There are lots of spirits competitions out there. And there is a reason for this. Most competitions have their own way of doing things, be it the judges they work with, what the judges are looking for and what the competition can offer those who enter. For example, a spirit might get a different response from a competition looking for craft production as opposed to cocktail potential for bartenders.

If you need a little guidance on this, it may be worth speaking to the International Drinks Specialists, who can advise on this and provide feedback on your spirits.

Here’s a list of notable competitions in the UK and US (we will try and keep this updated but please do contact is if there are any we’ve missed), with links to their sites for further information.

UK
Gin Cooperative Awards
Gin Guide Awards
Great Taste Awards
IWSC
London Spirits Competition
The Global Spirits Masters
World Drinks Awards

US
ADI International Spirits Competition
Las Vegas Global Spirits Awards
NOLA Spirits Comp
San Francisco Spirits Competition
TAG Spirits Awards

Competition news can be found below. Again, it’s a fast paced world so this will be kept updated with news as we get it, but it’s always worth checking competition sites for details of submission details and deadlines so you don’t miss out.