The 2023 Bartender Spirits Awards is back in San Francisco! This celebrated award helps spirits and distilleries be noticed and become a favourite choice for bars, restaurants, clubs, and on-premise establishments within the United States. 

The awards go out of their way to help great spirits be discovered by getting them tasted and reviewed by an illustrious judges panel. The judges help curate the best of the best spirits from all the entries using this formula: M (Mixability Score) + B (Balance and Versatility Score) + T (Taste, Mouthfeel, and Finish Score) + P (Package Score) + V (Value Score) = Bartenders Spirits Awards Final Score. 

The Competition has worked in the last few years to build up the pedigree of its judges and to ensure they all have direct buying responsibilities and understand the disciplines by which certain spirits are chosen to go on drinks or cocktail lists or not.

The 2023 Bartender Spirits Awards will feature some of the best bartenders and mixologists in the trade. This edition includes:

KATE GERWIN Hospitality Consultant, World Champion Bartender, Bar Rescue TV Show, Drink Masters

CHRISTIAN SUZUKI ORELLANA General Manager of Wildhawk

CHRISTOPHER PENN Lead Bartender at Bungalow Kitchen, San Francisco, California

LOYD VON ROSE Owner of Von Rose Hospitality and Beverage Director at Park

ALEXANDRIA BOWLER Bartender at The Sazerac Bar, New Orleans, Louisiana

MILAN GAUTAM Food and Beverage Manager, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, San Francisco, California

VIRGINIA MILLER Food/Drink, Travel Writer, Editor

AMBER ARCHER Food and Beverage at Meadowood Napa Valley, Napa, California

SHIRLEY BROOKS Bartender at Madrone Art Bar, San Francisco

AB DE LA ROSA Bar Supervisor at Fairmont Hotels & Resorts

COY ESTES Lead Bartender and Mixologist at The Estate Yountville, Hotel Villagio & Vintage House, Fairfield, California

NORA FURST Partner at Buddy (SF) and West Bev Consulting

RAJ SHUKLA Managing Partner at 3Leaves

JEFF TERRY Bio- Bar manager, Portland, Oregon and 2020 World Class top 100

JENN WARD Co-Bar Manager, Longport Fish Company and USBG San Francisco Bay Area Chapter President

View all judges here.

Bartender Spirits Awards is focused on the needs of the U.S. on-premise establishments such as bars, restaurants, and clubs and is the only competition of its kind that is judged solely by bartenders, bar managers, bar owners, and other professionals within the industry.