More than 24 countries participated in the 2023 USA Spirits Ratings and about 20 different categories were involved. The top countries to enter were the United States, Mexico, and France, and the top categories were Whisky, Gin, and Vodka.

Dr Beak New Zealand Premium Gin, Spirit of the Year

Here are the highlights:

Spirit of the Year: Dr Beak New Zealand Premium Gin, Arise Spirts t/a Dr Beak, New Zealand

Distillery of the Year: BHAKTA Spirits, France

Best Spirit by Quality: BHAKTA 1984 Armagnac, BHAKTA Spirits, France

Best Spirit by Value: Winn Dixie Scotch, Sazerac, USA

Best Spirit by Package: Dr Beak New Zealand Premium Gin, Arise Spirts t/a Dr Beak, New Zealand

Vodka of the Year: GO3 Vodka, Jubilee Spirits LLC, USA

Rum of the Year: BHAKTA 1990 Rum, BHAKTA Spirits, Jamaica

Tequila of the Year: 1800 Milenio, Avid Marketing Group, Mexico

Gin of the Year: Dr Beak New Zealand Premium Gin, Arise Spirts t/a Dr Beak, New Zealand

Whisky of the Year: Black Whiskey - Single Barrel, Don Michael SAC, Peru

Absinthe of the Year: No8 Absinthe, No8 Distillery, New Zealand

Cognac of the Year: Moonshadow VSOP, CBH France

Brandy of the Year: Stone Castle Vineyards and Winery, US Stone Castle Imports, Kosovo

Liqueurs of the Year: Luxardo Espresso Liqueur, Access Brand Communications, Italy

Mezcal of the Year: Cutwater Mezcal Joven, Cutwater Spirits, Mexico

RTD of the Year: Boot Hill Distillery Rosemary Mule, Boot Hill Distillery, USA

Non-alcoholic of the Year: Wilderton Botanical Spirit - Bittersweet Aperitivo, Wilderton Botanical Spirits, USA

View Full Results Here.

The USA Spirits Ratings looks to recognize, reward, and help promote spirits brands that have successfully been created to identify with and target a specific spirits drinker. For any spirits brand to earn its place on a retailer’s shelf or a restaurant’s spirits list -  and then vitally stay there - they need to be marketable and consumer-driven and not just produced in the general hope it can find enough people willing to sell and buy it.

That is why the USA Spirits Ratings are different. It singles out and shines the spotlight on those spirits brands that consumers really want to buy and have a clear market value for trade buyers.

A Competition that judges spirits in three key areas:

Their quality

Their value for money

What they look like

To be an award winner you will need to have top-quality spirits that offer both the trade and the consumer great value for money, and you will need to look good and truly stand out on the shelf and on the back bar.

Judging criteria 

To win a USA Spirits Ratings award you will need to score highly in all three areas of our judging criteria. That is why the USA spirits Ratings will be decided based on the following judging formula: Q (Quality Score) + Value Score (V) + Package Score (P) = USA Spirits Ratings Score.

Quality Score: will be marked out of 100 

Value Score: will be marked out of 100 

Package Score: will be marked out of 100 

A separate weighted score will be given for each of the three parts of the judging process (Quality gets twice the weight). 

Gold: to receive a Gold medal you need to score 90 or over. 

Silver: you need to score between 80-89. 

Bronze: you need to score between 70-79. 

The USA Spirits Ratings was assessed and judged by a leading panel of top-level spirits buyers with current direct commercial buying responsibility.

View 2023 Winners