This is Derek Brown. Photograph by Alejandro Salinas.
And then there were four. Tales of the Cocktail released its whittled-down list of finalists for this year’s Spirited Awards—a very big deal in the booze world—and the Columbia Room made the cut in the category of Best American Cocktail Bar. Its owner, Derek Brown, had been among the contenders for American Bartender of the Year, but he didn’t make the short list in that category. Washington Post booze scribe Jason Wilson, meanwhile, is no longer in contention for Best Cocktail Writing.
The Columbia Room is up against Brooklyn bar Clover Club, Houston’s Anvil Bar & Refuge, and the Varnish in Los Angeles. The award will be announced on Saturday, July 28, in New Orleans.
