New York Bartender Week Announces Winners of Its First-Ever “Bar Star Awards”
New York Bartender Week — presented by Hanna Lee Communications, an award-winning multimedia agency specializing in hospitality, luxury travel, and beauty — has officially announced the winners of its inaugural Bar Star Awards.
Photo by ©Carlos Alayo
Seven bartenders and seven barbacks were honored at the New York Bartender Week Kick-Off Gala on Nov. 16, 2025, with the ceremony hosted by Lauren Scala, the four-time Emmy Award–winning TV host and reporter.
Judged by a panel of 13 top drinks journalists from the U.S., U.K., and South Africa, the awards spotlight the most inspiring stories from bar professionals across New York City and the Empire State.
The ceremony marks the launch of New York Bartender Week, a first-of-its-kind consumer festival and cocktail tourism initiative taking place Nov. 17–23, 2025. More than 130 bars statewide are serving New York–themed cocktails featuring at least one local ingredient, encouraging guests to explore, sip, and support their favorite bartenders and bar teams.
Seven Bartender Winners (in first name alphabetical order)
Anton Kinloch – Lone Wolf, Kingston, N.Y.
Carlos Soto – The Ivory Peacock, NYC
Cassedy Veillard – The Tyger & Milly’s Neighborhood Bar, NYC
Edgar Hernandez – Freemans, NYC
Jonathan Gonzalez – Hunter & Thief, Lindenhurst, N.Y.
Leanne Favre – Dolores, NYC
Sungrae Choi – Seoul Salon, NYC
Photo by ©Carlos Alayo
Seven Barback Winners (in first name alphabetical order)
Ángel López – Jade & Clover, NYC
Daniel Lopez – LenLen and Maison Premiere, NYC
Fuze Chok-Umnoui – Lucky Cat Izakaya, NYC
Jayquane X. Lamar-Vanterpool – Bazaar Bar, NYC
Jose Castillo – Casanara, NYC
Lena Biçakçi – Champagne Problems, NYC
Teddy Chantarasombat – Mangetsu, NYC
Photo by ©Carlos Alayo
The Second Edition of New York Bartender Week Offers Something for Every Palate
The second edition of New York Bartender Week has 130 bars and 36 local spirits across the Empire State participating in the festival. The bars include cocktail bars, restaurant bars, hotel bars and sports bars. Their cocktails span riffs on classics to original creations, appealing to every palate and preference. Each bar is showcasing a New York State-themed cocktail incorporating a local spirit that will be served during the week-long festival. There are no fees for a bar to participate, and each bar sets its own prices for its cocktails.
The Bar Star Awards’ Esteemed Judging Panel of Leading Drinks Journalists
The judging panel consisted of respected U.S. and international drinks journalists, including (in first name alphabetical order) Adam Reiner, Austa Clausen, Gary Sharpen (U.K.), Jake Emen, Kara Newman, Kirk Miller, Leah Van Deventer (South Africa), Paul Clarke, Robert Simonson, Sandrae Lawrence (U.K.), Sean Flynn, Shay Waterworth (U.K.) and Tony Sachs. Each judge reviewed the nominees’ written entries with care and deep admiration for the people who make New York’s bar culture one of the most dynamic in the world.
Photo by ©Carlos Alayo
“New York City and New York State are home to some of the most visionary and hardworking bartenders and barbacks in the world, and the Bar Star Awards were created to shine a spotlight on these amazing individuals,” says Hanna Lee, President & Founder, Hanna Lee Communications and Co-Founder, New York Bartender Week.
“Their unsung stories of hard work, dedication and commitment to excellence moved our judging panel members and deserve to be spotlighted. We salute them tonight.”
“We thank our judging panel members for doing the Herculean task of choosing the winners,” says Michael Anstendig, Editor in Chief, Hanna Lee Communications, Co-Founder, New York Bartender Week, and Co-Author, The Japanese Art of the Cocktail.
“Bartenders and barbacks are the heartbeat of New York’s vibrant hospitality scene, and the Bar Star Awards celebrate their personal journeys driven by passion, professionalism and artistry. By recognizing these remarkable talents and celebrating their untold stories, we hope to inspire others to join this noble profession.”
Photo by ©Carlos Alayo
New York Bartender Week, an Award-Winning Initiative
For positioning New York State as the ultimate cocktail tourism destination, the inaugural New York Bartender Week won PRNEWS Platinum Awards’ Campaign of the Year: Restaurant/F&B and Travel Weekly’s Magellan Silver Award for Ultimate Culinary Destination.
About New York Bartender Week
Conceptualized and produced by Hanna Lee Communications, an award-winning multimediaPR/marketing agency specializing in hospitality, luxury travel and beauty, the second edition of New York Bartender Week is taking place Nov. 17-23, 2025. It is a first-of-its-kind consumer festival and cocktail tourism initiative that celebrates the bar community and bar professionals in New York City and across New York State. It spotlights the Big Apple and the Empire State as world-class cocktail destinations, while saluting bartending as a noble career path.
Celebrating storytelling as the common thread that unites the bar community, New York Bartender Week is unveiling the Bar Star Awards that raise a glass to the most inspiring bartender and barback stories. The festival is expanding across the U.S. and globally in 2025 as part of Worldwide Bartender Week with Wisconsin Bartender Week and Kenya Bartender Week. For more information, please visit New York Bartender Week on Instagram.
About Hanna Lee Communications (HLC)
Hanna Lee Communications (HLC) is an award-winning multimedia PR/marketing agency specializing in hospitality, luxury travel and beauty. The agency, now celebrating its 21st anniversary, only represents products and companies that it believes in and clients who have a vision of changing the world.
This outlook drives its well-acknowledged excellence, which has been recognized with 350+ national and international awards and accolades. They include “Best Branding,” “PR Innovator of the Year,” “Best Travel & Marketing PR,” “Best Social Media Campaign,” “Best Media Relations,” “Best Press Release Writing,” “Marketer of the Year,” “Social Impact Pioneer” and more.
To take global brand building and storytelling to the next level, the agency launched the “HLC Innovation” series, consisting of pioneering initiatives. They include the award-winning “Hospitality Forward” Podcast, the HLC Global Bartender Travel Scholarship, HLC Book Media, HLC Meet the Authors, HLC Meet the Media and HLC Inspiring Leaders.
For more information about our agency, please visit www.hannaleecommunications.com. Connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X and TikTok.
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