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The Spirits Business Awards 2021 winners

The worthy winners of The Spirits Business Awards 2021 were crowned during a packed ceremony in London yesterday (18 November).

Spirits Business Awards 2021
Scroll down to discover the fantastic winners of The Spirits Business Awards 2021

The Spirits Business Awards ceremony returned to its in-person format yesterday and welcomed more than 80 industry peers to The Club at The Ivy in London.

Now in its third year, the awards cover everything from retail and marketing, sustainability and innovation, to tourism, products and the people behind the brands consumers know and love.

Each nomination was judged by an independent panel of judges, comprising: David T Smith, spirits writer, consultant and co-founder of the Craft Distilling Expo; Bernadette Pamplin, freelance spirits writer, judge and founder of the Under the Ginfluence blog; Matthew Frazer, head of UK and Europe at Liquor Bottle Corks & Closures; Ivan Dixon, independent spirits consultant; and Melita Kiely, editor of The Spirits Business.

Kiely said: “We were delighted to be able to host our annual awards in person again and celebrate some truly brilliant winners.

“This year’s award-winners are testament to the high-standard of work that continues across the spirits industry.

“Despite all the challenges of the global pandemic, it is great to see so much innovation, charitable endeavours, environmental progression and collaborations occurring. Congratulations to all of this year’s winners.”

The official sponsor of this year’s awards was Liquor Bottle Corks & Closures.

Additional sponsors of the awards ceremony were: Ty Nant Natural Mineral Water, Marqués de Cáceres, and Glencairn Crystal, who provided the trophies.

Scroll below to discover all of this year’s winners, and see the December 2021 edition of The Spirits Business magazine for an in-depth write-up on The Spirits Business Awards 2021.


Retail and Marketing

Spirits Retailer of the Year – Supermarket

Winner: Waitrose

Spirits Retailer of the Year – E-commerce

Winner: 31 Dover

Runner-up: The Whisky Exchange

Special Commendation: Mash & Grape

Spirits Distributor of the Year

Winner: Mangrove

Runner-up: Emporia Brands

Spirits Bottler of the Year

Winner: Contract Bottlers Glasgow

Best New Marketing Campaign

Winner: Bloom Gin

Runner-up: Sterling Reserve Blend 7 Gaming Pack

Best Event

Winner: The Whisky Exchange Virtual Rum Show 2021

Runner-up: Cape Byron Distillery for The Water of Life – A Whisky Film

PR Company of the Year

Winner: Chapman Poole

Runner-up: Fourteen Ten

Special Commendation: The Story


Sustainability and Innovation

Distillery Sustainability Award

Winner: Flor de Caña

Runner-up: Tomatin Distillery

Special Commendation: Belvedere Vodka

Ethical Award

Winner: Flor de Caña

Runner-up: Jägermeister for The Lesbian Bar Project

Innovation in Production

Winner: Seven Tails Distillers for Seven Tails XO

Runner-up: Larsen for Larsen Aqua Ignis

Special Commendation: Never Never Distilling for Argo Gin

Innovation in Packaging

Winner: NIO Cocktails

Runner-up: Sterling Reserve Blend 7 Gaming Pack

Special Commendation: Ecospirits


Culture and Tourism

Distillery Consumer Experience Award

Winner: El Tequileño Tequila

Runner-up: The Glenturret

Best Distillery Facilities

Winner: The Glenturret

Runner-up: Gemma McColl

Cultural Contribution to the Spirits Industry

Special Commendation: Swedish Gin – Drinks, Distilleries and Dreamers


Product

Best New Product

Winner: NIO Cocktails

Runner-up: 20 Whiskies that Changed the World from The Whisky Exchange

Special Commendation: The Spirit of the Underground by Bimber Distillery


People

Alan Lodge Young International Drinks Writer of the Year Award

Winner: Felipe Schrieberg

Young Achiever of the Year

Winner: Charlotte Clark, owner of Pembrokeshire Gin

Runner-up: Gemma McColl, digital marketing executive at The Glenturret

Blender of the Year

Winner: Victoria Eady Butler, master blender at Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey

Runner-up: Arnaud de Trabuc, founder of Seven Tails Distillers

Distiller/Producer of the Year

Winner: Tim Boast, Never Never Distilling

Runner-up: Alex Chasko, Teeling

Special Commendation: Jorge Antonio Salles, El Tequileño Tequila

Lifetime Achievement Award

Winner: Lesley Gracie, founder and master distiller of Hendrick’s Gin

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