Two Australian bartenders have made the Top Ten International Bartender of the Year list, part of the 16th annual Spirited Awards.

Luke Whearty from Byrdi’s Melbourne and Matt Whiley from RE in Sydney are competing with another eight bartenders from around the world (excluding the US). Maybe Sammy made two Top Ten nominations lists, for Best International Bar Team and Cocktail Bar, while Newtown’s The Continental Deli made the list for Best International Restaurant Bar. Sydney newcomers, RE and DEAN & NANCY, both made an appearance on the top ten list for Best International New Cocktail Bar.

Campari’s new Creative Director, Monica Berg, has been named one of the top ten Best International Bar Mentors.

The Top 10 Nominees lists for the 16th annual Spirited Awards were released overnight and have become one of the industry’s most sought-after awards, recognising beverage professionals, products, and establishments across every facet of the spirits and cocktail community on a global scale.

The Tales of the Cocktail winners will be announced at its international conference which is returning as an in-person celebration in New Orleans from July 25-29, 2022.

Jacob Briars, Spirited Awards International Chair, said, “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,” said. “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.”

The Spirited Awards are presented by the Tales of the Cocktail Fondation.

2022 Spirited Awards Top 10 Nominees (in alphabetical order):

INTERNATIONAL CATEGORIES

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 Bar Mentor presented by Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic
  • Monica Berg (right)
  • Arijit Bose
  • Simone Caporale
  • Renato "Tato" Giovannoni
  • Tim Etherington Judge
  • Trevor Kallies
  • Dre Masso
  • Lauren Mote
  • Danil Nevsky
  • Agostino Perrone
  • Christina Veira
  • Camille Vidal

*Includes 12 nominees due to a tie

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 — Pernod Ricard
  • 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 (right)
  • 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

GLOBAL CATEGORIES

Best New Spirit or Cocktail Ingredient presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation

  • Abasolo Ancestral Corn Whisky
  • ANGOSTURA® cocoa bitters
  • Citadelle Gin Jardin d’été
  • Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal Vida de Muertos
  • Equiano Light Rum
  • Fever-Tree Sparkling Lime & Yuzu 
  • Fever-Tree Sparkling Pink Grapefruit 
  • Hendrick's Lunar Gin
  • Lyre's Non-Alcoholic - Italian Orange 
  • Nixta Licor de Elote
  • Lost Irish
  • Ojo de Tigre Mezcal Artesanal
  • SAVOIA Americano

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