Update (6/19): The top 4 finalists in each category have been announced, and three LA bars made it to the next round. Both Harvard & Stone and Honeycut are finalists for Best American High Volume Cocktail Bar, while The Spare Room made the cut for Best American Hotel Bar. Winners will be announced on July 18.
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Tales of the Cocktail's Spirited Awards is back for its ninth year of celebrating the world's best bars, bartenders and spirits, and recently announced its 2015 shortlist, choosing 10 finalists in 24 categories. New York, of course, dominated, as did Chicago and London, but Los Angeles did receive nods in a few categories. Sure, some of them are repeats from previous years—The Varnish will forever be attached to igniting LA's cocktail scene—but there are a few newcomers to the list as well.
Harvard and Stone is a finalist in the Best American High Volume Cocktail Bar category—it would have been a shock if none of the Houston Hospitality establishments were included—along with Honeycut, which has garnered considerable attention this year for its unique Wine Rave events. Ace Hotel Downtown is on the list for Best American Hotel Bar, as is Spare Room. Three LA restaurants are finalists for Best American Restaurant Bar: Bestia, Eveleigh and Scopa Italian Roots. For Best American Cocktail Bar, The Varnish, of course, has been nominated, but I'm even more excited about the Best New American Cocktail Bar category, which included Koreatown's The Normandie Club as one of the finalists.
Perhaps most impressive is that Scopa Italian Roots has also been nominated for World's Best Spirits Collection. World's best, guys. That's a lot of spirits.
Noticeably missing is a LA nominee for American Bartender of the Year. Might I suggest Julian Cox, who continues to have his hand in what seems like every other restaurant bar; or Jason Eisner, whose inventive cocktails at Gracias Madre are killing it right now; or Michael Lay, whose cocktails at Faith & Flower—particularly the English Milk Punch—are accruing cult status? Just a thought.
Tales of the Cocktail will announce the final four in each category on June 16, and the winners will be announced on July 18 as part of the 13th annual Tales of the Cocktail. Stay tuned to see who makes the final cut!
Check out the full list of nominees here.