Set to debut in July 2018, the USA Spirits Ratings in San Francisco, California will award Gold, Silver and Bronze medals to consumer-driven spirits that perform well according to three important criteria: Quality, Value, and Packaging. The goal is to find new and innovative spirits with immediate consumer appeal – the type of spirit that a consumer is likely to buy from the shelf of a retail store or order off the menu at a restaurant or hotel lobby bar.

The USA Spirits Ratings is the second major event of a global drinks initiative being coordinated by Beverage Trade Network, the organizers of the event. The first event in this initiative was the London Spirits Competition earlier this year, which also used a similar scoring system to identify world-class spirits worthy of consumer attention.

One expected outcome of the upcoming USA Spirits Ratings is that it will become easier for the average consumer to find the perfect spirit for any occasion. In today’s crowded marketplace, consumer expectations about what makes a great spirit have been raised to a new level. Consumers now expect not only a spirit that tastes great and that is versatile, but also one that has an attractively designed bottle and label. Since brands matter more than ever, many consumers are becoming loyal to those spirits with a brand that reflects who they are and what their aspirations are in life.

As a result, the organizer of the event, Beverage Trade Network, developed an entirely new scoring system that takes into account those factors. “We’re really looking to move forward the debate and discussion about what makes a great spirit,” says Sid Patel, CEO, and Founder of Beverage Trade Network. “We’re excited to see which spirits stand out in San Francisco.”

The three primary judging criteria of the USA Spirits Ratings

The determination of what makes award-winning spirits shall be based on three key criteria:

1. Quality
2. Value
3. Packaging

Quality will consider factors such as taste, appearance, aftertaste, and body. The value will take into account the retail pricing of a product, especially vis-à-vis its peers in a similar product category. And packaging will take into account the overall brand and presentation of the spirit, including the bottle appearance and label design.

The judging of the USA Spirits Ratings

Based on the three criteria above, a final weighted score will determine the final award winners of the USA Spirits Ratings. Quality shall be judged out of 50 total points, Value out of 25 total points and Packaging out of 25 total points. The final score will be calculated as Quality + Value + Packaging, for a total possible score of 100 points.

The scoring system is as follows:

1. Gold: 90+ points
2. Silver: 80 to 89 points
3. Bronze: 70 to 79 points

The judging panel for the panel will consist of commercially focused buyers within the alcohol beverage industry.

Key Dates

Early Bird Registration: Ends May 31, 2018

Warehouse Closes For Samples: July 5, 2018

Judging: July 23-24, 2018

Winners Announced: September 5, 2018

Fee Schedule

$170 ends May 31, 2018

$220 from June 1 to June 15, 2018

$250 from June 16 to June 30, 2018

About the event organizers

The organizer of the USA Spirits Ratings is Beverage Trade Network (BTN), which hosts and produces events for the beer, wine and spirits industries around the world. As part of a global drinks initiative, BTN also organizes the London Wine Competition, London Spirits Competition, and London Beer Competition.

To read more on how the USA Spirits Ratings works, please click [HERE].

If you would like more information about the USA Spirits Ratings, please contact Sid Patel at sid@beveragetradenetwork.com