Award Marks First Time a U.S. Craft Spirits Ambassador Earns Coveted Distinction
PORTLAND, Ore (July 21, 2015) – Following the largest nomination pool in the history of the show and a rigorous judging process by some of the most respected members of the cocktail industry, Tales of the Cocktail® honored House Spirits Distillery’s Brooke Arthur as “Best American Brand Ambassador” at the 9th Annual Spirited Awards® on Saturday July 18 at the Sheraton Hotel in New Orleans. The highly-coveted distinction recognizes the importance of personality in the promotion of drink brands and their creative use of brand communication to engage the trade and their ability to execute compelling education and seminars.
In addition to recognizing her overall contribution to the craft cocktail community and her tireless dedication as an ambassador for House Spirits Distillery and its flagship Aviation American Gin, the award marks the first time an ambassador from a U.S. craft distillery has earned this honor. Brooke joins an impressive list of past recipients from major global spirits companies, including industry luminaries Neyah White (2014), Todd Richman (2013), Jim Ryan (2012), Jacques Bezuidenhout (2011), Charlotte Voisey (2010), Simon Ford (2009, 2007), and Xavier Padovani (2008).
“It is such an incredible honor to receive this distinction, and to join the ranks of industry icons as past award recipients, many of whom have served as my role models as I have evolved and grown over the course of my career,” stated Arthur. “This award is particularly meaningful because it was voted on by my peers, whom I learn from each and every day as together we move our cocktail industry forward. It means the world to me that they respect the work that my amazing team and I do every day.”
Tom Mooney, Co-Owner and CEO of House Spirits Distillery added, “This award is another highlight in Brooke’s distinguished career. I would love to quip that we knew her before she was famous, but in fact she was a respected member of the cocktail community long before we at House Spirits Distillery had the pleasure of calling her our colleague and partner. Along the way, Brooke has built a reputation for her talent, willingness to work hard, and kindness to all, and we are so very proud of her achievement.”
Since 2012, Brooke has served as the Director of On Premise Education for House Spirits Distillery, a leader of America’s craft distilling resurgence, and was made an equity partner in the company earlier this year. She shares her passion and knowledge with her peers in the beverage trade and maintains relationships with leading restaurants and bars across the country while managing and nurturing a brand ambassador team across eight markets in North America, including Los Angeles, Phoenix/Scottsdale, Austin, Denver, Chicago, New York, Washington, DC, and Toronto. A respected industry veteran, Brooke has been in the spirits industry for more than 15 years, at first learning from and later training and mentoring some of the best bartenders in the country. She managed several leading bar programs in San Francisco including Prospect and the Michelin-starred Range, and created more than 500 unique and inspired cocktails.
For the past nine years, the Spirited Awards® have recognized the year’s best bars, bartenders, writers and experts, becoming the cocktail industry’s most prestigious and coveted award program. Brooke was chosen over her fellow nominees by a panel of more than 100 industry experts, led by Simon Ford (Chairman), Jackson Cannon (U.S. Judging Committee Chairman), Jacob Briars (International Judging Committee Chairman), and David Wondrich (Writing Committee Chairman).
About House Spirits Distillery
House Spirits Distillery is a leader of America’s craft distilling resurgence, and the anchor of Portland’s famous distillery row. Its award-winning products are batch-distilled with an intense, passionate, near-obsessive pursuit of quality using ethically sourced ingredients. Its spirits include Aviation American Gin, Westward Oregon Straight Malt Whiskey, Volstead Vodka, Krogstad Aquavit and a line of limited release small-batch spirits. For more information, please visit www.housespirits.com and www.aviationgin.com.
About Tales of the Cocktail
Founded in 2002, Tales of the Cocktail® has grown from a small gathering of cocktail lovers into the world’s premier cocktail festival. Each year the international spirits industry is welcomed to New Orleans for five days of seminars, tastings, networking events and much more. With 200+ annual events developed specifically for bartenders, distillers and other spirits professionals, Tales of the Cocktail® has become the industry’s annual meeting place for the exchange of new ideas, products and techniques.
Tales of the Cocktail® also produces a number of other events and programs such as Tales of the Cocktail® on Tour, Tales 365 and Tales of the Toddy®, all to further the mission of supporting and growing the international cocktail community.