LEGACY CLUB SELECTED AS AN HONOREE FOR BEST U.S. HOTEL BAR – U.S. WEST FOR TALES OF THE COCKTAIL FOUNDATION’S 17TH ANNUAL SPIRITED AWARDS®
Circa Resort & Casino’s Rooftop Lounge is Only Downtown Las Vegas Venue Selected as One of the Top 10 Honorees for Award Celebrating Global Excellence in the Drinks Industry
Legacy Club – Circa Resort and Casino’s 60th floor rooftop lounge – has been announced as one of the top ten honorees for Best U.S. Hotel Bar – U.S. West for Tales of the Cocktail Foundation’s (TOTCF) 17th annual Spirited Awards®. Legacy Club was the only downtown Las Vegas venue honoree for this award that celebrates global excellence in the drinks industry and recognizes professionals, organizations and establishments shaping the cocktail community.
“It is an honor for our team at Legacy Club to be considered for this prestigious distinction,” said Sam Pulliam, Circa’s director of beverage. “To even be thought of for this award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff, and we look to continuing to provide our guests with a next-level experience.”
Sitting 60 stories high on Circa’s top floor, the 8,400-square-foot Legacy Club boasts an expansive selection of spirits that are used within a specialty cocktail menu that showcases the bar team’s unique skillset and dedication to the craft. Menu highlights include the What’s Your Number, made with coconut washed tequila, Ancho Reyes Verde, agave, citrus and dashes of firewater to achieve the guests preferred spice level; Gold Dust Woman, comprised of Larceny Bourbon, Carpano Antica, cherry heering, Cynar, absinthe and sherry; and Lucky Rabbit, featuring Appleton Estate 12 Year Rum, Principe de Los Apostoles Gin, carrot, Ras el Hanout and fresh citrus.
Legacy Club also boasts two nominees for the West Coast division of the United States Bartenders Guild (USBG) Presents World Class Sponsored by DIAGEO global bartending competition earlier this year, including Dominick Demartino and Kenny Hwong. Demartino will be advancing to the top 30 of the U.S. division of the competition taking place this May.
The expansive indoor and outdoor space pays homage to iconic Vegas pioneers and welcomes guests with 11 custom metal busts of Jackie Gaughan, Benny Binion, Jay Sarno, Kirk Kerkorian, Sam Boyd, Steve Wynn, William Bennett, Bob Stupak, Barron Hilton, Howard Hughes and Frank Fertitta at its entrance. Once inside, guests can peruse an artistic collection of black-and-white photos portraying Las Vegas’ past and a showstopping attraction of 1,000 ounces of pure gold.
Founded in 2007 to celebrate excellence in the global cocktail community, the Spirited Awards® have become one of the most internationally recognized accolades honoring beverage professionals, products, establishments, luminaries, and media across every facet of the drinks industry on a global scale. In partnership with Forbes, the Spirited Awards® official media partner, TOTCF will honor recipients during the Tales of the Cocktail® (TOTC) conference, which is taking place in New Orleans from July 23-28, 2023.
“We are so grateful for the contributions of each of these Spirited Awards Regional Honorees,” said Tales of the Cocktail Foundation CEO Eileen Wayner. “We are the sum of our parts in this industry, and it’s so fulfilling to see the bars on this list sharing their passion and unique approaches to hospitality with the global drinks community.”
This year, an exceptional number of Spirited Awards® submissions were received across all categories, a testament to the hard work and achievements of our colleagues in the industry. In that spirit, the Foundation is proud to announce the Regional Top 10 honorees, broken into regions in the Asia Pacific (APAC), Canada, Europe, Latin America & Caribbean (LATAM&C), Middle East & Africa (MEA), U.S. Central, U.S. East, and U.S. West.
Spirited Awards® judges are a collection of respected bartenders, bar owners, educators, and writers from across the globe entrusted with this critical calling. Drawing on their years of experience and their knowledge of the current work being done locally, nationally, and internationally, together the judges can evaluate nominees from far and wide to ensure that the Spirited Awards® represents the breadth and diversity of the global drinks industry.
Tales of the Cocktail Foundation’s Spirited Awards® Committee is dedicated to valuing the inclusion of the communities we serve by ensuring that our judging panel reflects their incredible diversity in terms of race, gender, ethnicity, and sexuality. Recognizing that inclusion is key to a well-represented committee, TOTCF strives to ensure that we have an equitable representation of gender across the judging panel. The Spirited Awards® are not based on popular vote and all nominations will be evaluated by their respective judging committees.
Tales of the Cocktail Foundation would like to thank all of its Spirited Awards sponsors. Title Partners: Diageo Bar Academy, Pernod Ricard; Presenting Partners: Bacardi Limited, William Grant & Sons; Supporting Partners: Gruppo Montenegro, Johnnie Walker, Libbey, Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic, Perrier, The Busker.
In light of the ongoing global events with the Russian government’s invasion of Ukraine, Tales of the Cocktail Foundation’s policy will remain unchanged for the 2023 Spirited Awards. The Spirited Awards Committee and Tales of the Cocktail Foundation Board will not consider nominees from Russia for this year’s awards, nor will the Spirited Awards committee include any Russian-based judges.
The Foundation stands in solidarity with colleagues and friends in the hospitality industry in Ukraine and with all citizens impacted by the catastrophic invasion. The organization acknowledges industry colleagues in Russia who do not support the war, but also have minimal ways to protest without risking their own personal safety.
To learn more about the Spirited Awards Committee and awards criteria, please visit the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation’s Spirited Awards page.
Overall Top 10 Nominees will be announced on June 1, 2023, Top 4 Finalists will be named on June 21, 2023, and Winners will be celebrated on July 27, 2023 at the 17th Annual Spirited Awards Ceremony at the Fillmore New Orleans.
Spirited Awards Directory
Tales of the Cocktail is thrilled to share the Spirited Awards® Directory in partnership with Absolut Vodka, Diageo Bar Academy, Grey Goose, Gruppo Montenegro, Johnnie Walker, Libbey, Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic, Patron Tequila, Perrier, Pernod Ricard, The Busker, and William Grant & Sons. Giving discerning imbibers a comprehensive compendium of all 900+ Spirited Awards winners and nominees from the past 17 years, the Directory is an interactive, global map created to easily guide guests to officially recognized Spirited Awards establishments.
This resource will be updated annually, making it an easy-to-use tool to plan which bars to visit at home or when traveling. Use the Spirited Awards® Directory today to explore award-winning bars.
Please follow along for additional information on the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation website, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
About Tales of the Cocktail Foundation
Tales of the Cocktail Foundation is a non-profit organization that educates, advances, and supports the global hospitality industry and creates lasting impact in our host communities. Tales of the Cocktail Foundation is the global leader in spirits education and a platform to tackle issues facing the industry. The pillars of the Foundation are to Educate, Advance, and Support the hospitality industry through programs that benefit individuals and organizations in the community and to make a lasting impact in communities that host our events.
About Forbes
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About Circa Resort & Casino
Get ready for the time of your life at Circa Resort & Casino, an adults-only casino-resort concept in the heart of downtown Las Vegas. The AAA Four Diamond Circa pays homage to Vegas’ Golden Era through vintage design, old-school hospitality and nods to the city’s history while introducing high-tech advancements and innovative amenities. The resort features upscale rooms and suites; the world’s largest sportsbook; Stadium Swim, a year-round pool aqua theater; a two-story casino; Garage Mahal, a high-tech transportation hub; the luxe Legacy Club rooftop lounge; an expansive local art collection; 35,000 sq. ft of meetings and conventions space and more. Guests can indulge at original restaurant concepts including premium steaks and seafood at Barry’s Downtown Prime from Chef Barry S. Dakake and Make It Happen Hospitality; Pan-Asian fare at 8 East from Chef Dan Coughlin; deli classics at Saginaw’s Delicatessen from restaurateur Paul Saginaw; authentic Carolina barbecue at Project BBQ; and all-star menus at Victory Burger & Wings Co. from the founding family of American Coney Island. Visit circalasvegas.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @circalasvegas to stay up to date.