It’s that time of year again, when we can all start fawning over the new year’s crop of nominees for best bars, bartenders, spirits, and more! While the Spirited Awards aren’t for another few months, today the James Beard Foundation announced their list of semifinalists for Outstanding Bar Program, Outstanding Wine Program, and Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Professional (as well as, of course, a bunch of stuff regarding food that we’re not particularly interested in).
The James Beard Awards are some of the most prestigious in the food and beverage industry, and taking home the title of Outstanding Bar Program will permanently mark your establishment as one of the best bars in the world. Some of our hometown heroes made the cut (Bar Agricole and Benu, to be specific), as well as perennial favorites like The Baldwin Bar in Woburn, MA, Clyde Common in Portland, OR, and The Dead Rabbit in New York City.
Check out all the booze-related semifinalists below, and the full list here:
Outstanding Bar Program
Anvil Bar & Refuge, Houston
Arnaud’s French 75 Bar, New Orleans
The Baldwin Bar, Woburn, MA
Bar Agricole, San Francisco
Bar Goto, NYC
Canon, Seattle
Chesapeake & Maine, Rehoboth Beach, DE
Clyde Common, Portland, OR
Columbia Room, Washington, D.C.
Cure, New Orleans
The Dead Rabbit, NYC
The Esquire Tavern, San Antonio
Kimball House, Decatur, GA
Lost Lake, Chicago
Manifesto, Kansas City, MO
Martha, Philadelphia
Marvel Bar, Minneapolis
The Portland Hunt + Alpine Club, Portland, ME
Standby, Detroit
The Varnish, Los Angeles
Outstanding Wine Program
Bacchanal Fine Wine & Spirits, New Orleans
Benu, San Francisco
Canlis, Seattle
Charleston, Baltimore
Corkbuzz, NYC
Emeril’s New Orleans
Empire State South, Atlanta
FIG, Charleston, SC
FnB, Scottsdale, AZ
Jory at the Allison Inn & Spa, Newberg, OR
Komi, Washington, D.C.
Lotus of Siam, Las Vegas
Miller Union, Atlanta
O Ya, Boston
Press, St. Helena, CA
Rouge Tomate, NYC
Sepia, Chicago
Studio at Montage, Laguna Beach, CA
Vino, Honolulu
Wild Ginger, Seattle
Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Professional
Scott Blackwell and Ann Marshall, High Wire Distilling Company, Charleston, SC
Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE
Wayne Carpenter, Skagit Valley Malting, Burlington, WA
Vinnie Cilurzo, Russian River Brewing Company, Santa Rosa, CA
Diane Flynt, Foggy Ridge Cider, Dugspur, VA
Miljenko Grgich, Grgich Hills Estate, Rutherford, CA
Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø, Evil Twin Brewing, Brooklyn, NY
Charles Joly, Crafthouse Cocktails, Chicago
Manfred Krankl, Sine Qua Non, Oak View, CA
Drew Kulsveen, Willett Distillery, Bardstown, KY
Jim Law, Linden Vineyards, Linden, VA
Ted Lemon, Littorai Wines, Sebastopol, CA
Greg Lorenz, SakéOne, Forest Grove, OR
Steve Matthiasson, Matthiasson Wines, Napa, CA
Steve McCarthy, Clear Creek Distillery, Portland, OR
Herman C. Mihalich and John S. Cooper, Dad’s Hat Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey, Bristol, PA
Aldo Sohm, Zalto Glass, NYC
Rob Tod, Allagash Brewing Company, Portland, ME
Chris Weld, Berkshire Mountain Distillers, Sheffield, MA
Lance Winters, St. George Spirits, Alameda, CA
Feature Image: James Beard Foundation
