Cocktail awards ...

[Make me a Cocktail]

Hey all

I know that there are cocktail competitions that award prizes for best bar, or bartenders, of flairing etc, but are there any renowned competitions that award prizes to cocktails?

The IBA seem to have some awards:

http://www.iba-world.com/

But the page seems to be down at the moment for 'Winning Cocktails'.

Also I found that there was a cocktail competition in Paris in 1920:

http://www.makemeacocktail.com/cocktail/6955/six-cylinder/

But can't find much more about that event or if it ran in previous / concurrent years.

Everything I look into seems to come back to bartending skills rather than actual flavours etc.

Anyone know of any major events / awards / recognition that is given?

Thanks in advance

Nick

[Ian Tuck]

Every year "Tales of the Cocktail" in New Orleans (this year is the 11th annual) has a dinner called the "Spirited Awards", which awards bartenders, spirits, etc.

While they don't have awards for a cocktail, per se, they do award a "spirit of the year" award.

http://www.mutineermagazine.com/blog/2012/07/the-2012-tales-of-the-cocktails-spirited-award-winners/

That said, most every spirits company now runs regular local, regional and global competitions for cocktails made with their spirits, generally limited to industry but with prizes that usually include a trip to the distiller. A quick google search reveals many of them: http://bit.ly/V7j62D