Puerto Rican mixologist Nicky Fas, of restaurant Pantera in Caguas, is one of the finalists for the James Beard Awards 2026, in the category Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.
Fas has stood out for her creativity and technical command. Her rum-based cocktails with Puerto Rican tropical flavors have positioned her as one of the most innovative mixologists in the Caribbean, raising the bar for cocktail culture outside the metro area.
She shares the category with:
Hastings Cameron, Imaginary Factory, in Madison, Wisconsin
Kevin Diedrich, Pacific Cocktail Haven, in San Francisco, California
McLain Hedges and Mary Allison Wright, Yacht Club, in Denver, Colorado
Ivy Mix, Whoopsie Daisy, in Brooklyn, New York
Why does it matter? The James Beard Awards are the most prestigious awards in the U.S. food industry. Presented annually by the James Beard Foundation, they recognize excellence in the culinary arts, hospitality, media and the food system as a whole.
Puerto Rico has been adding wins in recent years: in 2025, Identidad Cocktail Bar won the inaugural Best New Bar award. That victory follows the wins of 2023, when Natalia Vallejo of Cocina al Fondo became the first Puerto Rican chef to win Best Chef: South, and La Casita Blanca in Santurce became the first restaurant on the Island to receive a James Beard Award as an America's Classic: South Region.
What's next? Winners will be announced at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 15, 2026, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
🇵🇷 Puerto Ricans among semifinalists
From Puerto Rico, one restaurant and five chefs also stood out as semifinalists, announced Jan. 21, in the categories of:
Best Chef: South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS, PR)
Raúl Correa, René Marichal and Xavier Pacheco, Bacoa Finca + Fogón, Juncos
Joerick Rivera, Bakku, Rincón
Best Restaurant
Vianda, San Juan
Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker
Lucia Merino, Lucia Patisserie, San Juan
Cover photo: Nicky Fas, of Pantera (Instagram)
This content was translated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
