Original article by Mary Colurso at AL.com
Folks who love Adios, a bar in downtown Birmingham, know this is where you’ll find outstanding margaritas, mojitos, negronis, martinis and other craft cocktails. The rest of the country is catching on, too, via some high-profile recognition from the Spirited Awards.
Adios, 2218 First Ave. North, recently was named as one of the best cocktail bars in the United States by the Spirited Awards, which are similar to the Oscars of the booze world.
Presented by the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, these annual awards recognize excellence in the drinks industry on a national and international scale. Their goal is to celebrate “individuals, products, establishments, media, and industry luminaries from across the world who continue to inspire the global cocktail community,” according to the foundation’s website.
Adios was one of 12 cocktail bars in the Central U.S. honored by the Spirited Awards in 2024. It’s also one of 32 cocktail bars to earn regional accolades throughout the country. Winners of the regional awards were announced on April 18, and will move on to compete for recognition in a national top 10.
Adios is in good company among the honorees in the Central United States, which also include Bar Tonique in New Orleans; DrinkWell in Austin, Texas; Meadowlark in Chicago; and Julep in Houston, Texas. Winners across the U.S. include Thunderbolt in Los Angeles, Foreign National in Seattle, Trick Dog in San Francisco and Overstory in New York City. (See the full list of regional honorees here.)
Adios, which opened in 2022, trumpeted its award with posts on social media. “We are deeply grateful for the incredible support we’ve received since opening our doors in Birmingham,” an Instagram post said. “This recognition is a testament to the dedication of our team and the passion of our community. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of our journey so far. We can’t wait to continue crafting exceptional experiences and serving you all! This is just the beginning — here’s to more memorable moments ahead!”
This isn’t the first time Adios has recognized by the Spirited Awards. The bar was named as one of the Best New Cocktail Bars in the Central U.S. in 2023 by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, along with fancy watering holes such as Nine Bar in Chicago; In Plain Sight in Austin, Texas; Dovetail Bar at the Schaeffer Hotel in New Orleans; and Penny Drip in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Since its opening, Adios also has been featured by Imbibe Magazine, in an April 2023 story with recommendations on “Where to Drink in Birmingham, Alabama.” That same month, Food & Wine included Adios on its list of the “15 Best Tequila Places to Drink Tequila Around the US.”
“By Mexico City standards, this is a great bar,” Food & Wine said. “Tropical plants fill the space, the cocktail list is full of unique agave cocktails, and the walls are covered in antique Mexican stained glass and prints from Arch. Oax, a Oaxaca-based mixed media artist. But the thing is, this Mexican accented bar isn’t in Mexico at all: it’s in Alabama. Mexican-born owners José Medina Camacho and Jesús Méndez managed to transplant the music and energy of the Mexican capital into this Birmingham tequila lounge. Vibes are transportive, the bottle list is long and the cocktails are creative, like the Miel de Maguey, a tequila-based martini riff, or a mule spiked with tajin and chamoy.”