The Spirited Awards, a prestigious set of prizes known as “the Oscars for the bar world”, has released its longlist for 2018, and among the finalists are two representatives from Vancouver.

Kaitlyn Stewart, bar director at Royal Dinette (905 Dunsmuir Street), is up for International Bartender of the Year, while the Fairmont Pacific Rim’s Botanist (1038 Canada Place) has been recognized in the Best New International Cocktail Bar group.

They're the only Canadian mentions among more than 250 names in 25 categories.

Stewart faces off against nine other mixologists from as far away as London, Singapore, and Melbourne. Botanist earned a nod alongside rooms in cities such as Amsterdam, Johannesburg, and Hong Kong.

The longlist was selected by a team of 150 international judges from over 1,000 nominations that were submitted by the public. Winners will be determined by two panels of 100-plus bar-industry experts, with four finalists in each category being announced on Friday (June 22).

First-place winners will be celebrated at a ceremony in New Orleans on July 21 as part of Tales of the Cocktail, an annual meeting place for professionals in the bar and spirit industries where drink-related ideas, products, and techniques are exchanged.

Stewart, who’s responsible for cocktails like the cinnamon-marshmallow-topped Kumbaya at local farm-to-table resto Royal Dinette, took Bartender of the Year at the Diageo World Class Canada competition in May 2017. Three months later, she earned the title of world’s best bartender at the Diageo World Class Global Final held in New Mexico.

Botanist, meanwhile, is home to a cocktail lab that pumps out experimental sips such as the Deep Cove, a West Coast mix of gin, sea buckthorn, and blue algae served in an asymmetrical glass atop a rustic piece of driftwood. Developed under the direction of Grant Sceney, the botany-inspired bar program generously employs house-made tinctures, shrubs, and syrups in its one-of-a-kind concoctions.

This summer marks the 12th edition of the Spirited Awards at Tales of the Cocktail. The prizes have previously recognized Canadian establishments such as Victoria’s Little Jumbo and Clive’s Classic Lounge. Check out 2018's full top-10 nominees list here.