Five Phoenix spots just muscled their way onto one of the cocktail world’s biggest stages, as Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards named them 2026 Regional Top 10 honorees for the U.S. West on Wednesday. Highball scored in two categories, Best U.S. Cocktail Bar and Best U.S. Bar Team, while Chilte at the Egyptian Motor Hotel, Huarachis Taqueria, Pretty Penny and Valentine all landed among the region’s standout restaurant and hotel bars. These nods kick off a national awards process that will trim the regional picks down to formal nominees and, eventually, winners later this summer.
According to the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, more than 250 industry experts weighed in to select this year’s regional honorees. The foundation lists Highball as a U.S. West Top 10 pick in both Best U.S. Cocktail Bar and Best U.S. Bar Team, and notes that nationwide Top 10 nominees are scheduled to be revealed on May 19, with winners celebrated at the Spirited Awards ceremony on July 23 in New Orleans. “Being recognized by peers who deeply understand both the challenges and the triumphs of our industry makes the honor especially meaningful,” Jaymee Mandeville, U.S. East co-chair, said in the announcement.
Which Phoenix spots made the cut
As reported by the Phoenix New Times, Highball landed in the Regional Top 10 for both Best U.S. Cocktail Bar and Best U.S. Bar Team. Chilte at the Egyptian Motor Hotel earned recognition among the West’s best hotel bars, while three Phoenix restaurant bars, Huarachis Taqueria, Pretty Penny and Valentine, also picked up regional honors.
Local context
Per Highball's website, the downtown bar prominently displays several past Spirited Awards badges alongside its address, a quiet flex that underscores the team’s steady industry profile. Over at Huarachis, the site lists its downtown location at 814 N Central Ave and highlights an energetic menu and cocktail program, the kind of mix that helped it stand out to the Spirited Awards panel.
What’s next
Per the Tales of the Cocktail timeline, the current list of regional honorees will be trimmed down to nationwide Top 10 nominees on May 19, followed by the big reveal of winners at the July 23 Spirited Awards ceremony in New Orleans. Phoenix’s performance last year, when nine local bars and restaurants were named regional honorees and five of those went on to receive Top 10 nominations, suggests the city is not just having a moment, it is building a reputation that is likely to keep drawing attention as this year’s nominees are finalized.
