WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Max Overstrom-Coleman had just dropped his daughter off at day care on Wednesday when he learned that his cocktail bar, Wolf Tree, was among the semifinalists for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar.

Jack Stevens, a friend and co-owner of Italian-inspired restaurant Leeward in Portland, Maine, kept blowing up his phone. Stevens also was nominated, for best chef in the Northeast. When Overstrom-Coleman finally picked up, he couldn’t believe the news about his bar.

“Myself, my crew, we couldn’t be more proud and humbled,” he said in a phone interview.

Overstrom-Coleman, 45, opened Wolf Tree in late 2019 in a converted storefront on Currier Street with a vision to bring cocktail culture back to the Upper Valley.

That vision has remained Wolf Tree’s guiding star, cementing the bar as a go-to spot to enjoy a craft cocktail in the area.

The core menu boasts meticulously concocted libations like the Naked + Afraid, which combines mescal, Aperol, ginger and lemon for a zesty, robust flavor.

A selection of beers, wines and charcuterie boards round out the menu, while seasonal drinks like the Winter Negroni, containing gin, Campari and Lustau’s Pedro Ximenez sherry, keep things interesting for regulars.

For Chris Cummings, a nurse at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and self-described “martini bitch,” Wolf Tree offers some respite between long shifts at the hospital.

“It’s by far one of the best bars around,” he said, looking up from a notebook full of EKG results on Tuesday evening.

Kelsie Hogue, of Etna, agreed with Cummings. “This feels like the best Brooklyn bar, but in White River Junction, so that makes it better,” she said as she polished off her I Wanna Be Your Lover, a floral, gin-based cocktail poured over a cube of ice monogrammed with the bar’s logo.

Overstrom-Coleman hears the Brooklyn comparison a lot, and while he appreciates the compliment, he pushes back a little.

“Just because we live in a more rural setting, doesn’t mean we can’t have access to a place that is terribly thoughtful about the cocktails and the ingredients they use,” he said.

The James Beard Awards, which celebrate their 35th anniversary this year, are among the most prestigious culinary awards in the country. Semifinalists are selected from a list of recommendations submitted by regional judges, subcommittee members and the general public. Overstrom-Coleman was unaware that his bar had been recommended until the semifinalists were announced.

In 2022, Nisachon “Rung” Morgan, who co-owns northern Thai restaurant Saap in Randolph with her husband, won the regional award for top chef in New England.

This year, Wolf Tree is the only New England semifinalist in its category, which it shares with 19 other bars across the country.

Overstrom-Coleman is quick to credit his staff for their hand in the bar’s success.

“They’ve all been incredibly conscientious about excellence and attention to detail and taking care of people,” he said.

The five nominees to advance to the next round will be announced on April 2.

Marion Umpleby can be reached at mumpleby@vnews.com or 603-727-3306.