DrinkedIn Trends

THE CRAFT IRISH WHISKEY CO.’S FIRST RELEASE STRIKES GOLD IN THIS YEAR’S GLOBAL AND HIGHLY INFLUENTIAL A’ DESIGN AWARDS

The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. wins the highest scoring Gold award in ‘Packaging Design Category’ for The Devil’s Keep Experience Box

12th May 2021, London The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. achieved Gold in the ‘Packaging Design Category 2020-2021’ of the A’ Design Award for The Devil’s Keep experience box, which was the luxury Irish whiskey’s first release. The A’ Design Award and Competition is the world’s most prestigious and influential design accolade, which acknowledges the best design and most innovative products from international brands and designers.

With over 4,000 entries submitted from the world’s top designers, the competition is judged by over 200 jury members from the International Design Academy, to form The Grand A’ Design Award Jury Panel, including design professionals, press and academics, who award brands across five categories: Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron. The award-winning products and designs will be formally announced at the official A’ Design Award Gala-Night and Exhibition in Italy, which will take place later this year.

The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. was the highest scoring Gold Award, achieving 9.9 within the top 2% of the category, missing out on Platinum to Pepsi Co’s redesigned packaging. It was the only whiskey brand to be awarded ‘Gold’, within the ‘Packaging Design Category’, alongside over 20 innovative brands awarded Gold in the A’ Design Award. It marks The Craft Irish Whiskey Co.’s third win of the year after being awarded ‘Luxury Drinks Secondary Pack’ for the design of The Devil’s Keep experience box at The Luxury Packaging Awards 2020 and Highly Commended for the design of The Devil’s Keep bottle in the ‘Luxury Drinks Primary Pack’ award in February 2021.

Waterford Distillery awarded Best Irish Whiskey and Best Irish Single Malt in World Spirits Competition.

Thursday, 6th May 2021: Barley forward Terroir-driven producer, Waterford Distillery, has won best in class and five medals at this year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC), one of the industry’s most influential and prestigious global tasting events.

Leading the way was Waterford’s Single Farm Origin: Hook Head, which won not only the “Best Irish Single Malt” title but also picked up the overall award for the “Best Irish Whiskey”.

The Waterford whiskies received high praise from the judging panel, adding to Waterford’s flurry of prestigious industry awards wins this year, firmly establishing the new boy on the block as one of the world’s leading distillers.

Established in 2000, the annual SFWSC event revealed its winners across a range of sectors, judged by some of the most respected and experienced experts in the spirits industry. All entries are judged via controlled blind tasting to determine the best in class amongst some of the world’s most premium spirits.

Shene Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky Takes Home Five Double Gold and 1 Gold at this year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition

The 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition was held at One Market Restaurant in San Francisco from April 1st through April 20th, with Shene Distillery taking home prestigious Double Gold medals for Shene Elixir of Life Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky 49% abv, Shene Solera Cask Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky 49% abv, Shene Mackey Trinity Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky 49% abv, Shene Trinity Enigma Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky 49% abv, Shene Mackey Triple Distilled Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 63.3% abv, and a Gold medal for Shene Cognac Release Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky 49% abv.

Founded in 2000, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition is the oldest and largest competition of its kind. This year the competition was another record-breaking year that more than 3,500 entries from all corners of the world.

“Each year’s results are closely followed, both by consumers eager for the expert judgements and more importantly by the trade, especially the distributor community. Many a craft distillery startup has found that recognition by the SFWSC is the golden key to unlocking broad national, and often, international distribution. Even established producers look to the SFWSC for confirmation of their core ranges, as well as validation of new products and new production techniques.” – Joseph V Micallef in a 2021 Forbes Article.

The 30+ judges of the 2021 Competition are established spirits industry experts, including Anthony Dias Blue (Executive Director), author, editor, publisher, and one of the most influential food, wine,and spirits writers and lifestyle personalities in the U.S.A and Jeffrey Morgenthaler (Director of Judging), of Clyde Common at Portland’s Ace Hotel, named America’s Bartender of the Year and the country’s Best Cocktail and Spirits Writer at the 2016 Spirited Awards.

Evan Williams Bourbon Announces 2021 American-Made Heroes

American-Made Hero Foundation Fund 2021 grant applications now open

As an American-made and American-owned brand, Evan Williams recognizes true American heroes through their exceptional stories of honor and bravery. This special edition label of Evan Williams Black Bourbon celebrates the heroic stories of military veterans, chosen for their selfless acts of service at home and abroad (bios included below). New for this year, invitations to be featured as an American-Made Hero were extended to veterans whose affiliate organization applied through the American-Made Hero Foundation Fund grant process. The 2021 Evan Williams American-Made Heroes were selected from more than 472 grant applications and are featured on more than 474,000 bottles available nationwide.BARDSTOWN, Ky. – Evan Williams Bourbon today announced the 2021 class of veterans selected as American-Made Heroes. Each veteran’s picture and story of service in their active duty and civilian life will be featured on the side of the special-edition Evan Williams Black Bourbon label. The American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund, now in its second year, will award support through the 2021 Veteran Community Action grants.

The 2021 American Hero edition packaging received the same new look as the Evan Williams Bourbon family, first announced in September 2020. The new signature bottle is complemented by a curved blue label adorned with red and white stripes and stars, and blue capsule featuring “Evan Williams” on the bottle neck. Proudly displayed on the side of each bottle is one of the brand’s key taglines “American Owned, American Made, American Proud” celebrating Evan Williams’ legacy as Kentucky’s first commercial distiller. Each Evan Williams American-Made Hero embodies Evan Williams’ values: hard-working, humbly confident, reliable, and imbued with American spirit, with their stories prominently featured on the side of the label along with their picture, name, and military title.

“We are honored to share the stories of this diverse group of veterans who have upheld the American spirit through extraordinary acts of service,” said Julie Cole, Evan Williams Bourbon Senior Brand Manager. “Through the American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund we are humbled to offer help to organizations that support veterans and lift up these communities.”

On Burns Night (January 25th) we were delighted to announce that Locogen’s client, the Arbikie Highland Estate Distillery, had won Phase 1 funding from the Green Distilleries competition run by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to investigate switching from gas oil to hydrogen for their primary process fuel.

So it’s fitting that, on World Whisky Day, we can announce that after a successful Phase 1 feasibility study, Arbikie are applying for Phase 2 funding – and a share of a £10 million funding pot – to implement zero-carbon green hydrogen as their primary process fuel.

The Green Distilleries fund aims to help distilleries cut CO2 emissions by one million tonnes, contributing to Scotland’s national target to be carbon neutral by 2045, with each distillery deploying innovative green solutions in order to achieve these ambitious goals.

Arbikie Highland Estate Distillery are determined to find a low carbon alternative to gas oil to further improve their already impressive sustainability and environmental credentials.

Renewable energy specialist Locogen and hydrogen technology expert Logan Energy are therefore partnering with Arbikie to deliver an innovative solution, using green hydrogen produced onsite using electrolysis from wind and solar generation as the zero-carbon fuel for the distillation process.