🍸 The Spirited Awards – the cocktail industry’s most coveted honors, presented annually at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans – have released their pared-down Top 10 Nominees list, and the Valley still has two entries in the running.
Highball bartender Libby Lingua (pictured) is back for her third consecutive year as a U.S. Bartender of the Year nominee, a remarkable streak that signals sustained, national-level recognition. Highball itself also earned a spot among the Top 10 for Best U.S. Bar Team.
Not making the cut from the regional round, but still worth celebrating: Highball had also claimed a U.S. West regional honoree nod for Best U.S. Cocktail Bar, as did Chilte at the Egyptian Motor Hotel for Best U.S. Hotel Bar.
Three Valley restaurants had represented in Best U.S. Restaurant Bar – Huarachis Taqueria, Pretty Penny, and Valentine – each earning regional recognition before the field narrowed nationally.
The Top 4 Finalists in each category will be announced June 8–9, with winners revealed at the 20th annual Spirited Awards ceremony July 23 at The Fillmore New Orleans.
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