Australian bars were overlooked at the 2009 Tales of the Cocktail awards held in New Orleans at the popular cocktail festival last week. Last year, Melbourne’s 1806 was honoured with the prize for the World’s Best Cocktail List but this year it was pipped by The Merchant Hotel of Belfast in Northern Ireland. This hotel also scored gongs for Best Hotel Bar and Best Drinks Selection.
Other award winner’s included multi-award winning New York City cocktail lounge PDT, which was named World’s Best Cocktail Bar with co-owner Jim Meehan named American Bartender of the Year. PDT is located at 113 St. Marks Place in Manhattan, near First Avenue.
The 2009 Tales of the Cocktail Spirit Awards Winners were:
· World’s Best Drinks Selection
WINNER – Merchant Hotel, Belfast
· Best American Cocktail Bar
WINNER – Pegu Club, NYC
· World’s Best Cocktail Bar
WINNER – PDT, NYC
· World’s Best New Cocktail Bar
WINNER – Clover Club, Brooklyn
· World’s Best Hotel Bar
WINNER – Merchant Hotel, Belfast
· American Bartender of the Year
WINNER – James Meehan, PDT
· International Bartender of the Year
WINNER – Tony Conigliaro
· Best New Cocktail/Bartending Book
WINNER – The Essential Cocktail – Dale DeGroff
· Best Cocktail Writing
WINNER – Dave Wondrich
· Best New Product
WINNER – Bols Genever
· World’s Best Cocktail Menu
WINNER – Merchant Hotel, Belfast
· Best American Brand Ambassador
WINNER – Simon Ford, Plymouth Gin and Pernod Ricard
-
Helen David Lifetime Achievement Award
WINNER – Peter Dorelli
The 2009 Tales of the Cocktail awards committee is comprised of the following industry leaders:
- Simon Difford (Chairman)
- Julio Bermejo
- Salvatore Calabrese (Best Drinks Selection 2008)
- Frank Coleman
- Dale DeGroff (Helen David Lifetime Achievement 2008)
- Simon Ford
- Ted Haigh
- Michael Menegos
- Sasha Petraske (Best Bar 2008)
- Christy Pope
- Gary Regan (Best Writer 2008)
- Claire Smith
- Nick Strangeway (Bartender of the Year 2008)
- Dave Wondrich (Best Bartending Book 2008)