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If you needed proof that hotel bars have evolved far beyond sad lobby lounges and overpriced pours of cheap house wine, the latest Spirited Awards nominations have arrived right on cue.
Each year, the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation's Spirited Awards are among the most respected honors in the drinks world, recognizing the bars, bartenders and hospitality teams shaping cocktail culture across the globe. The organization has just revealed its 2026 U.S. nominees, including the 10 hotel bars that industry experts consider the country's best.
The list is packed with heavy hitters from New York, New Orleans and Miami, cities that have long dominated the hotel cocktail scene. But one nomination stands out for travelers who don't immediately associate Texas with world-class hotel drinking: Midnight Rambler, the subterranean cocktail den tucked beneath The Joule in downtown Dallas.
The nomination places Midnight Rambler alongside legendary venues like the New Orleans’ Carousel Bar and the Sazerac Bar at The Roosevelt—two institutions that have become pilgrimage sites for cocktail lovers.
New York earned three spots on the list, including Dear Irving on Hudson at the Aliz Hotel and Raines Law Room at The William, while Miami claimed two nominations with the Champagne Bar at the Four Seasons Surf Club and ViceVersa at the Elser Hotel.
The nominations were selected by a panel of more than 250 industry experts rather than through a public vote, making them a snapshot of where bartenders, beverage directors and hospitality insiders themselves believe the country's most compelling cocktail programs can be found.
The field will be narrowed to four finalists in June before winners are announced during the annual Tales of the Cocktail conference in New Orleans this July.
Whether you're planning a hotel stay or simply looking for an excuse to order a very good martini, these are all of the hotel bars currently competing for one of the drinks industry's highest honors:
- Carousel Bar & Lounge at Hotel Monteleone — New Orleans, Louisiana
- Champagne Bar at the Four Seasons Surf Club — Miami, Florida
- Chandelier Bar at the Four Seasons New Orleans — New Orleans, Louisiana
- Dear Irving on Hudson at the Aliz Hotel — New York City, New York
- Midnight Rambler at The Joule — Dallas, Texas
- Raines Law Room at The William — New York City, New York
- The Manor Bar at the Rosewood Miramar Beach — Montecito, California
- The Sazerac Bar at The Roosevelt New Orleans — New Orleans, Louisiana
- ViceVersa at the Elser Hotel — Miami, Florida
- White Limozeen at The Graduate — Nashville, Tennessee