
Bar Leone wins 2025 Spirited Awards' Best International Cocktail Bar
At the 19th annual Spirited Awards held in New Orleans on July 24, and hosted by the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation (TOTCF), Hong Kong's Bar Leone was named the Best International Cocktail Bar of 2025. Not one to do things by halves, mixologist extraordinaire Antinori made the occasion a double victory by also securing the International Bartender of the Year award, cementing Bar Leone's already mighty reputation in the competitive drinks industry.
Building on the 2025 theme of the Tales of the Cocktail conference, 'Evolve', the Spirited Awards recognises game changers who pioneer innovation, transformation, and evolution in the cocktail community through remarkable creativity and bold vision.
Bar Leone's continued success on a global stage further elevates Hong Kong's prestigious position in the world of mixology, firmly placing the city as a leading player in the international spirits and hospitality scene. From Bar Leone debuting at a coveted number two spot on the World's 50 Best Bars 2024 rankings, to unveiling a dynamic new concept with the Cuban-inspired Montana, Antinori has plenty more surprises and ambitions up his sleeves. We'll raise a glass – or many – to that!
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Time Out
2 days ago
- Time Out
Bar Leone wins 2025 Spirited Awards' Best International Cocktail Bar
Hot on the heels of an impressive triumph at the Asia's 50 Best Bars awards ceremony earlier last month, where Bar Leone was once again crowned number one bar in Asia – holding its enviable position at the top of the list for the second year running – co-founder Lorenzo Antinori has yet another shiny accolade to add to his growing collection. At the 19th annual Spirited Awards held in New Orleans on July 24, and hosted by the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation (TOTCF), Hong Kong's Bar Leone was named the Best International Cocktail Bar of 2025. Not one to do things by halves, mixologist extraordinaire Antinori made the occasion a double victory by also securing the International Bartender of the Year award, cementing Bar Leone's already mighty reputation in the competitive drinks industry. Building on the 2025 theme of the Tales of the Cocktail conference, 'Evolve', the Spirited Awards recognises game changers who pioneer innovation, transformation, and evolution in the cocktail community through remarkable creativity and bold vision. Bar Leone's continued success on a global stage further elevates Hong Kong's prestigious position in the world of mixology, firmly placing the city as a leading player in the international spirits and hospitality scene. From Bar Leone debuting at a coveted number two spot on the World's 50 Best Bars 2024 rankings, to unveiling a dynamic new concept with the Cuban-inspired Montana, Antinori has plenty more surprises and ambitions up his sleeves. We'll raise a glass – or many – to that!


Time Out
01-08-2025
- Time Out
Sip & Guzzle was named the best new cocktail bar in the U.S.
Once a year, some of the best bar talents from around the world make their way to New Orleans for the annual Tales of the Cocktail. The week-long conference celebrates all things in the cocktail and mixology world, with seminars and workshops, plus a bunch of raucous, after-hours pop-ups that spotlight talented teams. As much as a party it can be, the event is much more than a good time to imbibe. Ending the week of revelry, the conference closes with the Spirited Awards. For its 19th year, the annual award ceremony, held on July 24, honored excellence in the drink industry and recognized professionals, organizations and establishments that are shaping the hospitality community. This year, New York won big, nabbing one of the most coveted awards of the evening. This title of Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar award went to Shingo Gokan and Steve Schneider's bi-level cocktail bar, Sip & Guzzle. This is the second year in a row that a New York bar has received the honor, as last year's award went to Ignacio 'Nacho' Jimenez's rousing tequila and agave hotspot, Superbueno. This year's award winners thanked their team via Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sip&Guzzle (@sipandguzzlenyc) 'From a wild idea between Steve and Shingo — an odd couple with one shared dream — to now being named Best New U.S. Bar by the Spirited Awards! We are so honored and thankful for this recognition.' The post continued on, 'To our team: this win is yours. Your grit, creativity, and hustle made it all happen. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for all of you.' This isn't the only accolade the West Village bar has accrued since its 2024 opening. Earlier this spring, the bar was listed on The World's Best list, 50 Best Bars in North America, debuting for the first time at number five. According to the publication, the bar was recognized for its 'Japanese beers, perfect highballs, and 'crushable' cocktails' at Guzzle and its 'sophisticated vibe' at Sip. We wholeheartedly agree, as the bar currently sits at number ten on our listing of the best bars in NYC, as we can't get enough of Sip's "precision-based cocktails" and Guzzle's rousing good time.


Time Out
29-07-2025
- Time Out
This fancy London bar was just crowned the best in the world
We've got bars on the brain at the moment and it seems like we're not the only ones. Just days after Time Out named London's Best Bar for 2025, Side Hustle at the NoMad London has been honoured with the title of 'Best International Hotel Bar' at the 19th annual Spirited Awards. Covent Garden's Side Hustle is a favourite with us too. 'While you might find more extensive collections of tequila and mezcal elsewhere, few agave-focused bars can match the sophistication of this elegant Latin American-themed spot in the Grade II-listed former Police Station that now houses the NoMad hotel,' reads the Time Out review. 'There's an old-school gentleman's club kind of grandeur to this low-lit space, decked out in dark wood booths, green leather seating, an imposing marble-topped bar and walls covered in vibrant photographs taken on the streets of London and Southern California.' Side Hustle features in Time Out's list of the best hotel bars in London, and has been open since 2021. The NoMad also recently revamped its in-house restaurant, renaming it Twenty8 NoMad. Read our review here. The Spirited Awards take place as part of the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation and the winners were announced in New Orleans on July 24. The awards are voted on by a panel of 250 industry experts, including London bar pro Mr Lyan aka Ryan Chetiyawardana, who is the international Spirited Awards chair, and who also recently helped Time Out decide on London's best first date bars. Spirited Awards' biggest gong of the night is for World's Best Bar, which was given to Kumiko in Chicago, while the World's Best Cocktail Menu was won by Panda & Sons in Edinburgh.