Spirits Competitions

[jessicajlemmon]

Starting to get the itch to try and get some bling on a couple of our products. Aside from the ADI and ACSA spirits awards, is there a reliable list of competitions anywhere? 

Naturally, we've started getting solicitations for such events but I'm wary of anyone that comes to US. 

[paulNL]

San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles... Those seem to be the important ones as seen from the other side of the Atlantic. Google is your friend!

[MDH]

I've asked about this before myself on these forums. My position is one of general skepticism for the vast majority of competitions, especially regional ones.

The important are London, New York, San Francisco. The other important ones aren't awards at all, they're just influential people's opinions (eg the likes of Jim Murray, Robert Parker, etc). Media and those on the outer-circles of the industry (e.g. bartenders) do pay attention to these as well and often buy products which appear with top honors.

[indyspirits]

22 minutes ago, MDH said:

My position is one of general skepticism for the vast majority of competitions

Well warranted.  Those that truly benefit from "competitions" are the sponsors. That being said, we did at least a half-dozen in our first 18 months. Nice to hand the "awards" to hang on  bottles in the tasting room. We've gone back and tasted bottles from our early days. I was less than impressed.  Get your sales & marketing ppl involved. Print up neck-hangers for distribution. Don't get a big head when awarded a "gold".  

 

 

[bluefish_dist]

Really depends if you want real feedback or a medal.  Adi seems to the former.   Others the latter.  

We entered one and did well, but then I looked at who got double gold and lost all respect for the judging.  When the double gold goes to a product that one of my blind taste testers identified due to how bad it was, I really question who is judging and if I want to make a product they approve.  

[jessicajlemmon]

Well, I am my sales and marketing people.

Not sure we're ready for the 'big shows' yet, but didn't want to waste money and resources on seemingly random events. 

[Roger]

Honestly unless you have come up with some incredible speciality spirit,  and are realitvely new, you would be better off to just enter any of the myriad of "Pay to Play" HoneyBooBoo competitions out there. It seems like most people who play that game enter contests far away from their actual location, so it adds more drama to the purchased medals. Also make sure it has an official sounding name like "The Elon Musk Intergalactic Bourbon Challenge" 

We have a Quasi-illery near us that actually entered and won a bunch of medals in a "competition"  for several different unreleased aged whiskeys that were still halfway through their way to being straight (+/- 16 months). A rye, bourbon, corn, etc. must have been awesome !

Playing Devils advocate, wouldn't that mean that the actual spirit you eventually release is different than the one you purchased the medal for, making said fake award even less valid ?

But people seem to buy it, so follow the sheep.

ps: They also were victorious with their  100% NGS vodka and gin. 

prost 

 

 

[MGL]

Aint they all pay to play? I also see one gettin top honors one year and the next year they get bronze for the same stuff. How does that work? I bet I could submit 5 of the same soiurced vodka with different labels to the same competition and walk away with a bronze, silver and a gold.

[Huffy2k]

In my dreams I dream of submitting 2 bottles of Pappy, poured into my own bottles and entered into the under 2 years category, just to read the tasting notes from the so called "experts" that point out the faults of small barrel aging...

I can dream can't I?

[glisade]

7 hours ago, Huffy2k said:

In my dreams I dream of submitting 2 bottles of Pappy, poured into my own bottles and entered into the under 2 years category, just to read the tasting notes from the so called "experts" that point out the faults of small barrel aging...

I can dream can't I?

I would LOVE that! Please do it and photograph the evidence..the only problem is it would cost you thousands on the "pappy black market" to even get the bottles.

[MDH]

The tastings in San Francisco and London are committed completely blind.

[Sator Square Distillery]

Out of curiosity, why is paying to enter a competition seen as a negative?

The event organizers need to rent a venue to host the tastings. Appropriate spaces aren't donated. The judges would be assumed to be qualified to render their opinions on what they're tasting. So asking them to appear, in perhaps a city or venue far away from where they are, and to pay their own way to fly in or otherwise travel, and pay for their own lodging and food sounds unreasonable. There's also staff that has to do all the pouring and recording and organizing and making sure it's all above board.  Who in their right mind would do all of that for free? So it makes sense to me that a competition should cost something to enter. Am I missing something?

[paulNL]

No you're right, a competition has some substantial costs. Then again some people might find it profitable to organise their own competition  to make a profit. As a producer you vote with your wallet, if you want a medal from a reputable competition you send your products there. If you want "any medal" just send it to the cheapest, nearest or first available competition. And as a producer you can always organise your own competition, having your local Rotary or Lions as the judges. Has been done. Not by me.