Fort Wayne bar earns international recognition
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A restaurant and cocktail bar in downtown Fort Wayne has received recognition from the recently launched The Pinnacle Guide, which has been described by Forbes as similar to the Michelin Guide but for bars.
Copper Spoon, which opened in 2015 by Gary and Kelly Skeel, received the Pin of Excellence by The Pinnacle Guide, making it the only Indiana bar to receive such a distinction.
The Pinnacle Guide awards up to three “Pins” based on a series of assessment modules, including drink menus, venue look and feel, and front of house.
Bars can complete a self-nomination process to be considered for a pin and are then assessed through a series of spot-check interviews and anonymous in-bar reviews, according to The Pinnacle Guide’s website.
Receiving one pin earns a venue the “Excellent” designation, while two pins means “Outstanding,” and three pins means “Exceptional.”
Copper Spoon’s drink menu features more than 130 classic cocktails and seasonally rotating house cocktails, in addition to wine and nearly 1,000 spirits, according to the bar’s website.
The Pinnacle Guide describes Copper Spoon as a “cocktail destination built on precision, creativity, and hospitality.”
“When it comes to executing the cocktails, Copper Spoon is meticulous,” the guide said. “The bar team is expected to master a range of techniques, from milk punches and force carbonation to spherification and fat washing, all designed to evolve flavours and textures. They continuously refine their craft through speed drills, spirit classes, and industry competitions.”
Copper Spoon is only one of six bars from the United States to receive pins of excellence in the latest round of awards.
“We are unbelievably proud of the work our team has done to get us here, unbelievably proud to be the first bar in Indiana to be added to the guide,” the bar said in a post on Facebook. “We are so honored to be in the guide along side so many inspiring bars!”
To date, 61 bars around the world have received the “Excellent” designation. Twenty-three have received the “Outstanding” mark, and just one—Lyaness in London—has earned the “Exceptional” designation.