Spirits competitions are contests between makers of alcoholic beverages. Master distillers, brewmasters and vintners compete to substantiate the quality of their products.
Competitions
There are several liquor, spirits, beer, beverage and wine competitions throughout the world. One of the largest competition is the World Beverage Competition, based in Geneva, Switzerland and established in 1991, celebrating the creation of the WorldTrade Organization. The World Beverage Council founded the World Spirits Competition, alongside the WorldWine Competition, World Beer Competition, and the World Beverage Competition, cumulatively the World's Largest Beverage Competition, an ongoing annual event. The has a panel of consumer-judges to elect winners, unlike other blind-tasting competitions. This approach has allowed SIP Awards to present the most unbiased consumer feedback to date within the spirits competition industry. In 2019, SIP Awards achieved a record-high of 977 entrants as well as an all-time high of 146 consumer judges. The competition is open to any commercial spirit or applicable mixers professionally produced that comply with their classification codes. Every year the American Distilling Institute holds their annual Judging of Craft Spirits. ADI's judging was established in 2006 and it is the largest spirit competition dedicated to craft producers of spirits, cocktail bitters, and aperitif and fortified wines. ADI only accepts entries from producers who are small-scale independently owned. In 2016, ADI opened their judging to also accept international spirits making it the only global spirit competition dedicated to craft distillers. The London Spirits Competition looks to recognise, reward and help promote spirits brands that have successfully been created to identify with and target a specific spirits drinker. For any spirit brand to earn its place on a retailer's shelf or a restaurant's spirits list - and then vitally stay there - they need to be marketable and consumer-driven and not just produced in the general hope it can find enough people willing to sell and buy it.
Awards
The International Beverage Competitions Group began with the New York International Spirits Competition then the New YorkInternational Wine Competition followed by the New York International Beer Competition. It expanded globally with the launch of the Berlin International Spirits Competition, Berlin International Wine Competition and Berlin International Beer Competition. The expansion continued with the Melbourne International Spirits Competition, Melbourne International Wine Competition and Melbourne International Beer Competition. It is excited for its future launch of the Asia International Spirits Competition, Asia International Wine Competition and Asia International Beer Competition to be held September 2017. The 2018 awards for New York International Spirits Competition there were over 600 entries, and over 400 of those won a gold, silver or bronze medal. This does not take into account all the regional awards.
