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  • The Best, Most Innovative, Hotel Cocktail Bar

    • 06/20/2016
    • ADB
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    We at American Bars are wondering if the awards season for bars, beers and mixed drinks simply extends 12 months and then starts again where it ends. Not that we are complaining at all, mind you. It is just that, after a while, there is little ability to build up to another big event without some breathing room.

     

    This week, Tales of the Cocktail — one of the country's most expansive festivals for bartenders and the bar industry as a whole — announced nominations for the Spirited Awards, which highlight the country's most promising bars, bartenders and industry pros. One nomination will surprise no one who's familiar with Dallas craft cocktails: Midnight Rambler at The Joule is, according to Tales of the Cocktail, one of the 10 best hotel bars in the U.S.

    Yes, We bet you never actually considered Hotel bars to be places that cater to a regular clientele or attract such a thing. They are strictly for travelers rushing in and out for flights or simply sitting during a long layover and enjoying a drink. Yes, hotel lounges actually have a very strong following. Not only that, the vast number of categories are definitely favoring craft cocktails…not the best of the old, but the very edgy of the new. Texas seems to dominate in both the best edgy cocktails and the top bars who concoct them.

    The cozy craft cocktail enclave, Midnight Rambler,  was selected as a finalist after "a rigorous evaluation of over 1,500 unique nominees," (read: we spent a lot of time sampling the wares) according to a release from Tales of the Cocktail. Ten nominees were selected in 24 different categories, including best American cocktail bar, best brand ambassador and best restaurant bar. Midnight Rambler is the only Dallas spot nominated this year, though a few other Texas spots were nominated. And remember, Dallas is an airport hub…there are lots of hotel bars. Houston’s Anvil scored two nominations for best bar team and best bartender, Bobby Heugel. The Esquire Tavern in San Antonio was nominated for best American high-volume cocktail bar. No Austin bars appeared in this year's list of nominees. The university town loses out.

    Spirited Awards winners will be announced at July 23 in New Orleans during the 14th annual Tales of the Cocktail festival. If Midnight Rambler wins, it'll be the first Spirited win for a Dallas bar of any kind, not just a hotel bar.


    Stay tuned for more interesting news!  

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The Best, Most Innovative, Hotel Cocktail Bar

We at American Bars are wondering if the awards season for bars, beers and mixed drinks simply extends 12 months and then starts again where it ends. Not that we are complaining at all, mind you. It is just that, after a while, there is little ability to build up to another big event without some breathing room.

 

This week, Tales of the Cocktail — one of the country's most expansive festivals for bartenders and the bar industry as a whole — announced nominations for the Spirited Awards, which highlight the country's most promising bars, bartenders and industry pros. One nomination will surprise no one who's familiar with Dallas craft cocktails: Midnight Rambler at The Joule is, according to Tales of the Cocktail, one of the 10 best hotel bars in the U.S.

Yes, We bet you never actually considered Hotel bars to be places that cater to a regular clientele or attract such a thing. They are strictly for travelers rushing in and out for flights or simply sitting during a long layover and enjoying a drink. Yes, hotel lounges actually have a very strong following. Not only that, the vast number of categories are definitely favoring craft cocktails…not the best of the old, but the very edgy of the new. Texas seems to dominate in both the best edgy cocktails and the top bars who concoct them.

The cozy craft cocktail enclave, Midnight Rambler,  was selected as a finalist after "a rigorous evaluation of over 1,500 unique nominees," (read: we spent a lot of time sampling the wares) according to a release from Tales of the Cocktail. Ten nominees were selected in 24 different categories, including best American cocktail bar, best brand ambassador and best restaurant bar. Midnight Rambler is the only Dallas spot nominated this year, though a few other Texas spots were nominated. And remember, Dallas is an airport hub…there are lots of hotel bars. Houston’s Anvil scored two nominations for best bar team and best bartender, Bobby Heugel. The Esquire Tavern in San Antonio was nominated for best American high-volume cocktail bar. No Austin bars appeared in this year's list of nominees. The university town loses out.

Spirited Awards winners will be announced at July 23 in New Orleans during the 14th annual Tales of the Cocktail festival. If Midnight Rambler wins, it'll be the first Spirited win for a Dallas bar of any kind, not just a hotel bar.


Stay tuned for more interesting news!  

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