World Drinks Awards winners announced

Bainbridge Organic Legacy Vodka was announced the World’s Best Vodka and World's Best Vodka Design at the World Drinks Awards presented last night in London by TheDrinksReport.com.

The World Drinks Awards celebrate not only the best tasting spirits from around the globe but also the best packaging designs. Comprising the World’s Best Brandy, World’s Best Calvados, World’s Best Cognac, World’s Best Gin, World’s Best Vodka, and World’s Best Rum, were judged by an independent tasting panel drawn from the best drinks journalists and retailers across the world, with industry representatives made up of master blenders, distillers and brand ambassadors included in the judging of the final round. For the packaging design category judging, leading brand design creatives and packaging technology experts gathered to examine every entry in great detail.

Following three intensive rounds of blind tastings, the overall winners of the Taste categories were announced as:

• The World’s Best Brandy – Ironworks Pear Eau de Vie
• The World’s Best Calvados – Roger Grout Reserve 3 Years
• The World’s Best Cognac – Francis Abecassis ABK6 Cognac VSOP
• The World’s Best Gin – Gilpin’s Westmorland Extra Dry Gin
• The World’s Best Rum – St Vincent Distillers Captain Bligh XO
• The World’s Best Vodka – Bainbridge Legacy Organic Vodka

The World’s Best Drinks Design Award overall winners were announced as:

• The World’s Best Cognac Design – Deau Cognac Extra Louis Memory designed by Linea Agency
• The World’s Best Gin Design – Brooklyn Gin designed by Spring Design Partners who were also announced as the World’s Best Design Agency, sponsored by Guala Closures Group
• The World’s Best Rum Design – The La Hechicera Fine Aged Rum designed by Brandhouse
• The World’s Best Vodka Design – Bainbridge Legacy Organic Vodka designed by Motive Packaging & Design

A full list of all the category and sub-category winners, along with pictures and tasting notes, can be found on the awards website: www.WorldDrinksAwards.com

The World Drinks Awards, sponsored by Glencairn Crystal and Guala Closures Group, is the annual selection of the very best alcoholic beverages internationally. Entries were received from more than 25 countries, from as far afield as South Africa, the US, Mongolia and France.

Categories are based upon the commonly held groupings but also some new interpretations of style related to consumer expectations and understanding. For example, we introduced categories such as ‘traditional style’ and ‘contemporary style’ for gin, and for vodka, categories that recognise a spirit for having a little ‘varietal character’ as well as purity and neutrality.

The Awards are presented by TheDrinksReport.com, chaired by editor Felicity Murray, and exist to promote the very best beverages to consumers worldwide, as well as inform and educate the trade.

A unique boxed set with five samples of winners is exclusively available from www.MasterOfMalt.com providing further worldwide distribution and promotion for each victor.

Chairman of the judges, Felicity Murray, commented: “The competition featured some eye-opening spirits and the judging panel had a hard time separating the good from the very good. My congratulations go to the winners. The judges’ exacting standards mean that the winners are truly the greatest tasting spirits and best looking pack designs in the world.”

The World Drinks Awards scheme has been created by Paragraph Publishing, organiser of the well-established World Whiskies Awards and World Beer Awards, as an umbrella title for an extended range of drinks sector competitions. Under the auspices of TheDrinksReport.com, the inaugural World Drinks Awards 2014 opened for entries with new categories for Brandy, Calvados, Cognac, Gin, Rum and Vodka.

21 February 2014 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor