February 2024

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The USA Spirits Ratings looks to recognize, reward and help promote spirits brands that have successfully been created to identify with and target a specific spirits drinker. For any spirits brand to earn its place on a retailer’s shelf or a restaurant’s spirits list –  and then vitally stay there – they need to be marketable and consumer-driven and not just produced in the general hope it can find enough people willing to sell and buy it.

That is why the USA Spirits Ratings is different. It will single out and shine the spotlight on those spirits brands that consumers really want to buy and have a clear market value for trade buyers.

A Competition that will judge spirits in three key areas:

1.Their quality

2.Their value for money

3.What they look like

To be an award winner you will need to have top-quality spirits, that offer both the trade and the consumer great value for money, and you will need to look good and truly stand out on the shelf and on the back bar.

Scoring Definitions

Quality: Quality will be assessed based on how agreeable the spirit is for its target customer and chemical analysis. Measure quality considering the following characteristics of the beverage: Appearance, Aroma, Body, Taste, and Aftertaste.

Value: The objective is to understand how well a particular spirits brand is priced, the greater the quality offered for the price, the greater the value score will be.

Packaging: Packaging will be measured by how well judges think the product will be perceived by the consumer. The package will be judged for the Off-Premise market considering factors like label design and information, closure, and overall look. This does not involve boxes, cartons, and bags. It is how they think the product will be perceived when placed on a shelf amongst thousands of other spirits.

Commercially relevant

Crucially all the winners in the USA Spirits Ratings will give future trade spirits buyers, be they for a supermarket, specialist spirits retailer, casual dining or upmarket restaurant, the re-assurance that these are spirits that their customers want to buy.

USA Spirits Ratings organizers

The USA Spirits Ratings has been created exclusively by the Beverage Trade Network, the US drinks events, services, business, and publishing group dedicated to helping drinks producers and brand owners get closer to the buyers, distributors, and retailers that can bring their products to market.

It is part of a new wider USA drinks awards initiative that also includes The USA Wine Ratings and the USA Beer Ratings that look to reward and highlight market driven spirits and beer brands.

Key Dates:

Early Bird Deadline: April 28, 2023 Final Deadline: June 30, 2023 Warehouse Deadline: July 10, 2023 Judging Day: July 23, 2023

Winners Announcement: August 17, 2023

LA is home to fantastic wine bars staffed by experts eager to introduce both casual sippers and serious experts to new and rare varietals. Head to these destinations for an immersive and enthusiastic experience, from sampling a locally grown and produced California blend to sipping something more unexpected from an emerging vineyard.

At these Top Wine Bars in Los Angeles , you’ll find a good selection of wines as well as knowledgeable staff and, where available, some well-paired food.

A.O.C

Caroline Styne has made a name for herself as one of the top sommeliers in Los Angeles. A.O.C., which she co-owns with chef Suzanne Goin, features a rich wine list that contains some knockouts along with more eclectic varieties. Every pour pairs well with Goin’s carefully sourced and prepared Mediterranean dishes.

Augustine

Augustine Wine Bar is a collaboration between Dustin Lancaster and Matthew Kaner of Bar Covell, and wine collector/musician David Gibbs. Augustine impresses with its vintage wine program. Don’t be surprised to find a 1937 Troisiemes Crus Bordeaux corked beside a non-vintage Rosé from Tasmania. Chef Evan Algorri’s seasonal bar food holds its own against the heavy-hitting vinos.

Bacari GDL

Whether for a round of craft cocktails and haute nibbles before a movie, or a relaxed dinner over executive chef Lior Hillel’s innovative Mediterranean fare and thoughtful selection of wines, Bacari GDL is perhaps the Americana’s most charming spot. Graceful chandeliers of repurposed wine bottles with Edison bulbs, a full-wall collage of wooden wine boxes, and a sidewalk patio out front surround a lively crowd. 

Barbrix

Barbrix Wine Bar is a lively neighborhood wine bar abuzz with Silver Lake locals who, stopping in for a glass of Viognier or Malbec, sigh in relief just to have a chic little spot like this finally blossom in their ’hood. Owners Claudio Blotta and his wife Adria Tennor have fixed up this former 1940s bungalow schoolhouse to create a sleek organic space of shiny wood and big windows. The global wine list is smart and moderately priced, offering explorers plenty of territory.

Covell

Trendy wine bars come and go, but Covell Wine Bar, Los Feliz neighborhood favorite has staying power. It’s largely due to owners Matthew Kaner (Silverlake Wine) and Dustin Lancaster’s (L&E Oyster Bar) passion for interesting wines. Subdued décor includes plenty of wood, a long bar and requisite dimness courtesy of industrial bulbs and candles.People come here to drink wine (and craft beer, on tap), but also to talk about wine, especially when wine director Kaner is behind the bar engaging guests in exploratory tastings. There’s no wine list, but peruse the chalkboard and trust the friendly bartenders to offer something interesting.

Esters Wine Shop and Bar

The Rustic Canyon family of restaurants continues to expand with this wine shop, bar and marketplace in downtown Santa Monica. Housed in the historic 1937 Art Deco Telephone Building, Esters is located across the hall from Cassia, where co-owner Kathryn Coker also curates the wine program.More than 200 wines and a curated selection of craft beers, specialty imports and premium spirits from small-production distilleries are available. Expect sipping mezcals and classic cocktails, such as Old Fashioneds and Sazeracs, too.

Wally’s Beverly Hills

Wally’s Beverly Hills  is a wine shop and gourmet marketplace, but it’s also a restaurant and bar serving elevated bistro fare. The convivial atmosphere gives the feeling of an ongoing party. Out front are heat lamps and small tables flanking the glass doors of the entrance. Inside, the white marble bar and tables  are surrounded by impressive wine shelves. 

Zinque

Zinque’s dimly lit space with vaulted ceilings has communal tables in its center, while smaller tables and banquettes rim the edges of the room. Exposed Edison light bulbs and a plethora of candles add a soft glow to the dark blue-colored walls. A long bar serves as the restaurant’s centerpiece, with a small area to its left for a two-person kitchen. California wines like Tablas Creek can be found on tap, and there are many European options by the glass.

Primitivo Wine Bistro

Primitivo has wines from all over the world–Australia, Italy, Chile, Spain, France, South Africa, Argentina and the U.S. They host events like wine tastings, ‘Sangria Sundays,’ ‘Thirsty Thursdays,’ and happy hour. Tapas offerings include a lovely beet salad with orange segments, pomegranate seeds and feta cheese in an orange honey vinaigrette.

Rustic Canyon

Rustic Canyon’s main focus is on boutique vineyards from around the world. Sparkling creative cocktails are also available. As the name implies, farmers market inspired dishes grace the menu–whose creator prides himself on seasonal dishes. The atmosphere recalls a big tree house, charming and, well, rustic. Perfect for a first date or a warm rekindling.

Upstairs 2

West Siders enjoy the view from the top, Upstairs, that is. This wine store, restaurant and bar features an extensive ‘Wines by the Glass Program.’ Chef Todd Barrie has fashioned small Mediterranean plates perfectly paired with given wines. For a set $55, wine and food lovers can partake of ‘Wine and Dine Wednesdays’–a four-course meal including four wines from around the world with a brief discussion of the wines.

Vinoteca Farfalla

One of the more established wine bars/restaurants in LA is Vinoteca Farfalla, this Los Feliz hotspot features everything from grilled aged Brazilian style skirt steak to ceviche. The great wine and beer selections are subject to frequent change on the board. Happy hour daily.

Mirabelle Wine Bar

Mirabelle Wine Bar is  cozy but the stellar wine bar has settled nicely into sleepy Valley Village. There’s cheese and charcuterie for those needing something light to pair with beers and wine, and the grilled cheese sandwich makes for a heftier bite late into the night.

Bar Bandini

Bar Bandini’s moody interior feels like a natural fit for Echo Park. Bandini stocks an eclectic, eccentric, and invitingly unpretentious range of wines both on tap and by the glass.

Oriel Chinatown

Opened by Bar Covell’s Dustin Lancaster, Oriel is a wine bar serving French bistro fare tucked underneath the Metro tracks on the edge of Chinatown. Grab a seat on the patio if the weather’s nice and sip a glass of wine while nibbling on strong renditions of French onion soup and escargot.

The story is that of two neighboring families from Zahle, Lebanon — the Wardys and the Cortases.

As Wardy’s, they acquired their surname from their great-great-grandmother Wardy Mousallem (Wardy meaning rose in Arabic) who, left a young widow and a single mother after her husband was killed, came into her own and assumed the role of matriarch to the family so much so that her children became referred to as Wardy’s children, the house became Wardy’s house, the vineyard Wardy’s vineyard… the family became the Wardy rather than the Mousallem family. She was an extraordinary woman. An artisanal rose will feature in her honor on all their labels (starting with the wines labeled after 2018).

Whereas the Wardys made wine and arak, like most Lebanese homes at the time, for domestic consumption it was the Cortases who made a commercial business out of fermentation and distillation.

Their great-grandfather Rachid Cortas started a winery in Zahle in 1881, three of his children followed suit each with his own brand including their grandfather Habib Cortas who in partnership with his neighbor Toufiq Wardy moved to Aleppo and opened a winery over there; and that’s how their parents George Wardy and Marleine Cortas were introduced to one another… in a sense, they are the products of that winery in Aleppo.

Today Domaine Wardy is owned and run by four Wardy siblings and is located in Zahle the capital of one of the most ancient wine regions in the world — The Beqaa Valley in Lebanon, a dry high-altitude plateau protected from the Mediterranean humidity to the west and the desert heat to the east by the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountain ranges respectively; its wide diurnal range makes it ideal for viticulture.

The Wardys are very proud to champion their indigenous white grape Obeidi, a sweet, golden-colored, late-ripening but difficult to handle variety traditionally used for distillation, and very pleased to win two silver medals at the Sommeliers Choice Awards for its two incarnations.

As a single varietal, the oaked 2016 Obeidi (Trophy winner at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in London with a score of 96/100) has a soft glow of mastic, beeswax, quince marmalade, white peach, and marzipan. Remarkably it keeps getting more intense with age.

In their 2018 unoaked blend “Beqaa Valley White” adds softness to the freshness of the Sauvignon Blanc and the fragrance of the Viognier. The award-winning color-coded label used for all their unoaked blends spells “Wardy” vertically in Arabic calligraphy.

Wardys’ third medal is for their 2013 single-varietal Cinsault. The Cinsault was introduced to the Beqaa Valley by French Jesuit monks in the 19th century… it became so widely planted that people presumed it was a local variety and nicknamed it Zaytouni (The Olive) because the grape resembles a black olive. The labels of their single-varietals are intended to give clues regarding each wine. The designs are traditional mosaics to indicate the origin of the wine: Lebanon, the colors are based on the aromatic profile of each variety, and the wood texture indicates that the wine has been oaked.

The fourth medal is for their 2015 oaked blend “Chateau Les Cedres” (Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot), proudly wearing their national symbol the Cedar of Lebanon, this wine has consistently proven to be one of their highest regarded and best-selling wines.

Recent wins at the 2020 Sommeliers Choice Awards.

If you feel ready to step out of your home to enjoy a meal and cocktail, here are some places that are open for dining right now. Social distancing, outdoor seating, and safety norms are taken care of, you can enjoy a scrumptious meal in peace. 

With lockdowns happening over and over again over the past year, many bars and restaurants, probably some of your favorites have shut down, unable to keep up with the costs of rents and salaries. Some resorted to take-out and deliveries to keep going. After restaurants were allowed to re-open in late January many LA eateries, bars, restaurants, and breweries have opened up for dine-ins with outdoor seating, ready to welcome patrons once again.  

These are some bars in Downtown LA that are currently open for dine-ins with social distancing or outdoor seating. 

Here and Now

Here and Now, source: website

Stepping into Here and Now gives you an Inception-like feel, time-traveling without actually doing so. Located on Santa Fe Ave in Downtown LA, the bar shows off train-style seating with swanky cocktails like the Quarantine in the City, made with vodka, Fino Sherry, Campari, Cointreau, cranberry, and lemon. Peek into the drinks menu with wines, beer & ciders and non-alcoholic options, and small bites to munch on like empanadas, baked brie, chicken wings, and more. 

Location – 300 S Santa Fe Ave Ste n, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Pilot

Pilot Bar, source: website

Located in the Hoxton Hotel, the rooftop Pilot Bar is now open for outdoor dining. Their cocktail menu includes exquisite drinks like the Honeybear On Holiday, crafted with Altos Tequila Blanco, Lustau Amontillado Sherry ‘Los Arcos’, Amaro Montenegro, Pineapple, Lime, Combier Apricot Liqueur, and Cumin-infused Honey – a hit of flavors! The bar also offers a happy hour menu, with drinks starting from $4, available on Monday-Friday from 2 PM to 5 PM. 

Location – 1060 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90015

The Escondite

The Escondite outdoor seating, source: Instagram

Established in 2011, The Escondite’s comfortable atmosphere will make you feel right at home. Now open for outdoor dining, the bar offers an exceptional view of the DTLA skyline. Even with a limited menu, the mom & pop bar offers a broad variety of food and drinks. Beer lovers try the Pizza Port Chronic Red Ale. If you’re out for cocktails, make sure to try The Lot Lizard, a concoction of tequila, pomegranate, and splash soda. 

Location – 410 Boyd St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Mignon

Mignon, source: Instagram

The French wine bar located in Downtown LA has paired up with their neighbor L’appart restaurant to offer a wider space for outdoor dining. Enjoy alfresco dining in front of either restaurant and receive both menus. They’ve also partnered with Cento who is back in action across the street at JJ’s. You can buy takeout pasta from Cento, walk across the street to Mignon, purchase a glass or bottle of wine, and enjoy your food at one of their outdoor tables. 

Location – 128 E 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90014

Perch

Perch 15th Floor Patio Dining, source: website

For an evening outside, Perch is a great place to savor small French plates and cocktails. Dine-in their leather-clad saloon, rooftop bar, or the Perch 15th-floor patio. The Writer’s Block cocktail with Grey Goose La Poire Vodka, St. Germain, lemon, Sparkling Wine hits all the right notes. Try it with their signature Baked Brie. They also offer prix fixe menus, brunch menus, and late-night menus.

Location – 448 S Hill St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Broken Shaker

Broken Shaker LA, source: Timeout

Everything you’re looking for from a rooftop bar is right here; a great view, excellent food, and cocktails to die for. Try their Willy Wonka Vibes (frozen), made with Ford’s gin, Campari, berry cordial, orange & lemon. They also offer a great tapas menu, with dishes such as fried fish tacos and twice-fried chicken wings with jalapeno hot sauce. 

Location – 416 W 8th St, Los Angeles, CA 90014

Pez Cantina

Pez Cantina, source: Discover Los Angeles

If you’re looking for Mexican food with fantastic margaritas, head over to Pez Cantina. Their widespread menu from the traditional burrito to prawn tacos and four different types of margaritas and other drink options will not leave you disappointed. One of the few resto-bars open for dine-in through and through, Pez Cantina is a must-visit if you want a change from your regular chipotle. 

Location – 401 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90071

Header: Perch LA, source: Instagram