Best of the Cocktail Industry Honored at the 5th Annual Spirited Awards™

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Ann Tuennerman
504-948-0511
Ann@TalesoftheCocktail.com

Best of the Cocktail Industry Honored at the 5th Annual Spirited Awards™
Eighteen Awards were handed out during a special awards show at the Mahalia Jackson Theater as part of Tales of the Cocktail® 2011

New Orleans, LA - July 26, 2011 – On July 23 more than 1000 cocktail professionals and enthusiasts gathered at the Mahalia Jackson Theater in New Orleans to celebrate the best of the cocktail industry at Tales of the Cocktail’s 5^th Annual Spirited Awards™. Eighteen mixologists, bars, authors, spirits brands and more received the coveted Riedel Crystal awards in what has become the preeminent cocktail awards show in the world. Sponsored by Pernod Ricard USA, winners were chosen by a group of esteemed judges from the cocktail industry.

“The 2011 Spirited Award winners represent the present and future of our industry,” said Ann Tuennerman, Founder of Tales of the Cocktail®. “I can’t wait to taste the delicious directions they take us next.”

New York’s Employees Only was the only multi-winner from the night winning for World’s Best Cocktail Bar and World’s Best Drinks Selection. Other honorees include New York’s Sam Ross and Kenta Goto tying for American Bartender of the Year, London’s Erik Lorincz winning International Bartender of the Year and Boston’s Drink taking home the award for Best American Cocktail Bar. This 5^th anniversary of the award saw the creation of three new awards with San Francisco’s Rickhouse winning for Best High Volume Cocktail Bar, New York’s Eleven Madison Park winning for Best Restaurant Bar, and San Francisco’s Camper English winning for Best Cocktail Writing. A complete list of winners is at the end of this release.

“We hold our team to the highest standards in the craft of cocktails, service of guests and as men and women. We thank them, tattoos and all, for making this award possible. It is a testament to their hard work that we can be recognized seven years after opening our doors,” said Jason Kosmas and Dushan Zaric, owners of Employees Only. “We are all humbled and honored with the awards we have received at Tales of the Cocktail and are grateful to be part of a such wonderful community of gifted people.”

The awards show took attendees back to the dark days of the spirits industry, the Prohibition Era, with a Boardwalk Empire theme featuring a special performance by Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks. The Spirited Awards will return next year for the 10^th Annual Tales of the Cocktail® scheduled for July 25-29, 2012.

2011 Spirited Award Winners

American Bartender of the Year
Kenta Goto, New York City, New York (Tie)
Sam Ross, New York City, New York (Tie)

Best American Brand Ambassador
Jacques Bezuidenhout, Partida Tequila

Best American Cocktail Bar
Drink, Boston, Massachusetts

Best Bar Mentor
Audrey Saunders, New York City, New York

Best High Volume Cocktail Bar
Rickhouse, San Francisco, California

Best Cocktail Writing - Author
Camper English, San Francisco, California

Best Cocktail Writing - Non Book
Imbibe

Best International Brand Ambassador
Dan Warner, Beefeater Gin

Best New Cocktail/Bartending Book
Punch by David Wondrich

Best New Product
Bank's 5 Island Rum

Best Restaurant Bar
Eleven Madison Park, New York City, New York

International Bartender of the Year
Erik Lorincz, London, England

World’s Best Cocktail Bar
Employees Only, New York City, New York

World’s Best Cocktail Menu
Artesian at The Langham, London, England

World’s Best Drinks Selection
Employees Only, New York City, New York

World’s Best Hotel Bar
The Savoy, London, England

World’s Best New Cocktail Bar
Eau de Vie, Sydney, Australia

About Tales of the Cocktail®
Tales of the Cocktail® is the world’s premier cocktail festival, bringing together the most respected minds in mixology for five days of cocktails, cuisine and culture. Held annually in New Orleans, this event has something for cocktail professionals and amateurs alike with a spirited schedule of seminars, dinners, competitions, parties and special events where brands showcase their latest products. Now in its ninth year, Tales of the Cocktail® returns with another round events all perfectly paired with some of the best cocktails ever made.

About the New Orleans Culinary and Cultural Preservation Society
The New Orleans Culinary and Cultural Preservation Society is a non-profit organization committed to preserving the unique culture of cocktails and cuisine in New Orleans and beyond. Since it’s founding in 2006 the NOCCPS has supported members of the hospitality industry through educational opportunities such as the Flo Woodward Scholarship and the Cocktail Apprentice Scholarship Program as well as the production of events like Tales of the Cocktail®.

For more information on Tales of the Cocktail®, visit www.TalesoftheCocktail.com.

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