 12th Annual Spirited Awards.

It was the only Aussie establishment to score a spot, although Melbourne's Black Pearl and Sydney's Bulletin Place made it to the top 10 in the International categories, and Black Pearl's Chris Hysted-Adams made it to the top 10 for International Bartender of the Year. 

Black Pearl took out Best International Cocktail Bar at last year’s Spirited Awards.

“Yet again we see the continued vibrancy of the cocktail world come into focus with this great, varied list of finalists,” said Jacob Briars, International Spirited Awards Chair. “This shows the strength of the bar scene, and the people who make it, in America and around the world. It was a tough task for our many judges to make this list, but I’m sure they would agree, as these lists show, there has never been a better time to enjoy cocktails around the world than right now.”

Since their debut in 2007, the Spirited Awards have recognised the best and brightest in the cocktail and spirits industries. The award categories stretch from bartenders and brand ambassadors to bars and writers in order to ensure that every aspect of the industry receives recognition for its contributions.

Each year, a panel of more than 140 industry experts, led by Charlotte Voisey (Spirited Awards Chairperson), Jacob Briars (International Spirited Awards Chair), Paul Clarke (Writing Chair), Bridget Albert and Kiowa Bryan (US Judging Chairs), and Daniyel Jones, Lauren Mote, Claire Warner, Giuseppe Gallo, Micaela Piccolo, Zdenek Kastanek, Kurt Schlechter and Rebecca Sturt (International Judging Chairs) take part in a month-long voting process to choose their picks for Awards finalists.

These votes are then reviewed and tallied up by Advisory Committee Members to determine the top finalists in each category.

“These finalists are representative of the best and brightest in our industry and it’s incredible to see their accomplishments recognised,” said Neal Bodenheimer, Board Member of Tales of the Cocktail Foundation. “We look forward to welcoming them to New Orleans and celebrating their contributions to the industry.”

The Spirited Awards recipients will be announced at the Spirited Awards on July 21 at the iconic Orpheum Theatre in New Orleans.

The Baxter Inn will be up against London's Callooh Callay, San Juan's La Factoria and Athens' The Clumsies for the award.

Best of luck!