Phoenix industry mentors win big at coveted bar awards

The duo behind a Phoenix nonprofit that supports people in hospitality took home a top industry award on Thursday night. Another Round Another Rally cofounders Amanda Gunderson and Travis Nass were named Best U.S. Bar Mentors by the 20th annual Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards in New Orleans. 

The coveted awards recognize the very best of the national and international bar scene. The Spirited Awards cap the Tales of the Cocktail conference, where bartenders, bar owners, spirits brands and other cocktail industry professionals come together for a week of events, education and awards.

Another Round Another Rally offers financial and educational resources to people working in the hospitality industry who have traditionally been overlooked for advancement, including people of color, women and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Gunderson and Nass launched the organization in 2018. It came out of a shared lament over the industry’s pitfalls, from lack of health insurance to wage gaps. Another Round Another Rally provides budding bartenders with professional development and mentorship programs. 

This isn’t the first time the group has received a nod from the Spirited Awards. Another Round Another Rally received the Pioneer Award from the Spirited Awards in 2022 for its support for bartenders during the pandemic. 

Gunderson and Nass weren’t the only Arizonans nominated. Libby Lingua, a co-owner of the Phoenix lounge Highball, was a finalist for U.S. Bartender of the Year. The award ultimately went to New York bartender Takuma Watanabe. See the full list of Spirited Awards winners here. 

Another Round Another Rally was the first organization in Arizona to receive a coveted honor from Tales of the Cocktail. Since then, two Phoenix bars also bagged awards: Century Grand took the honor for Best U.S. Cocktail Bar in 2023. Two years later, Little Rituals nabbed the title of Best Hotel Bar in the U.S. Now, this Phoenix-based nonprofit has rallied again in New Orleans.