BRE Reveals 2024 Award Winners
by David Klemt
Join us in toasting the fourteen recipients of the 2024 Bar & Restaurant Expo industry awards, which span three separate categories.
As you’ll see below, the BRE award categories are as follows:
- One individual receives the Industry Impact Award. From BRE: “This award recognizes an individual who has displayed an immense passion for their craft and has helped make significant advancements in the field.”
- Seven individuals or venues receive one of the Industry Excellence Awards. These awards focus on independent bars and restaurants.
- Six brands take home on of the Supplier Awards. This category is new to BRE in 2024. Further, BRE attendees choose the winners after suppliers submit products for consideration.
Interestingly, Austin, Texas, and Atlanta, Georgia, take home the most Industry Excellence Awards this year. In fact, Austin is home to three of the seven Industry Excellence Award winners.
WATERTRADE is the winner of Best Cocktail Program, OTOKO is Restaurant of the Year, and Iliana de la Vega is Chef of the Year.
One individual and one venue in Atlanta claim Industry Excellence Awards as well. Best Hospitality Training Program goes to Your 3rd Spot, while the Ebony Austin of Nouveau Bar & Grill wins the Community Leadership Award.
There are, of course, two outliers. For 2024, Dominique Jackson of Realm of the 52 Remedies in San Diego, California, is Bartender of the Year. And Happy Accidents in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is Bar of the Year. This awesome bar is the 2023 winner of the Spirited Award for Best US Bar Team.
Congratulations to this year’s Bar & Restaurant Expo award winners! You can see the full list of winners below, organized by category. To learn more about the awards, please click here.
Industry Impact Award
- Derek Brown (Positive Damage, Inc.)
Industry Excellence Awards
- Bar of the Year: Happy Accidents (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
- Best Cocktail Program: WATERTRADE (Austin, Texas)
- Bartender of the Year: Dominique Jackson, Realm of 52 Remedies (San Diego, California)
- Restaurant of the Year: OTOKO (Austin, Texas)
- Chef of the Year: Iliana de la Vega, El Naranjo (Austin, Texas)
- Best Hospitality Training Program: Your 3rd Spot (Atlanta, Georgia)
- Community Leadership Award: Ebony Austin, Nouveau Bar & Grill (Atlanta, Georgia)
Supplier Awards
- Best Alcoholic Beverage: Don Julio Alma Miel Joven Tequila
- Best Non-alcoholic Product or Mixer: Ritual Zero Proof Spirits
- Best Food Product/Producer: Oh Snap! Dilly Bites
- Best Equipment, Tool, or Bar Supply: True Manufacturing
- Best Technology Product: Draft Top PRO
- Best Entertainment Product: Team Trivia
Image: Mathias Reding on Pexels
