SPECIAL REPORT: World Drinks Awards

The World’s Drinks Awards 2017 were presented on Thursday, 30 March 2017 by Felicity Murray, editor and founder of TheDrinksReport.com, and Richard Watling, master of The Worshipful Company of Distillers, at the Waldorf Hilton, London.

Selected by an international panel of experts over three rounds of judging, Murray says: "The judges of both the Taste and Design categories were extremely discerning. All those who have won an award can be justifiably proud."

World Drinks Awards:

TASTE sponsored by Glencairn Crystal

World's Best Armagnac  Castarède XO 20 Years Old

World's Best Brandy  Oude Meester Demant

World's Best Calvados  Christian Drouin Calvados Pays d'Âuge

World's Best Cognac  Cognac Leyrat Glory Extra

World's Best Gin  Hernö Old Tom

World's Best Grappa  Acquavite di Vinaccia Bacco per Venere

World's Best Liqueur  Olañeta Licor de Café

World's Best Rum  St Vincent Distillers Mutineers Gold XO Special Reserve Rum

World's Best Premix  The Handmade Cocktail Company The Manhattan Cocktail

World's Best Tequila  Serpiente Tequila Añejo

World's Best Vodka  Nemiroff Premium De Luxe

Whisky

World's Best Blended Whisky  Suntory Hibiki 21 Years Old

World's Best Blended Limited Release  J P Wiser's Dissertation

World's Best Blended Malt  Johnnie Walker Green Label

World's Best Bourbon  John J Bowman Single Barrel Bourbon

World's Best Canadian Blended  Gooderham and Worts Four Grain

World's Best Corn  Ironroot Republic Hubris Corn Whiskey

World's Best Flavoured  J P Wiser's Hopped Whisky

World's Best Grain  The Fuji-Gotemba Distillery Single Grain 25 Years Old Small Batch

World's Best Rye  A D Laws Secale Straight Rye Bottled In Bond

World's Best Single Cask Single Malt  Venture Chichibu Whisky Matsuri 2017

World's Best Single Malt  Craigellachie 31 Years Old

World's Best Single Pot Still  Redbreast 21 Years Old

World's Best Wheat  Bainbridge Battle Point

 

DESIGN

World's Best Design Agency  JDO (see image at top of page)

Armagnac

World's Best Armagnac Design  Sempé Extra Grande-Réserve

World's Best Relauch/Redesign  Chabot 20 Years Old

Gin 

World's Best Gin Design  Boomsma Dry Gin

Best Design Effectiveness  Hanami Dry Gin

Best Ultra Premium  Slingsby Artisan London Dry Gin

Best Limited Edition  Ableforth's Bathtub Explorer's Edition

Best New Launch  Boomsma Dry Gin

Best On Trade  X-Gin

Best Premium  Salcombe Gin Start Point

Best Standard  Koval Barreled Gin

Technical Excellence  Salcombe Gin Start Point

Best Duty Free  Koval Barreled Gin

Grappa

World's Best Grappa Design  Gra'it Vera Grappa Italiana

Liqueur

World's Best Liqueur Design  British Cassis

Best Ableforth's  Bathtub Gin Sloe Gin

Best Duty Free  British Cassis

Best Premium  Drambuie

Best Relaunch/Redesign  Drambuie

Best Standard  British Cassis

Technical Excellence  British Cassis

Best Ultra-Premium  Ableforth's Bathtub Sloe Gin

Rum

World's Best Rum Design  West Indies Rum & Cane

Best Relaunch/Redesign  Agnostura 1824

Best Premium  West Indies Rum & Cane

Best Duty Free  West Indies Rum & Cane

Design Effectiveness  Pirate's Grog Rum

Best New Launch  West Indies Rum & Cane

Tequila

World's Best Tequila Design  Lokita Silver

Design Effectiveness  Serpiente Tequila Añejo

Best Standard  Lokita Silver

Best New Launch  Lokita Silver

Vodka

World's Best Vodka Design  Stolichnaya Ushuaia Elit

Best Standard  New Amsterdam Vodka

Best Duty Free  Stolichnaya Ushuaia Elit

Best New Launch  Collesi Vodka

Best Ultra Premium  Stolichnaya Ushuaia Elit

Best On-Trade  Stolichnaya Ushuaia Elit

Technical Excellence  Canada One Artisan Vodka

Whisky

World's Best Whiskies Design  Highland Park King Christian I

"A stunning design, simple yet luxurious. Great combination of primary and secondary design. A superbly crafted and characterful presentation case. The bottle itself is beautifully designed with great attention to detail. The pear drop shoape sitting in a spiral stand certainly adds a unique element to this very special release from Highland Park."

World's Best Whisky Design Agency  Stranger & Stranger

"This design agency consistently produces eye-catching, story-telling and highly detailed illustrative work on cartons and labels across a huge range of different whisky expressions, making each unique in its message and style."

Best Design Effectiveness  Wiggly Bridge Distillery Small Barrel Bourbon

"A fresh, contemporary deisng incorporating classic elements."

Best Duty Free Design  Highland Park King Christian I

"This superbly crafted and totally unique presentation case and bottle design is perfect for the luxury Travel Retail market. A stunning design, simple yet luxurious."

Best Limited Edition Design  Highland Park King Christian I

"The beautiful pear-shaped bottle, poised in a spiral coil and set in a luxurious cabinet is truly unique. Stunning casing with a simple yet luxurious design."

Best New Launch Design  Catcher's Rye Straight Rye Whiskey

"An outstanding 360 degree design with every element carefully considered. Huge complexity in label application. A lot going on, but working well together."

Best On-trade Design  Catcher's Rye Straight Rye Whiskey

Best Premium Design  Glenfiddich Experimental Series Project XX

"Very elegant design incorporating the traditional Glenfiddich bottle shape."

Best Relaunch/Redesign  Lark Distillery Classic Cask

"A refreshing transformation in design, giving the impression of a bigger brand. Lovely graphics on the label, complete with the outer packaging for the unusial shape bottle."

Best Standard Design  Van Brunt Stillhouse Bourbon

"A little bottle that stands out! Quite a quirky brand personality with a simple confident design, that communicates craft."

Best Technical Excellence Design  Hombo Komagatake 1986 Sherry Cask

"Feminine with finely detailed illustration and pattern combining raised gloss print areas along with matt and pearlescent finishes. This is encased in a softly padded and neatly printed lightweight wooden case, tied with braid. Pretty and delicate."

Best Ultra-Premium Design  Craigellachie 31 Years Old

"A very elegant, fantastic design with the wooden outer packaging and manual lock. Together with the heavy, classic glass bottle, a well-designed package."

 

11 April 2017 - Sam Coyne The Drinks Report, news editor