Polite Provisions Honored as "Cocktail Bar of the Year" for 2014 by Imbibe Magazine

December 20, 2013

Normal Heights cocktail bar, Polite Provisions, has been named "Cocktail Bar of the Year" by one of the foremost authorities in the national beverage industry, Imbibe Magazine.  More often than not, these national "Best Bar" awards go to the major players in markets like NYC, Chicago, and LA. This is a HUGE honor and quite a big moment for San Diego's cocktail industry.

"The Imbibe 75" aims to recognize the 75 most notable people and places to watch in the coming New Year. This week, as the second annual “best-of” issue—The Imbibe 75—hits subscriber mailboxes around the U.S., Polite Provisions’ General Manager and Partner, Erick Castro, alongside the entire CH Projects team (Craft & Commerce, Noble Experiment, etc) are proud to announce Polite Provisions as the recipient of Imbibe Magazine’s 2014 Imbibe 75 “Cocktail Bar of the Year”.

Having opened doors less than a year ago in February of 2013, the Normal Height’s cocktail haven immediately captivated the attention of the international cocktail industry with features in Imbibe Magazine, The Spirits Business, Details Magazine, Tasting Panel, Sunset Magazine, Restaurant Hospitality, Food & Wine and Playboy to name a few.

“I am beyond honored. This award is the culmination of hard work by an amazing team of individuals we have working at Polite Provisions,” says Erick Castro. “San Diego’s cocktail scene is on steroids right now. We’re growing by leaps and bounds, and it’s refreshing to see our local cocktail community being recognized on a national level. We’ve broke open the floodgates this year, and there’s no stopping us now.”

“We think of the Imbibe 75 as an opportunity to take stock of who has been having a notable impact on the drinks world over the past year and who looks to have an interesting vision moving into the year ahead,” says Imbibe publisher Karen Foley. “We’re very excited about our list for 2014—it’s such a fun representation of the creativity happening across the drinkscape.”

Chosen by Imbibe’s editors, the Imbibe 75 features interviews and recipes from important tastemakers who are defining the way we drink. Last year’s inaugural “Cocktail Bar of the Year” was won by none other than Joaquín Simo’s Pouring Ribbons (NYC). The issue will hit newsstands on January 1, 2014.

Over the past year, Polite Provision has garnered the following recognitions:

- Imbibe Magazine’s 2013 Imbibe 75 – January 2013

- Eater National's “40 Most Anticipated Openings of 2013” – January 2013

- Details magazine's “Where to Drink in 2013” – January 2013

- “The Bars to Watch in 2013” by The Spirits Business – November 2012

- Tales of the Cocktail’s 7th Annual Spirited Awards: finalist in two separate categories, “World’s Best New Cocktail Bar” and “Best High Volume Cocktail Bar”, with Polite Provision’s partner/general manager, Erick Castro, announced a finalist for “American Bartender of the Year” – May 2013

- Thrillist’s “33 Best New Bars in America” – December 2013

- James Beard Foundation’s “Our Favorite Dishes (and Drinks!) of 2013” – December 2013

- Food & Wine’s “Best New Bars in the US” -- December 2013

- Imbibe Magazine’s 2014 Imbibe 75 “Cocktail Bar of the Year” – January 2014

Politie Provisions and their sister restaurant, Soda & Swine, are located at 4696 30th Street in Normal Heights.  For more information, visit politeprovisions.com.