LIFESTYLE

Botany-themed London watering hole named world's best bar 2017

AFP Published Monday, July 24, 2017 12:49PM EDT Last Updated Monday, July 24, 2017 12:56PM EDT

Dandeylan Bar at the Mondrian London hotel © Mondrian Hotel

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Dandelyan in London has been named the world's best cocktail bar 2017 at an industry event that gathered the top mixologists over the weekend.

Winners of the 2017 Spirited Awards were announced at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, shining the spotlight on the most innovative bars of 2017, and the most masterful mixologists around the globe.

The big winner of the night was Dandelyan at the Mondrian London Hotel, an address that many fashionable Londoners and globetrotters know as a hot spot to see and be seen.

Designed by Tom Dixon, the space's interior is as whimsical, escapist and unexpected as its drinks menu, with a green marble bar, pink leather banquettes, and front-row views of the river Thames.

The vision of Ryan Chetiyawardana, who took the title of world's best bartender at the same event in 2015, Dandelyan's cocktail menu "Vices of Botany" is plant-themed and takes a "nose to tail" approach to flora.

Divided into four sections -- Faith, Lust, Currency and Rock 'n Roll -- cocktails are made with ingredients like nettles, tomato wine, carrots, blue corn, roasted sweet potatoes, saffron and salt-baked pomegranate.

Along with taking the top honor as world's best cocktail bar, Dandelyan also took the titles of best international hotel bar and best international bar team 2017.

Winners were voted on by a panel of 100 industry experts from around the world.

Other big winners of the night included the Columbia Room in Washington D.C., which was named the best American cocktail bar; Black Pearl, which took the title of Best International Cocktail Bar; and Shingo Gokan of Shanghai, who was named International Bartender of the Year.

Here are some of the winners:

Best American Bar Team: The NoMad Bar (New York)

Best American High Volume Cocktail Bar: Sweet Liberty Drinks and Supply Co. (Miami, FL)

Best American Restaurant Bar: Dante (New York)

American Bartender of the Year: Jeff Bell (New York)

Best American Cocktail Bar: Columbia Room (Washington, D.C.)

Best American Hotel Bar: The Hawthorne at Hotel Commonwealth (Boston)

Best New American Cocktail Bar: BlackTail (New York)

INTERNATIONAL CATEGORIES

Best International Bar Team: Dandelyan (London)

Best International High Volume Cocktail Bar: Trailer Happiness (London)

Best International Restaurant Bar: Tippling Club (Singapore)