Whisky Advocate’s Post

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WHAT IT MEANS TO WIN AT THE London Competitions? North Uist Distillery | Certified B-Corp that won the 2023 London Spirits Competition with its award-winning Downpour Gin from Scotland share a few insights with our team. Downpour Scottish Dry Gin, from the North Uist Distillery Company in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, was the highest scoring spirits brand with 98 points in the 2023 London Spirits Competition. Here’s what it meant to the distillery owners Kate MacDonald and Jonny Ingledew: “Being a gold medal winner at the London Spirits Competition has had a significant impact on our sales. One of our business goals for the year was to gain more traction in the on-trade. Recognition from London Spirits Competition has acted as a seal of approval in this respect as the competition is judged by some of the world’s leading figures from the hospitality sector. Not only this, judging is undertaken with the end consumer in mind, so you know the judges can genuinely see a space for your products.” “Often it is difficult to identify a tangible link between awards success and specific listings, however, I can point to several new partnerships as a direct result of our London Spirits Competition medals. This includes a listing with a high-end UK-wide department store whose buyer was on the judging panel. This also includes the opening up of a new export market after we were approached by an importer who had seen coverage of our success.” “This is no coincidence. The LSC team did a superb job of promoting the competition and providing a platform for the medal winners. We have won top medals in other competitions and it was a flash in the pan, whereas LSC has sustained the coverage throughout the year. We really appreciate it – thank you!” #brandsuccess #globalrecognition #brandstory North Uist Distillery | Certified B-Corp | Kate MacDonald | Jonny Ingledew The Deadline for entry to the London Competitions is February 22.⌛️ Enter while you still have time: https://lnkd.in/dRVxt6b PS: Image proudly showing LSC sticker on top of the bottle. 😍

"Competition medals don't mean anything; everyone has medals." That's a common sentiment we often hear. Most of the time, it's true. Many competitions give distinctions to whoever pays, with judging criteria that don't solely focus on taste. However, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition appears to be different. It is a blind competition where only taste matters, judged by an extraordinary panel of experts. "Many consider a Double Gold at San Francisco to be the highest medal one can receive in the spirits world, but there’s something even more prestigious: a Platinum Medal." We are proud that our Rum 0.0% has been awarded Double Gold every year since its creation and is now the first non-alcoholic spirit to receive the Platinum Medal. Our dedication to crafting the finest non-alcoholic spirits from real spirits is paying off, and we couldn't be prouder.Check out the full list of platinum medal winners at SFWSC here https://lnkd.in/dkx7AxjT #SFWSC #Competition #PlatinumMedal #DoubleGold #NoAlcohol #AlcoholFree #NonAlcoholicSpirits San Francisco World Spirits Competition The Tasting Alliance

For many coffee professionals, #barista #competitions represent the pinnacle of the #specialtycoffee industry, and many have built a career off the back of their competition success. But as new generations enter the sector, the prestige is shifting. Ross Hindle speaks with Charlotte Corra about the evolution of competitions over time, how in recent years, SCA Expo and WoC events have seen a notably smaller audience for their competitions, and why that is. https://lnkd.in/egiWiT5P

One of the most popular alcohol drink and the World’s Number One Scotch Whiskey, Johnnie Walker. We shared how this brand with a long history that takes back 200 years has turned into modern, vibrant, and giving that exceptional experience to guests with a touch point into The Sensory Marketing. While my team and I shared the brand, I can still recall the difference between a Scotch Whiskey and a Whiskey coming from someone who actually doesn’t drink. Again, I will give that credit to my previous company- Ayala Land Premier. They didn’t teach us how to drink, don’t get me wrong. But we have a School of Marketing and Sales. And in that class, we were not just taught and train how to present ourselves professionally from head to toe but we had the privileged to attend art appreciation even wine and dine which covers the right and perfect pairing including “The Five S” of wine drinking and many more. I can vividly remember, we were advised and I was one of them that it doesn’t matter if one don’t drink that much. Be familiarized with some of the most iconic and popular (alcohol or non-alcoholic) drink from champagne, red wine, white wine, scotch whiskey to cognac. And we should be able to differentiate it at the end of the day. It’s another form of communication. Why? We are working for a premier and luxury industry. 80% of the time it’s either socialization but more like recommendation. That’s how one communicate and build relationship with investors particularly high profile society. It’s better to be cultured.

Revolutionizing Cognac: Sazerac and Quavo unveil 'White X' – a groundbreaking 'white' Cognac. Bridging tradition and innovation, this smoother and sweeter spirit is set to redefine Cognac norms. #Sazerac #Quavo #WhiteCognac #InnovationInSpirits #CognacRevolution #LuxurySpirits #CraftCognac #SpiritsIndustry #ModernCognac #BeverageTrends

Don’t assume success… Lost Distellery enetered a hyper competitive market with a high price tag in an off the beaten path location. They engineered a lot of head winds into their go to market strategy. My guess is lots of people saw this business and assumed it was successful. If you went there on a Friday night you might have found it full. I talk to entrepreneurs all the time that presume other businesses they see are successful. And then they use that assumption as input into their own strategy. Building a GTM strategy on non-validated assumptions is dangerous. You stack them up and your business all of a sudden becomes a house of cards. Be aware of your assumptions.

Day 15/30 of my series of retail, social media, business and much more! I think REFY is one of the coolest brands right now. Started when founder, Jess Hunt, had a famous five step eyebrow routine to get her signature fluffy brows (a huge trend), and her friend & makeup artist (Jenna Meek) noticed a product development opportunity for a functional product, they have since killed it with incredible social media campaigns and content, amazing activations (like the one below) and I believe they have disrupted the beauty market in a very impressive way. From my consumer/follower perspective, Jess owned the fluffy brow trend and I saw it as part of her personal brand even as the trend died down and so when I saw her launch their famous brow sculpt, it made so much sense. It’s one of my absolute favourite things to see in business when someone’s authenticity and unique personal brand allows them to create an opportunity and have it go beyond them - as REFY has done with its worldwide success. I think the brand really understands social media as they are consistently bringing out exciting campaigns, pop ups, and unique activations, which is important in the beauty industry where hype phases can die out quickly. And of course after the huge success of what I think is their hero product (the brow sculpt), they are expanding into other beauty product categories like lips and face, which is in line with their focus on functional, natural and clean makeup. If you haven’t already heard of them, they’re one to watch for sure. (Also last point because I could talk all day and I’m actually studying them for some coursework right now, but their retail partnerships are very interesting as 3 weeks into launching Sephora picked them up so they’ve been stocked in the US and UK since very early on. Very impressive and from my retail knowledge, a great move to bring that brand awareness and cement their presence as a great brand in the beauty space) Thanks for sharing Charlotte Geoghegan! #refybeauty #refy #socialmedia #brandexperience

Auctioning Fine Whisky for Superior Returns Whisky auctions provide an avenue to acquire rare and premium bottles. They offer the ability to bid remotely online or submit pre-bids, with the highest bidder winning the lot. Auction whiskies are typically of exceptional quality and age, carefully authenticated and from respected distilleries. However, intense bidding can drive final prices well above the pre-auction estimates due to competition among collectors. While enabling access to elite expressions, the auction format also risks pricing out some prospective buyers. This is precisely why at Direct Whisky Co., we guide you through selecting the ideal whisky expressions for auctioning. Our expertise ensures you can acquire your preferred whiskies while maximizing the potential benefits of the auction process. We help you identify bottles that will pique collectors' interest, yet remain aligned with your taste preferences. With our insider knowledge, you can confidently pursue rarities that command top prices without compromising on the enjoyment you seek from your whisky collection. Our tailored approach balances investment prospects with drinkability, allowing you to extract optimal value from whisky auctions.  #whiskyinvest #investments #caskinvestment #australia #whiskyinvestment #australianbusiness #investmentopportunity #austrlianinvestors🚀 #alternativeInvestments #investment #whisky #autraliainvestment #financialmarket #ukbusiness #WhiskyInvestment #WhiskyCask #rarewhisky #whiskyinvesting #UK #whiskyinvestments #casket #copilot #cask #UKinvestors #wine

As the #coffee competition circuit grows, #roasting championships are seemingly becoming more prominent – which is pushing more of a stripped back approach that favours pure skill over flair. Tomas Serra, an Authorized Specialty Coffee Association Trainer from Argentina, and I share some insights into how roasting championships are becoming more popular and the potential impact this could have on coffee competitions at large. https://lnkd.in/eG65pN2Z