Three Australian bars are among the Top 10 International Nominees for the 2026 Spirited Awards, Melbourne’s Caretaker’s Cottage and Three Horses, alongside Sydney’s ANTE.

Announced overnight in New Orleans by the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation (TOTCF) the Spirited Awards are one of the world’s highest-regarded honors in the drinks industry.

Owner of Melbourne’s Caretaker’s Cottage and Three Horses Rob Libecans is up for International Bartender of the Year, while Caretaker’s Cottage is among the top 10 for Best International Bar Team and Best International Cocktail Bar, Three Horses is a nominee for Best New International Bar and ANTE is in the running for Best International Restaurant Bar.

Winners will be announced during the Tales of the Cocktail^® conference, which is celebrating its 24th year in New Orleans from 19-24 July 2026.

“The magic of cocktail culture has never just lived in what’s in the glass—it lives in the people, the stories, and the hospitality that stay with us long after the last sip,” said Tiffanie Barriere, Spirited Awards U.S. Chair. 

“This year’s nominees embody the passion, creativity, and cultural influence that continue to shape how the world gathers, celebrates, and connects.”

International Bartender of the Year presented by Brown-Forman

Giovanni Allario — Moebius Milano, Milan, Italy

Hedda Bruce — Tjoget, Stockholm, Sweden

Giulia Cuccurullo — Artesian, The Langham, London, UK

Elise Hanson — Civil Works, Toronto, ON, Canada

Uno Jang — Jigger & Pony Group, Singapore

Rob Libecans — Caretaker’s Cottage & Three Horses, Melbourne, Australia (above with co-owners Matt Stirling and Ryan Noreiks). 

Vijay Mudaliar — Native, Singapore

Yayo Nava — Bar Mauro, Mexico City, Mexico

Alonso Palomino — Lady Bee, Lima, Peru

Jeff Savage — Prophecy Bar, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Best International Bar Mentor

Giorgio Bargiani

Monica Berg

Evelyn Chick

Shingo Gokan

Andrew Ho

Indra Kantono

Eli Martinez Bello

Anna Sebastian

Kaitlyn Stewart

Jean Trinh

Best International Brand Ambassador

Jenna Ba — Diageo

Claudia Cabrera — Fernet Branca

Jesse Estes — Tequila Ocho

Caitlin Hill — Remy Cointreau

Daniyel Jones — House of Angostura

Brendon Khoo — Monkey Shoulder

Karina Mair — Michter’s

Tim Philips-Johansson — Johnnie Walker

Alexandros Sourmpatis — Three Cents

Charmaine Thio — Hendrick’s Gin

Best International Bar Team presented by William Grant & Sons

Bar Leone — Hong Kong, China

Bar Mauro — Mexico City, Mexico

Bar Us — Bangkok, Thailand

BKK Social Club at Four Seasons Bangkok — Bangkok, Thailand

Caretaker’s Cottage — Melbourne, Australia

FOCO — Barcelona, Spain

Jigger & Pony at the Amara Hotel — Singapore

Moebius Milano — Milan, Italy

Paradiso — Barcelona, Spain

Satan’s Whiskers — London, UK

Best International Cocktail Bar 

Bar Mauro — Mexico City, Mexico

Bar Nouveau — Paris, France

Bar Us — Bangkok, Thailand

Caretaker’s Cottage — Melbourne, Australia (above)

COA — Hong Kong, China

El Gallo Altanero — Guadalajara, Mexico

Handshake Speakeasy — Mexico City, Mexico

Panda & Sons — Edinburgh, Scotland

Satan’s Whiskers — London, UK

ZEST — Seoul, South Korea

Best International Hotel Bar

ARGO at the Four Seasons — Hong Kong, China

Bar Sathorn at the W Bangkok — Bangkok, Thailand

Bar Trigona at the Four Seasons — Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Botanist at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel — Vancouver, BC, Canada

Cosmo Pony at the Grand Hyatt Hotel — Jakarta, Indonesia

Firefly at The Sindhorn Kempinski Hotel — Bangkok, Thailand

HERO at the Trademark Hotel — Nairobi, Kenya

Library Bar at the Fairmont Royal York — Toronto, ON, Canada

Origin Bar at the Shangri-La Hotel — Singapore

VIRTUÌ at the Four Seasons Tokyo Otemachi — Tokyo, Japan

Best International Restaurant Bar

Angelita — Madrid, Spain

ANTE — Sydney, Australia (above)

ARCA — Tulum, Mexico

Bar Raval — Toronto, ON, Canada

Caffe Fernet — Singapore

FURA — Singapore

HiBoRu — Taipei, Taiwan

Lady Bee — Lima, Peru

Le Mary Celeste — Paris, France

Locale Firenze — Florence, Italy

Best New International Cocktail Bar

Abstract Bistrot — Paris, France

Bar De Vie — Paris, France

Chow Chow House — Mexico City, Mexico

Despacho Margarita — Mexico City, Mexico

Mius — Hong Kong, China

Montana — Hong Kong, China

Pop City x Pony — Singapore

Shakerato — Amsterdam, Netherlands

Three Horses — Melbourne, Australia

Waltz — London, UK