L.A. Spirits Awards

2024 L.A. Spirits Awards Best in Show Winner: Cutwater Mezcal Joven

The rocky arid region of Durango, Mexico is a picture of forgotten time with wild Maguey Cenizo (Agave durangensis) dotting the landscape. Scorpions and owls, symbols of defiance, solitude, and wisdom have colonized this harsh wilderness in much the same way as the agave. It’s here that Cutwater distill’s their Mezcal by roasting the agave in traditional volcanic rock pit ovens. The open fermentation allows the area’s wild yeasts to naturally inoculate the sweet agave mosto. Hints of smoke from the cooking process blend perfectly with the deep agave flavors, striking a balance in their signature Cutwater Mezcal.

The Flavor
At 90 proof, this spirit is stronger than average, and it hits you immediately with a powerful, smoky aroma. Alongside the intense smokiness, there’s a mix of sourness, citrus, and saltiness. Fans of peated whiskies will appreciate this. It will impart a bold smokiness to drinks typically made with tequila or whiskey. While the smokiness is prominent, you’ll also find notes of cherry tartness, a vinegary tang, black pepper, honey sweetness, and a hint of lemon.

About Cutwater
Cutwater Spirits, based in San Diego, California, was founded in 2006 under the name of Ballast Point Spirits as an offshoot of the Ballast Point Brewing Company. The company produces canned cocktails and spirits including whiskey, vodka, gin, rum, tequila and liqueurs. In 2019, the alcohol conglomerate Anheuser-Busch InBev purchased Cutwater.

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We’re thrilled to introduce Rocket Vodka, the 2024 L.A. Spirits Awards Best in Show Winner for the Vodka Category.

About Rocket Vodka
* Vodka from 100% apples
* Handcrafted in California using a Polish family formula
* Cut with Sierra Nevada mountain water
* Naturally gluten-free, no sugar or additives

  is uniquely sip-able with a hint of fruit on the nose. It has a smooth and clean finish that is perfect for mixing into your favorite cocktails.

Rocket Vodka’s origin story begins in a Menlo Park garage, where founder Dariusz Paczuski sought to recreate the apple spirits from his childhood in Poland. His journey from experimenting with apple fermentation to perfecting a blend of Fuji and Golden Delicious apples led to the creation of a premium vodka.

Paczuski credits serendipity and his deep-rooted connection to apple spirits for Rocket Vodka’s success.

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Meet L.A. Spirits Awards Judge Bridget Albert

* Co-Author, Market-Fresh Mixology’s Life, Love, Happiness & Cocktails and Cocktails for Every Season
* Co-Hostess, Served Up the Podcast,
* Senior Director, External Communications, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits

is an advocate for upbeat education that makes an impact. 

She has been a contributor to 10 cocktail and beverage books and is the recipient of numerous beverage industry awards. These include the Tales of the Cocktail Bar Chef Competition (first place), the Chicago Tribune’s Good Eats Award, and No Kid Hungry’s Share Our Strength Award for Sustaining a Community. Bridget has been repeatedly nominated to Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards list of Best Bar Mentors, most recently in 2023. 

Bridget is the Founder of the National Charity Foundation of the United States Bartenders’ Guild. 

She was the first female mixologist to be featured on the Food Network’s Iron Chef America Battle Mango.

HOME: Shorewood, IL
QUAFF: Cognac / Bourbon / Tequila

Reminder: Our NO+LOW+HIGH DINNER and drink-pairing in New Orleans during Tales of the Cocktail week is right around the corner.

If you’re a former L.A. Spirits Awards or High Spirits Awards medal winner and would like to participate, contact us right away.

This is a great opportunity to put your products in front of industry influencers and the media.

To qualify for participation, products must be non-alcoholic or low-alcohol (30% or lower ABV) L.A. Spirits Awards medal winners, or infused High Spirits Awards medal winners.

What are you drinking this Fourth! Ready to beat the heat?

IT IS HOT, so hot that the kid who runs the lemonade stand across the street has retired to his air-conditioned room and is now glued to his phone watching an endless series of TikTok videos of dogs chewing ice cubes. 

We didn’t like his lemonade, anyway. It was lacking a certain adult je ne sais quoi. What we are drinking to beat the heat this July 4th is Ayrloom Lemonade, winner of our Best Infused Lemonade award at this year’s High Spirits Awards.

Ayrloom Lemonade is tart, smooth, and refreshing, and it offers a relaxing infusion that the lemonade-stand kid’s lemonade does not. And they have some other great award winning flavors you need to try too!

Step up your cocktail game with the Best Gins of 2024, as crowned by the L.A. Spirits Awards!

Whether you’re a martini maven or a G&T aficionado, there’s a bottle here for every palate. Dive into a world where juniper and botanicals blend together to deliver unique flavor experiences. Check out the latest article at to discover your new favorite gin today!


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WHAT’S YOUR GUILTY PLEASURE?

If you hesitated before answering, let us suggest one: Dough Ball Cookie Dough Whiskey? Our judges appreciate serious spirits, but they also have a sense of fun and adventure, and sometimes a flavored whiskey is just the ticket for a good time with friends.

Sip it, pour it on ice cream, use it in a cocktail, whatever strikes your fancy. But lighten up, man! This is our judge’s choice for Best Flavored Whiskey of 2024.

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“Tiffanie Barriere has the superpower of making people feel safe in an industry that has historically been unsafe for members of marginalized communities — a fact she, as a q***r Black woman, knows well. But that hasn’t stopped her from becoming (arguably) the highest-profile Black bartender on the planet.”

WE ARE PROUD to count spirits-community legend as a friend as well as one of L.A. Spirits Awards’ founding judges. Checkout Tiffanie’s recent profile in Food & Wine.

https://foodandwine.com/game-changers-tiffanie-barriere-8652447

We’re teaming up with our friends at in Long Beach to give away 4 tickets to Cumbia y Tequila next Sunday, June 23 · 12 - 6pm PDT.

This year’s event includes over 60 Expressions of Agaves & Tequilas, four Rooms with unique Cumbias Styles, Micheladas by Sangre de Tigre, Raffles & More!

To enter:
1. Like this post
2. Tag a friend who love tequila in the comments below
3. Follow and

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No purchase necessary. Giveaway is open to US residents only, must be 21 & over to enter. 1 winner will be chosen randomly and be notified via DM from on 6.20.24.

Meet L.A. Spirits Awards and High Spirits Awards Judge Caroline Pardilla

Caroline Pardilla is one of the pioneering and most prolific cocktail bloggers in Los Angeles. Her passion for the cocktail scene has made her a prominent figure in the industry. Caroline has contributed extensively to both online and print publications, covering liquor and travel for platforms such as Eater LA, LAist, and Liquor.com.

With a remarkable tenure in the food and beverage industry, her accolades include LA Weekly’s “Best Bar Blogger” and “Blog Post of the Year” to Mashable’s “Foodie Instagram Account to Follow.” You can now read her work in Imbibe magazine where she is the digital content editor.

We are honored to partner with Caroline as one of our distinguished judges.

L.A. Spirits Awards 2024 Best Non-alcohol RTD

LET’S SAY you’re headed to a party or a picnic where there’s nowhere to plug in your immersion blender, and let’s say you’re scaling back or eliminating alcohol from your diet. Consider NoliQ Amaretto Sawa, which our judges voted 2024’s Best Non-Alcoholic Ready-to-Drink Cocktail.

Frustrated by the poor selection of alcohol-free drinks on the market, NoliQ’s founder Nyina Muigai set out to create her own line of healthy, alcohol-free cocktails, drawing inspiration from the rich culture of her Kenyan upbringing. This NA, vitamin-infused ready-to-drink offers an inviting marzipan and almond nose, with additional sweet almond along with creamy caramel, sweet maraschino cherry, and a touch of Amalfi lemon.

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🎉🏆 We are thrilled to announce that our Mocktail Creator has just won the Silver Medal at the High Spirits Awards 2024! 🥈✨

This innovative competition, launched by the LA Spirits Awards in 2023, celebrates excellence in infused beverages by recognizing high-quality cannabis and hemp-derived products. 🌿🍹

Our product stood out among many competitors and was awarded for its quality and innovation. We thank all our customers and partners for their continued support. We will continue to raise the standard and offer the best to you!

Meet L.A. Spirits Awards Judge Erick Castro |

Erick Castro steps onto the L.A. Spirits Awards panel with a solid track record: from hosting the acclaimed Bartender at Large podcast to owning top-tier cocktail bars across the U.S, including the award-winning .

This bartending behemoth has created unique beverage programs that have earned a place on some of the nation's most coveted lists:

🔘 Esquire's Best Bars in America
🔘 Food & Wine's "World's Top Bars"
🔘 Countless nominations at the prestigious Tales of the Cocktails Spirited Awards in New Orleans, most recently winning world's best spirits selection

Erick's not just in the business, he's expanding it: co-founding Bartender's Weekend to highlight the industry's finest. Erick brings a sharp, informed perspective with just the right amount of zest to our judge's table!

Breaking from the mold of traditional awards, the team behind L.A. Spirits Awards emerged with a fresh vision for recognizing excellence in spirits. 🥃✨ For us, it's not just about medals but about creating an experience that resonates with today's vibrant, diverse industry landscape.

Congrats to our medalists!!!

Festif Choux, our first of its kind Brussels sprouts-based amaro, presents an opportunity to create a new market category of ‘Cavoletti Amaro’. Inspired by the Ca****fo category of amari which uses artichokes, Choux (of the French word for Brussels sprouts, Choux de Bruxelles) capitalizes on the nutty bitterness and subtle pepperiness of Brussels sprouts.

🏅 Festif Choux was recently awarded a Platinum Medal by 2024 and Silver Medal by 2023

📷: the amazing

KANOSUKE DISTILLERY was named in honor of Kanosuke Komasa, grandfather of the distillery’s owner/CEO Yoshi Komasa and creator of Japan’s first cask-aged shochu, “Mellowed Kozuru,” released in 1957. 

This exceptional Japanese single malt is aged in ex-shochu American oak casks, lending an Eastern perfume not found in whisky from other regions of the world. The whisky is bold, fresh, and beautifully balanced and smooth.

A delicious sip well worthy of L.A. Spirits Awards’ 2024 Best Single Malt Whisky title. 

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📸:

We wanted to extend a special thanks to our outstanding Staff who make LA Spirits Awards possible 🙏

Their steadfast commitment, relentless work, and genuine dedication have been the driving force behind the success of our event. From intricately managing logistics to ensuring an impartial celebration of the spirit industry, you have been the cornerstone of our operations, injecting every moment with zest and devotion.

To our exceptional Staff, we raise our glasses and honor you!

Cheers to a spirited revolution! The High Spirits Awards went bigger and bolder this year, with triple the number of infused entries as last year. From tantalizing seltzers and cocktails, to bold additives and soothing teas, our High Spirits Awards judges explored a world of flavors to help you elevate your drinking experience. Dive into our 2024 Results catalog and discover the champions that wowed our discerning judges!

“L.A. Spirits Awards is the friend you call when you’re looking for not just a new rye whiskey, for example, but the best new rye whiskey,” says L.A. Spirits Awards co-founder Joel Blum.

Medals aren’t given out lightly, and the 20 impassioned judges, all experts in their respective fields, are known to go to bat for the spirits that they believe in.

“L.A. Spirits Awards is the friend you call when you’re looking for not just a new rye whiskey, for example, but the best new rye whiskey,” says L.A. Spirits Awards co-founder Joel Blum.

Medals aren’t given out lightly, and the 20 impassioned judges, all experts in their respective fields, are known to go to bat for the spirits that they believe in.

A huge thank you to our 2024 L.A Spirits Awards Judges!

You are not only the heart of L.A. Spirits Awards…you are the catalysts for change, advocates within both social and industry spheres, and embody an unwavering positivity that illuminates our industry.

We extend heartfelt thanks for your unwavering support, collaborative spirit and steadfast dedication.

     

Celebrate the Winning Bottles of the 2024 L.A. Spirits Awards L.A. Spirits Awards is the friend you call when you’re looking for not just a new rye whiskey, for example, but the best new rye whiskey.

2024 marks the fifth year that has teamed with our media partner  to present our medal winners to the public and the media. Don’t miss VinePair’s article featuring L.A. Spirits Awards and this year’s top winners!

MYRTLE BANK JAMAICAN SINGLE CASK RUM awarded P L A T I N U M 🏆 🏆 It goes without saying that without respected, expert judges, a spirits competition’s awards have no merit.
L.A. Spirits Awards’ judges are among the most respected and well-known experts and tastemakers in the field of spirits. And as the most inclusive and diverse panel of judges in spirits competitions today, our experts uniquely reflect the face of the contemporary spirits industry.

𝐋𝐀 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗕𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗼 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

With part 2 of our L.A. Spirits Awards reveal, Bark & Bitter continues to come up 𝗕𝗜𝗚 at the 2024 competition, with the official list of announcements coming out yesterday via VinePair.

Pictured here, our classic cocktail bitters trio looking 😍 in the most adorable little 1oz bottles from our Essential Cocktail Bitters sampler pack, coming back in stock next week!

ICYMI: Novara Aperitivo took top honours with a platinum medal, and here's how the Bark & Bitter lineup stacked up overall:
🏅 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗔𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗕𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: Gold Medal
🏅 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗢𝗿𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗕𝘆𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: Gold Medal
🥈 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗢𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: Silver Medal
🏆 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗔𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗼: Platinum Medal, Best Non-Alcoholic Spirits Alternative

L.A. Spirits Awards