If you want to be in with a chance of winning one of the most prestigious awards in the drinks industry, then the deadline for entries to the London Wine, Spirits, and Beer competitions is now less than four weeks away.

February 28th is the date by which all entries must be received, so with the clock ticking, now is the time to ensure you don’t miss out on the opportunity to get your wine, beer or spirit tasted, assessed, and analysed by the competitions’ top team of drinks professionals, who sniff, swirl and spit their way through thousands of drinks in order to select the worthy winners that stand out head and shoulders above the crowd.

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The competitions, which are now in their fifth year, are judged by a top team of industry experts with an impeccable pedigree, who have been selected for both their deep knowledge and extensive experience. They comprise a panel who have direct current responsibility for drinks buying with this year’s competitions seeing several new judges added to the already impressive panel that the organisers, US-based Beverage Trade Network (BTN), have put together to help assess what is expected to be a big jump in entries for each of the awards.

One of the biggest new names in the bartending and cocktails world to sign up for the 2022 competition is a renowned consultant to the bar industry Salvatore Calabrese, who is also a former president of the United Kingdom Bartender Guild, while the competitions also look to have a Master of Wine or Master Sommelier and at least one woman on each judging panel.

Other judges include top bartenders, owners, and managers from Dukes Hotel, the Connaught Bar, Soho House, Gleneagles, the Goring, Sofitel, the Brown Hotel, Annabel’s Club, and the Ritz, to name just a few. With such a prestigious lineup of judges who demand the very best in their professional lives, you can be assured that the judging process will be suitably exacting and stringent.

“It is very important we have the same repeat judges in order to improve the consistency of the competition and that is why for any new judge to come on board, we take our time to make them understand the philosophy of the competition and also to see if they meet the criteria,” explains BTN’s founder Sid Patel.

However, the most important factor is the judges’ buying experience, and the decisions they are making on a day-to-day basis about the products they list in their outlets. “That way we can be assured we are rewarding the most commercially focused wines, beers, and spirits there are in the market.”

And with thousands of entries from over 80 countries expected to enter, the judges certainly have their work cut out. More than 2,500 spirits alone are expected to enter this year’s competition, while similar numbers of beers and wines will be represented in their respective competitions. The judging will take place on March 21st, 22nd, and 23rd, and aims to recognise, award, and promote those drinks brands that have been created specifically to identify with and target a specific drinker.

For any brand to earn its place on a retailers’ shelf restaurant list or back bar, and then, most importantly, remain there, they need to be both marketable and consumer-driven and not just produced in the vague hope that somehow it will find the people to sell and buy it. This is the USP of the London competitions –to single out and highlight those top brands that consumers actually want to fork out their hard-earned cash for, and which have a very clear market value in the eyes of the trade buyer.

To guarantee success at the London Spirits Competition it is essential to score highly in all three categories. You may have a brilliant product, but if the packaging and price are not right then commercially the brand is simply not a viable proposition, which is something the London Competitions are looking for in its winners.

So every entrant is judged on its quality, value, and packaging, with quality being given twice the weight of the other two criteria.

And in a new initiative for this year’s London Spirits Competition, every brand owner, distiller, or supplier entering the awards is also being encouraged to submit a cocktail suggestion for each of their products demonstrating the versatility of their brand and showcasing inventive new uses for the drink.

“By allowing drinks producers to enter a bespoke cocktail for each of the products they enter it is effectively creating a bridge to connect brands with consumers through the bars they are visiting, says Patel. (“London Spirits Competition introduces new cocktail initiative”) “As organisers we are constantly listening and adapting our offer to give producers, suppliers, and importers clear and added benefits to enter their spirits.”

Another benefit of entering – and winning – an award in the London Competitions is the fact that these top-rated drinks are then promoted directly to consumers via the London Drinks Guide, a dedicated online drinks magazine that carries interviews with brand owners, bartenders, and sommeliers. Winners are also promoted in spin-offs of the London Drinks Guide in New York, Paris, San Francisco, Mumbai, Los Angeles, and Chicago, guaranteeing maximum exposure for the products.

So make sure you get your entries in by February 28th, with the final date for products arriving at the warehouse on March 4th. Winners will be announced on April 5th.

For further information on how to enter, please see below:

• London Wine Competition.
• London Spirits Competition.
• London Beer Competition.

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