The Tales of the Cocktail Foundation announced the winners of its 19th annual Spirited Awards on Thursday night in New Orleans, honoring excellence in the drinks industry across the globe. The big winner of the night was Kumiko, an acclaimed Japanese dining bar in Chicago that we’ve written about a few times.
Kumiko, which has also made appearances on the non-Tales-affiliated World’s 50 Best Bars list, took home the Best U.S. Restaurant Bar and TOTC’s World’s Best Bar awards. Based in Chicago, the bar is led by chef and creative director Julia Momosé, who focuses on seasonality and Japanese cuisine and spirits. The restaurant’s drinks menu spotlights four pairing options: light cocktails, stirred cocktails, spirit-free and Japanese sake.
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Where Chicago’s best go when they want someone else to call the shotsThe Spirited Awards recipients span a range of domestic and international categories, selected by a panel of more than 250 industry experts, led by Tiffanie Barriere and Ryan Chetiyawardana, the U.S. & International Spirited Awards Chairs. “It’s a real delight to celebrate the winners of the 2025 Spirited Awards,” said Charlotte Voisey, executive director of the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, in a statement. “Each winner represents the spirit of evolution, pushing boundaries, embracing change and moving this industry forward. Congratulations to everyone recognized — your work inspires all of us! Thank you also to the Spirited Awards Committee and the global community for making this such a remarkable year.”
The other big winner was Panda & Sons, an Edinburgh-based cocktail bar that took home World’s Best Cocktail Menu and Best International Bar Team (I’ve been once, it deserves the acclaim).
You can find the full list of winners here, but below are a few winners of note:
- Best New International Cocktail Bar: Devil’s Cut — Madrid
- U.S. Bartender of the Year presented by Pernod Ricard: Christine Kim — Service Bar, Washington, D.C.
- Best U.S. Bar Team presented by William Grant & Sons: Allegory at the Eaton Hotel — Washington, D.C.
- Best U.S. Cocktail Bar presented by Pernod Ricard: Trick Dog — San Francisco
- Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar: Sip & Guzzle — New York City
- Helen David Lifetime Achievement Award presented by William Grant & Sons: Ian Burrell
- Tales Visionary Award presented by Johnnie Walker: Lynnette Marrero
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