05/09/2026 Leading beverage directors, bar operators, and bartenders will judge each spirit for its potential to succeed behind the bar.
The Bartender Spirits Awards has announced the first group of judges confirmed for its 2027 competition in Chicago, bringing together an exceptional panel of professionals who influence which spirits are purchased, poured, recommended and featured across leading bars, restaurants and hospitality groups.
The first-round lineup includes corporate beverage directors, national spirits specialists, restaurant-group buyers, bar owners, cocktail directors and award-winning bartenders. Together, they represent some of the most relevant voices in the U.S. on-premise industry.
For spirits brands, this is what makes the Bartender Spirits Awards different. Products are not evaluated only for how they taste in isolation. They are assessed by the people who understand what a spirit must deliver in a working bar: quality in the glass, value for the venue and guest, versatility across serves, packaging that works behind the bar, and the potential to earn a permanent place in a beverage programme.
Alexis Ortega, 2026 World Class U.S. Bartender of the Year, will be judging at the 2027 Bartender Spirits Awards in Chicago
Meet the First Judges Confirmed for 2027
The initial 2027 judging panel includes:
Alexis Ortega — 2026 World Class U.S. Bartender of the Year
Steven Minor — Corporate Beverage Director at Starwood Hotels
Elliott Reibert — Bartender at Bambi Chicago and 2026 World Class U.S. Top 15 Finalist
Charles Steadman — Director of Food & Beverage Experience and Strategic Partnerships at Virgin Voyages
Danny Shapiro — Founding Partner and Beverage Director at Scofflaw Group, Chicago
Jared Sowinski — Director of Beverage at Upward Projects Restaurant Group, including Postino WineCafe, Joyride Taco House, Windsor and Federal Pizza
Krys Irizarry — Beverage Director, award-winning bartender and spirits expert
Emiliano Vazquez Parrales — Food and Beverage Manager at Mariela, Chicago
Michael P. Trow — Director of Bar Operations at RPM Restaurants, Chicago
Javier Arroyo — Bartender at Atomic Hospitality Group
Richard Beltzer — Beverage Director at Muhājir and BOBO, Chicago
John Chesney — Chief Whiskey Officer at Slightly Toasted and Beverage Director at Toasted Hospitality
Eric Hausser — Experienced Chicago bartender and hospitality professional
Lynn House — National Spirits Specialist and Portfolio Mixologist at Heaven Hill
David Leon Jr. — Award-winning bartender, spirits specialist and founder of Plátano
John Maraffa — Corporate Beverage Manager at Landry’s
David Mor — Beverage Director and Partner at Mirra, Lilac Tiger, TRUCE and Mariela
Emanuel Santiago — Beverage Manager and Cocktail Director at Scratch Restaurants
More judges will be announced as the 2027 panel continues to grow.
Steven Minor, Corporate Beverage Director at Starwood Hotels globally, will be judging the 2027 Bartender Spirits Awards in Chicago in 2027
A Panel That Understands What Sells Behind the Bar
The strength of this first group lies not only in the individual achievements of its members, but also in the range of buying environments they represent.
Some oversee beverage programmes across multi-location restaurant groups. Others manage spirits purchasing for hotels, cruise lines, independent bars and nationally recognised hospitality businesses. Several work directly with guests every night, observing which products bartenders enjoy using, which stories connect with consumers and which bottles generate repeat orders.
This combination gives participating brands access to perspectives from across the on-premise route to market.
A spirit may be beautifully made, but a buyer also needs to know whether it fills a genuine need within the programme. A bartender considers whether it is balanced, versatile and reliable in cocktails. An operator must evaluate pricing, margins, availability and guest demand. A beverage director also needs confidence that the brand can be explained, recommended and scaled across multiple venues.
The Bartender Spirits Awards brings these perspectives together in one judging room.
Charles Steadman, Director of Food & Beverage Experience and Strategic Partnerships at Virgin Voyages will be judging at 2027 Bartender Spirits Awards
Why Spirits Brands Need to Get in Front of These Judges
Securing attention from the on-premise trade is increasingly difficult. Beverage directors and bar buyers are presented with more products than they can realistically list, making a clear and commercially relevant proposition essential.
Entering the Bartender Spirits Awards gives brands the opportunity to place their products directly in front of active professionals who understand the realities of building profitable beverage programmes.
These judges know the difference between a spirit that performs well in a tasting and one that can succeed during service. They consider whether the product is enjoyable neat, whether it mixes effectively, whether its flavour remains present in a cocktail, whether the bottle is practical behind the bar and whether its price makes sense for the intended channel.
They also understand what encourages a bar team to recommend a product and what gives a beverage director the confidence to retain it on a list.
A strong result therefore communicates something highly relevant to the trade: this is a spirit that has been assessed by the people it was created for.
Jared Sowinski, Upward Projects Beverage Director, will be judging at the 2027 Bartender Spirits Awards
New Detailed Feedback for Every Entry
For 2027, the Bartender Spirits Awards is going beyond medals and scores with expanded feedback designed to give every entrant more practical value from the judging process.
In addition to their detailed score breakdown, entrants will receive two structured feedback sections:
How to Improve This Spirit
Judges will provide concise, constructive recommendations to help brands strengthen their product. Feedback may address the liquid, flavour balance, finish, mixability, versatility, value, packaging or overall readiness for the on-premise market.
How to Market and Sell This Spirit
Entrants will also receive commercially focused guidance on how their spirit could be positioned and presented to the trade. This may include insights relating to cocktail applications, target venues, pricing, consumer appeal, bartender engagement and the product’s most compelling selling points.
This new feedback makes the judging process even more valuable for brands seeking to understand how their products are perceived by the people making real purchasing and pouring decisions.
A medal offers recognition. Detailed feedback can help a producer understand what to improve, which strengths to lead with and how to approach the market more effectively.
Judging Spirits for Real On-Premise Success
The Bartender Spirits Awards was created to recognise spirits that meet the practical and commercial needs of bars, restaurants and hospitality businesses.
Every entry is evaluated based on the factors that influence real on-premise decisions, including mixability, balance and versatility, taste, mouthfeel and finish, value, and packaging.
This approach reflects how beverage professionals actually assess a product. The liquid's quality remains fundamental, but long-term success also depends on whether the spirit is useful, distinctive, appropriately priced, and easy for a bar team to work with and recommend.
With its first round of 2027 judges now confirmed, the competition is assembling one of its strongest and most commercially relevant panels to date.
Put Your Spirits in Front of the People Behind the Bar
Domestic and international distilleries, spirits producers and brand owners are invited to enter the 2027 Bartender Spirits Awards.
Whether you are launching a new product, building U.S. distribution, seeking greater on-premise visibility, or looking for honest feedback from experienced buyers and bartenders, the competition gives your brand an opportunity to be evaluated by the professionals who understand what makes a spirit succeed behind the bar.
Also Read:
U.S. Bartender of the Year Alexis Ortega Joins Bartender Spirits Awards Judging Panel
Jared Sowinski, Upward Projects Beverage Director, Joins 2027 Bartender Spirits Awards Panel
Know Your Judges: Steven Minor
Get evaluated by leading U.S. bartenders and beverage buyers. Enter by September 30 and save $100 per spirit.
