World Spirits Award 2025: A difficult year for everyone!
World Spirits Award 2025: A difficult year for everyone! 5 x Awards, 7 x Spirits of the Year and 4 x Distilleries of the Year
The superstars of the World Spirits Award can rightly feel like ‘world champions’. “We have painstakingly and consistently worked towards this position on the market over two decades – with constant fine-tuning of quality, adaptations, innovations and the incorporation of tradition and culture,” says mastermind Wolfram Ortner. 2025 was a special year in many respects.
The Award Celebration weekend at St. Kilian Distillers in Rüdenau was a great success, with many enthusiastic participants.
Friday, 21 March was dedicated to the Distillery Tour: starting at Gebr. Josef & Matthäus Ziegler GmbH, continuing through the ‘Distillery Village’ of Edelbrennerei Dirker, and culminating at the Bunker City of St. Kilian Distillers. On Saturday, the World Spirits Award Celebration 2025 took place in a festive setting at St. Kilian Distillers. The event began with a warm-up session in the distillery, featuring an exciting whisky tasting, followed by a delicious buffet lunch, generously hosted by St. Kilian Distillers for all celebration participants.
2025 was a special year for the World Spirits Award in many respects. The reason for this is the rule book, which is based on the broadest possible basis of different samples in different categories and a defined number of samples and participants per product group and category. The number of points achieved also plays a role in the rating: the ‘Award’ or ‘Spirit of the Year’ titles can only be awarded to double gold winners. The number of participants per category is also clearly defined for winning the title of ‘Distilleries of the Year’: titles are not simply awarded, but must be won with the top quality of the individual products. The key to absolute success is breaking the ‘sound barrier’ of at least 95.3 points – this is where the awarding of double gold begins. At WSA 2025, these limits were narrowly missed in many categories – tough, but true!
In the final section of the WSA Communiqué 2025, facts and figures compare the medal table of the last two years to shed some light on the results of the rules. Find out more at the official WSA website, world-spirits.com.
The perhaps most highly qualified jury in the world tasted 214 samples from 50 distilleries this year and rated them according to the tough but fair WSA definitions with a high degree of expertise. The best of the best were awarded the highly prized ‘World Spirits Awards’.
The quality of the tasting, the high standards of the jury and WSA’s own communication channels:
Guide, Spirits Finder Apps with a channel at world-spirits.com, and the TV formats ‘Inside World Spirits’ and ‘Inside World Spirits Shots’ (light version). The short info formats ‘Inside World Spirits Fibel’, ‘Inside World Spirits Flash’ and ‘Cooking with Spirit’ are new, all of which are honoured by both participants and users.
With the classification of the distilleries, the World Spirits Award enjoys a special position among all the worldwide competitions. Apart from the overall medals, we also classify establishments according to their fields, as is customary, for example, for the world’s best Bordeaux wines. The differentiation ranges from ‘World Class’ to ‘First Class’ and is topped with ‘Distillery of the Year’.
The WSA superstars of 2025
Horvath's Spezereyen Kontor GmbH / Austria
Distillery of the Year 2025 – Gold & World-Spirits Award (Bitter & Liqueurs)
Gänserndorfer Limoncello-Cream-Likör (Spirit of the Year 2025)
pre-mi-um by S.Kister / Germany
Distillery of the Year 2025 – Silver (Bitter & Liqueurs)
Altmühltaler Arancello (Spirit of the Year & Award 2025)
Bimmerle KG Private Distillery / Germany
Distillery of the Year 2025 – Bronze (Bitter & Liqueurs)
Gautier Mückstein & Ellinger GmbH / Austria
Distillery of the Year 2025 – Bronze (Bitter & Liköre)
St. Kilian Distillers GmbH / Germany / Whisky Worldwide
St. Kilian Peated - Rich & Smoky (Spirit of the Year & Award 2025)
Appenzeller Alpenbitter / Appenzeller Alpenbitter / Switzerland (Spirit of the Year & Award 2025)
pre-mi-um by S. Kister / Germany / Altmühltaler Arancello (Spirit of the Year & Award 2025)
Absintherie Guilloud / Switzerland / "Lifetime Achievement World-Spirits Award 2025 hc"
Double Gold & Spirits of the Year as well as Awards 2025 for the group winners
World-Spirits Award & Spirits of the Year 2025
Appenzeller Alpenbitter: Appenzeller Alpenbitter (Spirit of the Year & Award 2025)
pre-mi-um by S. Kister: Altmühltaler Arancello (Spirit of the Year & Award 2025)
St. Kilian Distillers: St. Kilian Peated - Rich & Smoky (Spirit of the Year & Award 2025)
Spirits of the Year 2025
AXIS Flight Training Systems: London Dry Gin (Spirit of the Year 2025)
Horvath's Spezereyen Kontor: Gänserndorfer Limoncello-Cream-Likör (Spirit of the Year 2025)
Destillerie Hochstrasser: Rote Williamsbirne 100% Vakuum-Destillat (Spirit of the Year 2025)
See Destillerie: Wolfgangsee Whisky 1528 - CASK STRENGTH PEATED (Spirit of the Year 2025)
Distillery Classification
13 distilleries were classified in different categories (from fruit brandy, whisky and grappa to rum). 8 of them can enjoy the award “World Class Distillery”, 1 the “Master-Class Distillery” and one with “First Class Distillery”.
Distilleries of the Year 2025
Horvath's Spezereyen Kontor GmbH / Austria
Distillery of the Year 2025 – Gold & World-Spirits Award (Bitter & Liqueurs)
pre-mi-um by S.Kister / Germany
Distillery of the Year 2025 – Silver (Bitter & Liqueurs)
Bimmerle KG Private Distillery / Germany
Distillery of the Year 2025 – Bronze (Bitter & Liqueurs)
Gautier Mückstein & Ellinger GmbH / Austria
Distillery of the Year 2025 – Bronze (Bitter & Liqueurs)
World-Class Distilleries 2025
Angostura Limited / Trinidad and Tobago / Rum
Bimmerle KG Private Distillery / Germany / Bitter & Liqueurs
Brennerei Hubertus Vallendar GmbH & Co KG / Germany / Fruit-Spirits
Destillerie Hochstrasser GmbH & CO KG / Austria / 100-%-Distillates
Feinbrennerei Sasse - Lagerkorn GmH / Germany / Korn
Gautier Mückstein & Ellinger GmbH / Austria / Bitter & Liqueurs
Grenada Distillers Ltd / Grenada / Rum
Horvath's Spezereyen Kontor GmbH / Austria / Bitter & Liqueurs
Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery / Canada / Whisky Worldwide
pre-mi-um by S.Kister / Germany / Bitter & Liqueurs
St. Kilian Distillers GmbH / Germany / Whisky Worldwide
Master-Class Distilleries 2025
Aura proizvodi d.o.o. / Croatia / Bitter & Liqueurs
First-Class Distilleries 2025
Bimmerle KG Private Distillery / Germany / Fruit-Spirits
Medals & variety winners
50 participants and distilleries from 15 nations (islands) took part in the “World Spirits Award 2025”, submitting 214 spirits for consideration. With the presented products ranging from brandies to gin, rum, fruit spirits and 100% distillates. The results are based on the WOB 100-point evaluation system tailored to spirits; objective assessment is ensured by an international jury of tasters with many years of experience.
Distinctions are the reflection of the distillers’ work and an appreciation of perfect products. Based on the slogan “Simply the Best in Spirits”, only the best products are entered into the competition and receive excellent reviews from the strict jury.
214 medals were awarded – 21 double golds (7 of them Spirits of the Year), 128 golds, 62 silvers and 3 bronze medals.
The results are based on the WOB 100-point evaluation system, which is specially tailored to the world of spirits. An experienced international jury of tasters ensured an objective assessment.
Double-Gold 2025
47° London Dry Gin 2024 / AXIS Flight Training Systems GmbH / Austria
Absinthe "Celle à Guilloud 54° 2024 / Absintherie Celle à Guilloud / Switzerland
Altmühltaler Arancello 2024 / pre-mi-um by S.Kister / Germany
Altmühltaler Limoncello 2024 / pre-mi-um by S.Kister / Germany
Altmühltaler Speculator 2024 / pre-mi-um by S.Kister / Germany
Apfel Barrique Never 2000 / WOB Destillerie Wolfram Ortner / Austria
Appenzeller Alpenbitter 2024 / Appenzeller Alpenbitter AG / Switzerland
Celtic Castle 2024 / St. Kilian Distillers GmbH / Germany
ChocoLat Schoko-Chili-Likör 15%vol 2024 / Gautier Mückstein & Ellinger GmbH / Austria
Clark's Court Pure White / Grenada Distillers Ltd / Grenada
Gänserndorfer Limoncello-Cream-Likör / Horvath's Spezereyen Kontor GmbH / Austria
Ingwergeist 2023 / Brennerei Hubertus Vallendar GmbH & Co KG / Germany
Mana'o Rangiroa 2023 / Avatea / French Polynesia
Mana'o Tahiti Blanc 2024 / Avatea / French Polynesia
Orangengeist 2023 / Brennerei Hubertus Vallendar GmbH & Co KG / Germany
Rote Williamsbirne 100% Vakuum-Destillat 2024 / Destillerie Hochstrasser GmbH & CO KG / Austria
St. Kilian Peated - Rich & Smoky / St. Kilian Distillers GmbH / Germany
Terence Hill - The Hero - Whisky, rauchig / St. Kilian Distillers GmbH / Germany
Wiener Brise Pfefferminzlikör / Horvath's Spezereyen Kontor GmbH / Austria
Wildshut Bio-Hopfen Gin 2024 / Stieglbrauerei zu Salzburg GmbH / Austria
Wolfgangsee Whisky 1528 - CASK STRENGTH PEATED 2020 / See Destillerie Peinsteiner / Austria
Facts and Figures 2025 (2024)
5 (6) World-Spirits Awards (2 x for Distilleries of the Year – Gold, 4 x for Group Winner and 1 x for the lifetime achievement)
1 (2) Distilleries of the Year – Gold
1 (1) Distilleries of the Year – Silver
2 (0) Distillery of the Year – Bronze
7 (10) Spirit of the Year
21 (19) Double-Gold
128 (159) Gold
62 (103) Silver
3 (8) Bronze
0 (3) Inadequate/Faults or not tasted
214 (300) products overall
13 (18) Classifications
11 (8) World-Class Distilleries
1 (9) Master-Class Distilleries
1 (1) First-Class Distilleries
0 (0) Recommended Distilleries
Total 50 (77) Distilleries/Brands
Rating scheme
95.3 to 100 points: DOUBLE GOLD: World class, extraordinary product
90 to 95 points: GOLD: Top product
80 to 89 points: SILVER: Good to very good product
71 to 79 points: BRONZE: Average product
65 to 70 points: Weak or slightly deficient product
Under 65 points: Deficient product
Requirements for:
Title “Distillery of the Year”: at least 10 distilleries within the category
Distillery qualification: submission of at least 5 products within three groups
Award: at least 10 products within one group
Title “Spirits of the Year”: at least 5 products for one variety or group
