ADI Announces Its Winners

The American Distilling Institute (ADI) today announced the winners of its 8th Annual Judging of Craft American Spirits. The announcement was made last night at the dinner concluding ADI's annual convention, held this year in Seattle. The American Craft Distillers Association (ACDA) announced its awards last week.

Like ACDA's list, ADI's is never-ending. The concept of 'less is more' apparently does not appeal to America's craft distillers. These would appear to be the key awards, based on being listed first in the press release.

Best of Class - Certified Craft Distilled Spirits™ 

WHISKEY Triple Eight Distillery - The Notch, Nantucket Single Malt Whiskey

GIN Oregon Spirit Distillers - Merrylegs Genever

RUM Cannon Beach Distillery - Donlon Shanks

MOONSHINE Flat Rock Spirits - Stillwrights Key Lime Pie Moonshine

BRANDY Merridale Artisan Distillery - Stair's Pear Brandy

LIQUEUR & OTHER broVo Spirits - broVo Amaro No 1 - John Ueding

VODKA Candella Micro-Distillery - Ytown Vodka

VODKA (Most Neutral) Hendricks Family Distillery - Pür Class Vodka

ADI is eleven years old, ACDA is brand new, but craft distilling itself is still a very young movement. It is growing so fast and changing so fast it must be very hard for distillers and distillery owners to make time to guide their respective trade associations, but some deep thinking may be in order. What do you want your awards program to accomplish? Is your current awards program serving your needs and what you perceive to be the needs of the movement as a whole? Do the people running your association care what you think? And what about consumers? What are they to make of all this?

And what does the trademarked phrase 'Certified Craft Distilled Spirits' mean? Why is it trademarked? Here is what ADI says it means. You might also want to read this. Go here for the complete list of winners.

Congratulations to all the winners and good luck next year.