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Bartender Spirits Awards

Bartender Spirits Awards
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Nora Furst

Partner at West Beverage Consulting and Beverage Director of Uma Casa, San Francisco, CA

Nora Furst, originally from Seattle, grew up in a restaurant family.  She began her career in hospitality at age 15 washing dishes.  She continued to grow in the Seattle restaurant and bar scene while finishing her degree in Education and creative writing.  At 24 she began bartending and quickly took on a management role, opening Local 360 in Belltown under acclaimed club owner and restaurateur Marcus Charles.  

She has spent the last 12 years establishing herself in San Francisco.   She cut her teeth as bar manager at Lolinda and beverage consultant for Belga and Delarosa.  She consulted on the beverage programs at Dosa among mant others, and opened a bar in Brazil from the ground up in just 10 days .  In 2016 she was heralded Bartender of the Year by 7x7 Magazine.  More recently, as operating partner and beverage director, she opened Uma Casa Restaurant in San Francisco's Noe Valley alongside chef Telmo Faria.   She currently is partner at West Beverage Consulting, Furst Beverage (a canned Spritz company) and Buddy (her new brick and mortar in SF).

Meet our Judges

Mike Ryan

Global Beverage Director, Acurio International, Chicago

Jared Givens

Director of Restaurants, Bars, and Events at The Thompson, Hyatt Hotels, Dallas

Martin Duffy

Whisky Educator and Ex Sr. Master of Whisky for the entire Diageo whisky portfolio

Damian Langarica

TOP 100 World Class 2023, TOP 50 World Class 2022, Bartender at Next of Kin, Philadelphia