This article is part of The Spill Awards 2026, covering the best in spirits, cocktails, bartenders and drinks culture. Find all of the stories here.
We had 40 people participate in our annual Spill Awards, the second time we’ve included judges from outside the InsideHook team and 13 more people than last year. The list includes journalists, mixologists, publicists, bar owners, distillers, brand ambassadors and other drinks professionals.
The rules were simple: Fill out a survey with about 30 questions related to the best spirits of the previous year (they had to have been released in 2025) and some more esoteric requests, such as best bar bathroom, a person doing good and best cocktail throw. For the best brewery, vineyard and spirits producers, we asked the judging panel to consider the prior year and the overall body of work.
Because these were fill-in-the-blank answers, many categories ended up without a consensus (or, to put it another way, too many good answers!). From there, the InsideHook editorial team curated the final results, selecting winners who received multiple votes or simply stood out amongst the finalists.
The only other rule was that the judges couldn’t choose themselves or anyone they currently worked with.
Without further ado, meet our judges! We asked them to submit their own bios, which were edited a bit for clarity and length. Presented in no particular order:
Amanda Gabriele and Kirk Miller are editors at InsideHook. They oversee The Spill, InsideHook’s weekly drinks newsletter, as well as The Spill Awards.
And our outside-the-organization judges:
Alissa Fitzgerald is a food and spirits writer and recipe developer with over 15 years of experience in the food industry. Her work has appeared in Forbes, GQ, Imbibe, VinePair, Delish, The Kitchn and InsideHook. When she’s not traveling, you can find her alternating between a computer and a cutting board.
Amanda Hathaway is a veteran of more than two decades in the wine and spirits industry. She oversees the PR and marketing for a wide range of wine and spirits brands, both domestic and international.
Amanda Schuster is a writer, editor, lecturer and beverage consultant based in Brooklyn, NY. She is the author of Signature Cocktails (2023), Drink Like a Local New York (2022) and New York Cocktails (2017). She has contributed to numerous publications, including Food & Wine, Saveur, Forbes, Food Dive, Restaurant Dive, Front Office Sports, Atlas Obscura, Bloomberg and InsideHook, and was the editor-in-chief of Alcohol Professor. She has still not found a transfer-free lipstick that can withstand a Margarita salt rim.
Anthony Attanasio is the director of beverage for The Mina Group, overseeing the beverage strategy and brand programming for Michelin-awarded Chef Michael Mina’s 30+ restaurants across the country and in Dubai and Riyadh. Before this role, he served as director of spirits for the Boisset Collection, where he played a pivotal role in the launch and national expansion of their luxury spirits portfolio. His contributions were instrumental in bringing Jean-Charles Boisset’s Casa Obsidiana Tequila and Calistoga Depot Distillery to market, overseeing production, marketing and strategic sales efforts.
Carissa Chesanek is a Brooklyn-based writer who focuses on food and spirits. Her work has appeared in Decanter, Whisky Advocate, Imbibe, VinePair and InsideHook.
Caroline Eubanks is an award-winning travel and drinks writer and the author of A Boozy History of Atlanta: People, Places & Drinks that Made a City. Her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Wine Enthusiast, Eater and InsideHook. When she isn’t drinking a cocktail, she is collecting vintage glassware and novelty decanters at estate sales and thrift stores.
Cedric Obando is a New York City native with 18 years of experience in managing, bartending and serving all across the boroughs.
Christopher Figueroa is a Bronx native and the bar director of Markette and The Argyle, with a love for the Yankees, music, food and spirits. He studied in Maine, where he discovered a passion for hospitality. Favorite cocktail: a Vesper Martini.
Chad Austin has spent 20+ years in the drinks industry. He started in Palm Springs, CA. Brought a tiny tiki bar into the national spotlight with forward-thinking cocktail programs. Chad was also responsible for the cocktail programs in seven other bars in the Palm Springs area before moving to L.A. to run Lono Hollywood. In 2018, he was named one of the 10 most innovative bartenders in tiki by Thrillist. Now landed at his new home Bar Benjamin, Chad leads an exceptional team of bartenders serving experimental and nuanced cocktails in a hospitality-driven bar.
Chad Solomon serves as director of innovation at The Cooper Spirits Co., where he conceptualizes new products, develops formulations and leads whiskey blending across the portfolio. A veteran of iconic New York cocktail bars Milk & Honey and Pegu Club, he was a trusted collaborator of the late Rob Cooper and has been instrumental in shaping the company’s spirits from St-Germain to Slow & Low and Lock Stock & Barrel. He and his partner, Christy Pope, are the creators and former operators of the award-winning Midnight Rambler bar, as well as co-founders of Cuffs & Buttons, a premier hospitality consulting firm that has worked with major brands such as Coca-Cola, LVMH, Pernod Ricard and Beam Suntory.
Chris Lemperle is the beverage director for Crane Club and boasts over a decade of experience in the hospitality industry. His passion began helping out at his family’s food truck and ice cream store in New Jersey as a child. After a culinary degree from Johnson and Wales University and a summer in the Alain Ducasse education program in Paris, Chris’s interest in the cocktail world led him to an apprenticeship position at The Eddy Bar in Providence, where he rose to a bartender role. In 2019, Chris moved to New York to join the opening team of Crown Shy, which later earned a Michelin star. He was then selected as the NYC finalist for Heaven Hill’s 2020 Bartender of the Year Competition. Chris was instrumental in opening Overstory and SAGA, a cocktail bar and tasting menu restaurant 64 floors above Crown Shy, with Overstory ranking #3 on the 2023 list of the 50 Best Bars in North America and SAGA earning two Michelin stars.
Courtney Iseman is a Brooklyn-based drinks writer and consultant, Cicerone-certified beer server, and has earned a WSET Level I certification in spirits. In addition to InsideHook, her bylines include The Washington Post, Bon Appétit, Inc., Food & Wine, Wine Enthusiast, Men’s Journal, Punch, Slate, VinePair and more.
David Semanoff is the founder of DJSHC, his hospitality PR and consulting company, working with multiple award-winning and acclaimed chefs, bartenders, restaurants, bars, spirits brands and occasionally hotels. When not working or potentially on a quick day-trip to Disney World (hit him up for tips), he’s catching up on his stories (TV shows), walking around New York, checking out some art or getting some steps in at a dance party (he’s known as Disco Dave in some circles).
Francesco Lafranconi is a globally renowned mixologist and educator. As senior vice president of beverage and hospitality culture at Carver Road Capital, he shapes experiences at the intersection of hospitality and innovation. His distinguished career spans award-winning hotel bars across Europe — including The Gleneagles, Hotel Cipriani and The Palace Hotel in Gstaad — along with numerous accolades such as the Golden Spirit Award and induction into the Bartender Hall of Fame.
German Uribe Jr is a decorated Marine sergeant turned world-traveling cocktail maestro. With 16 years of restaurant experience, an international business management degree and a passport full of flavor inspiration — from Japan to Ireland, Iraq to Mexico — he crafts cocktails that tell a story. At Red Rooster Harlem, German leads the bar team with precision, creativity and a passion for keeping culture alive, turning every pour into an experience you’ll never forget. Classics, signature twists or bold originals — if it can be shaken, stirred or sipped, German makes it unforgettable.
Hanna Lee is president and founder of Hanna Lee Communications (HLC), an award-winning multimedia public relations agency specializing in luxury travel, hospitality and lifestyle. Hanna’s philosophy is to only represent clients that the agency believes in and to work with those who have the ambition of changing the world. Current clients include five-star luxury hotels, restaurants and bars celebrated by 50 Best, the James Beard Awards, Michelin Guide and Tales of the Cocktail. The agency also promotes spirits and wine brands with compelling stories and a sense of terroir. Hanna leads Team HLC’s brand building for clients in New York City, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Houston, Miami, London, Dubai, Nairobi, Kilifi (Kenya) and Seoul. Together with Michael Anstendig, the agency’s editor-in-chief, Hanna co-hosts the award-winning Hospitality Forward podcast, where the duo interviews top journalists around the world for listeners in 160 countries.
Hugo A. Ayala is a New York-based hospitality professional with over 20 years of experience spanning casual neighborhood restaurants to fine-dining destinations, with a focus on front-of-house leadership and cocktail creation. Born in Bolivia and raised in New York City, his work blends classical technique with a deeply creative, ingredient-driven approach to mixology. He has shaped beverage programs at Rayuela, Harding’s and Casa Neta, developing a style rooted in balance, storytelling and precision. A passionate advocate for Latin American spirits — such as Singani, pisco, aguardiente, cachaça, mezcal and tequila — Hugo travels regularly to learn directly from producers, ensuring authenticity and cultural respect inform every drink. At Willet’s Corner, where he is beverage director and manager, his cocktails reflect artistry and intention, transforming technique and heritage into memorable guest experiences.
Iain Griffiths (they/them) is a queer hospitality entrepreneur who has spent over half their life working across the industry creating concepts, being an educator and bartending behind the stick at dive bars, large-scale nightclubs, fine-dining restaurants and some of the world’s best cocktail bars. They got their start in Melbourne at Black Pearl, moved to the U.K. in 2012 to run Bramble in Edinburgh, and later met their now best friend Ryan Chetiyawardana aka Mr Lyan. After moving to London, Griffiths and Mr. Lyan developed venues rooted in innovation, sustainability and fermentation that disrupted the cocktail game, with the opening of White Lyan, followed by the acclaimed Dandelyan (now Lyaness) and several others. In 2016, Griffiths and fellow bartender Kelsey Ramage launched the Trash Collective (fka Trash Tiki) to further the discourse about sustainability in the bartending world. Griffiths moved to Brooklyn in March 2020 and was most recently the head of brand for Empirical Spirits. Currently, Griffiths is the owner of Bar Snack, a new iteration of a neighborhood bar that is fun, flirty and for the people; it was named a Best New Bar finalist at the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards in 2025.
Jarett Karlsberg is the beverage director at the Wythe Hotel, overseeing the bar programs at Le Crocodile, the French brasserie with three stars from The New York Times, and Bar Blondeau, its acclaimed hotel bar. With over 15 years in the industry, Jarett prides himself on programs that highlight local producers and distillers. He is passionate about uplifting and developing team members to become part of the New York bartending community. In his downtime, he enjoys tasting agave spirits, spending time with his wife and son, visiting local distilleries and sampling Piña Coladas.
John Carpo is the general manager and beverage director at Musaek, a Korean-inspired cocktail lounge and raw seafood bar in New York City. His work lives at the intersection of modern cocktail technique, Korean flavor and real-world hospitality — building bar programs that are thoughtful, expressive and built to actually work on a busy night. He’s passionate about craft, consistency and the people behind the bar, and excited to bring that perspective to the judging table.
Josh Penney is the award-winning head brewer at Threes Brewing, the beloved Brooklyn-based brewery. Prior to joining Threes, Josh served as head brewer at Highland Park Brewery in Los Angeles, where his leadership contributed to the brewery earning the coveted Brewery Group Brewery and Brewer of the Year title at the Great American Beer Festival in 2024, in addition to multiple World Beer Cup and GABF gold medals. Bringing a West Coast sensibility and deep technical expertise, Josh now spearheads new recipe development at Threes, where he is committed to quality, focusing on modernizing classic beer styles through an innovative and contemporary lens while upholding the brewery’s respect for tradition.
Kate Dingwall is a seasoned sommelier and writer covering the intersection between spirits, wine, business, culture and travel. Her work regularly appears in Wine Enthusiast, Food & Wine, Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants, Toronto Life, Vogue and more.
Kathleen Willcox writes about drinks, travel and culture from her home in Saratoga Springs, NY, and from the road, while exploring. She is keenly interested in sustainability issues and the business of making ethical drinks and food. Her work appears regularly in Wine Searcher, Wine Enthusiast, Food & Wine, The Drinks Business, Wine Industry Advisor and many other publications.
Katie Lockhart is a travel, food and F1 journalist for publications like Travel+Leisure, Vogue, Condé Nast Traveler, National Geographic, InsideHook and many more. She splits her time between Asia and the Faroe Islands.
Kitty (she/they) is a Filipino-American industry professional based in New York City. Currently the reigning Beverage Babaylan at the Tales of the Cocktail-nominated, demonic, tropical bar Paradise Lost. Their accolades include Punch Drink’s 2024 Class of Best New Bartenders, The Spill Awards’ Next Great Bartender and StarChefs’ Rising Stars Class of 2025. Drawing from the identities they hold close, Kitty hopes to inspire conversations about queerness, culture and community using the medium of drinks as art, drinks with intention beyond finding balance and filling wireframes.
Logan Rodriguez is the beverage director at Oddball, where he oversees the bar’s creative direction and cocktail program. With more than 21 years in the service industry and nine years in management and creative leadership roles, Rodriguez brings a seasoned, exploratory approach to menu development that balances technique, curiosity and approachability.
Lou Bank is the founder of SACRED, a not-for-profit organization that helps improve the quality of life in rural Mexican communities where heritage agave spirits are produced. Since its founding in 2017, SACRED has supported the construction of two libraries, the building of seven greenhouses, the replanting of more than 95,000 agave seedlings, the development of six systems to mitigate water insecurity and more. He’s also the co-host of Agave Road Trip, a podcast that helps bartenders better understand agave, agave spirits and rural Mexico.
Luis Mercado is the bar director at W Punta Cana, leading beverage innovation for the first W all-inclusive in the world. With more than a decade of experience shaping cocktail programs across the Dominican Republic, Luis focuses on modern mixology rooted in Caribbean craft, local ingredients and experiential bartending. Curator of the beverage identity behind Speakeasy 33 ⅓, one of the Dominican Republic’s most distinctive and intimate cocktail destinations.
Mandy Naglich is an author, journalist and TV personality covering all aspects of the drinks industry. Her book How to Taste: A Guide to Discovering Flavor and Savoring Life, which recounts her adventures in the world of professional tasting, was a Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards Finalist. As a certified taster, Advanced Cicerone and drinks educator, she regularly speaks and writes about the finer points of drinks, hospitality and travel and how they intertwine. Her ideas and her popular platform @drinkswithmandy have been covered in The New York Times, The History Channel, Vice and elsewhere.
Michael Anstendig is a freelance writer, author and editor-in-chief of Hanna Lee Communications (HLC), an award-winning multimedia public relations agency specializing in luxury travel, hospitality and lifestyle. He has contributed to The New York Times and Time Out New York, and reviewed over 200 restaurants for New York Magazine. Michael is co-author of HLC’s first book, The Japanese Art of the Cocktail, with Katana Kitten’s Masahiro Urushido, which won a Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award and was a semifinalist for a James Beard Award and an IACP Award. He also contributed to David Wondrich’s The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails.
Michele Herrmann is a lifestyle, culinary and travel writer with close to three decades of professional editorial experience across print and digital publications and B2C companies. Her drinks-based work can also be found on VinePair and Bar & Restaurant News. Additionally, Michele has written for AAA’s The Extra Mile, Time Out, Smithsonian Magazine and National Geographic. She appreciates both a good pinot noir and an innovative mocktail.
Mikaela Frigillana is an account supervisor at MMGY Wagstaff, working in the wine and spirits division.
Ms. franky marshall is one of the leading voices on the New York hospitality scene. Franky is a multilingual modern bartender, educator, cocktail creator, MC and judge for spirit and cocktail competitions. She’s worked at iconic New York bars, is a Black Women in Food Beverage Master honoree and Tales of the Cocktail Catalyst. Her valuable insights have made her an in-demand speaker, while her opinions and liquid creations have been featured extensively across various media.
Oscar Simoza is a Venezuelan-born hospitality professional based in Boston. He began his bartending career at Johnny D’s in Davis Square before moving on to Silvertone, a downtown neighborhood staple. In 2022, Oscar joined BiNA Family Hospitality, leading the beverage programs at jm Curley and Bogie’s Place while curating the cocktail program at The Wig Shop. In 2024, he mentored beverage teams at Temple Records, Sushi@ and Somaek, the latter of which earned recognition as a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best New Restaurant, and was included in the Michelin Guide and The New York Times’ top 50 best restaurants in the U.S. Oscar is also a James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service for his work at The Wig Shop, where he spent most of his days.
Rob Hoffman is a 15-year veteran behind some of New York’s most prominent locals, including the Back Room and Pastis. He co-founded HiFi Collective, a private bar and event company catering to elite clientele in the art, fashion, music and marketing industries, building 360 experiences, before joining Soho Experiential, working exclusively for the Campari Group, helping their world-famous Campari Academy bring the latest cocktail trends and flavors to life for others in the hospitality industry. He’s now the beverage director at the already legendary Lucky Charlie in Bushwick, home to the oldest coal oven in the western hemisphere, which pays homage to the historical Sicilian roots of the neighborhood through its commitment to authentic flavors and ingredients both in the kitchen and behind the bar.
Sara Gorelick is a spirits publicist with nearly 20 years of experience, representing alcoholic beverages from all over the world. Along with her incredible team, Sara has developed unique campaigns that have reached media, influencers, consumers and trade to bring her clients into the forefront of category conversation. She has a keen eye for telling the story within the story, stemming from her previous work in hospitality journalism.
Tyler Siegmann is an account coordinator at MMGY Wagstaff on the wine and spirits team.
Victor Laiseca was born in Barcelona, Spain, and is currently director of food and beverage of Joia Aruba by Iberostar. Previously, he was a regional mixologist and beverage manager for the Caribbean in the same company.
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