9Below, The Vintage Cocktail Club and The Sidecar at The Westbury all won big at the Irish Craft Cocktail Awards 2018!
The Irish Craft Cocktail Awards aim to celebrate the skill, training, uniqueness and artistry of craft cocktail concoction in Ireland. The awards were created in 2014 for the benefit of the Irish cocktail industry by the cocktail industry. These awards aim to be as open and transparent as possible.
This year’s award ceremony took place on Sunday, November 25th in Number Twenty Two on South Anne Street. We at DublinTown are delighted to announce that 3 of our members took home awards on the night.
Best New Cocktail Bar – 9Below, Stephen’s Green
This award aims to recognise the best cocktail bar to open in Ireland within the last 15 months. The bar will have made an immediate impact on cocktail culture and set new standards for the industry. Creativity, décor and service as well as well-executed drinks should all be considered.
9Below, a contemporary bar located just across from the spectacular Stephen’s Green Park, is a beautifully designed underground space nestled in the former basement of the historical Stephen’s Green Hibernian Club. Taking home Best New Cocktail Bar, if you’ve been lucky enough to cross this cocktail-haven’s threshold, there’ll be no doubt in your mind as to why.
Their menu was also nominated for ‘Outstanding Cocktail Menu’ while their Head Bartender, Stephen Wynne, was also up for ‘Bartender of the Year’.
The bar itself is like stepping back in time into a glamorous era where champagne was served in saucers and there was an air of mystery about what the night could hold. 9Below brings this to life with a modern twist.
Best Hotel Cocktail Bar – The Sidecar at The Westbury
This award aims to recognise the best hotel cocktail bar. Five-star service, consistently well-made drinks, a comfortable setting and a dedication to providing for its residents should all be taken into consideration.
The Sidecar in The Westbury is a stylish, elegant and modern take on a 30’s cocktail bar. It’s a small enough space on the first floor of the spectacular Westbury Hotel in Dublin City Centre.
Serving delicious bar bites alongside their delectable cocktails, it’s a place made perfect for celebrating any sort of occasion. Their bartender, Oisin Kelly, was also up for ‘Bartender of the Year’.
Best Cocktail Bar, Dublin City – The Vintage Cocktail Club
This award aims to recognize the bar that has set the highest of standards and has gone above and beyond to promote the Irish cocktail industry and craft cocktails. The menu, bar team, atmosphere and cocktail quality should all be considered.
Winning the award for the third year in a row, The Vintage Cocktail Club has consistently made waves in the Irish cocktail industry since opening in 2012. A business within the Press Up Entertainment Group, the VCC is tucked away behind a discreet doorway in Dublin’s Temple Bar, and is a timewarp to the golden age of speakeasies, aviators, silent move starlets and the like.
The 1920s-style clandestine bar serves up an extensive menu of spirits and specially crafted, award winning cocktails using the finest seasonal ingredients, as well as a menu of delectable bites. VCC bartender, Richie Delahoyde, was also nominated for ‘Bartender of the Year’.
