Much like the James Beard Awards, the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards release a long list of nominees and then a short list, from which the winners will be chosen. We were excited to see The Varnish on the long list for World's Best Cocktail Bar, and Eric Alperin on the long list for American Bartender of the Year.

On Friday, the four finalists in each category were announced, and both The Varnish and Alperin made it through in their categories. Now we just have to wait until the awards in New Orleans in July to see who wins.

Other Los Angeles finalist: Harvard & Stone for Best High Volume Cocktail Bar.

And in other Eric Alperin news, the movie Hey, Bartender, which features Aperin, premiers in L.A. this Friday, and the movie makers have just released a teaser in which Alperin discusses how hospitality defeated pretentiousness. See the video below.

See also:

– Hey Bartender: A Movie Celebrating the Modern Cocktail Movement Premiers in L.A.

– Where the Bartenders Drink: The Varnish's Eric Alperin

Want more Squid Ink? Follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook.

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.