Gin – a never-ending story

At the WSA 2020 we expected to see approximately 30 samples and producers taking part in this difficult category. We were way off – for the fourth year in a row there were about 85 samples to “deconstruct” and award points to.

So why is the hype not dying down? To put it simply: Everyone wants to make a gin that stands out, whether they are a distiller or just an individual with an affinity for gin.

The magical combination in this segment is Gin & Tonic – these two drinks get on like a house on fire. So there is a steady stream of new quality entering the market, ensuring a consistent boom.

The result is that the diversity and quality of “real” gins are holding their own against inventive products (to be precise, herb and spice spirits). Cheers! Here’s to a gin the Queen Mum would have loved.

The superstars at the World Spirits Award 2019 once again come from Germany, Austria and Switzerland: 14 x Awards, 16 Spirits of the Year as well as 10 x Distilleries of the Year – that’s the brand-new result.

Photos from the Award Celebration 2018 in Distillery Hubertus Vallendar at Kail/Mosel (Germany). 19 x Awards and Spirits of the Year as well as 11 x Distilleries of the Year - that's the brand-new result.

After the tasting weekends in January, the participants will be notified of their results and they may order medal stickers for their products or conclude license agreements with us, which are primarily for direct advertise on the bottle or as part of the packaging. Participants are welcome to advertise with our brand on all media platforms for free to promote their products with their participation in the WSA.

It is often a mystery to most people exactly what goes on behind the scenes at the "World-Spirits award," but take a peek backstage, and you'd see Wolfram, Barbara and Joanne work continuously throughout the year on the organization and execution of the World-Spirits Award as well as the "World-Spirits Academy" sensory training courses. And that doesn't even include the massive collaboration with the jury, chemist, writer, graphic designer, translators, consultant, production companies for medals, classification boards, medal stickers, diplomas, shipping companies, freight forwarders, import and customs duties, and four IT companies that work around the clock for the maintenance of database, the website and the presentation on the Internet. All in all: an unbelievable amount of labor, creativity and unfortunately, cost as well.

The “World Spirits Guide 2020” has been published – indispensable for friends of spirits from all around the world. The main focus of the content is:
• Hit list of all award-winning products of the WSA 2019
• Distillery classifications
• 106 distillery portraits of the best spirits worldwide
• Tips and trends

Photos from the Award Celebration 2017 in Asbach Distillery at Rüdesheim am Rhein (Germany). Distillers win 14 x Awards, 15 x Spirits of the Year and 10 x Distilleries of the Year worldwide.

After 10 days hard work in Basic-Class, Master-Class and Sniffing courses, we close the „World-Spirits Academy“ doors untill next June. It’s great for us to see, that every year so many people are coming to improve their skills or make a „dive in the cold water“ joining us. All our classes have a participant limit, that’s why you already have the chance to register online all courses for 2017.

Read more about the World-Spirits Academy classes

AUSTRALIA

Australian Distilling Co., Australien, 5069 Hackney, 25 North Terrace, www.adelaidegin.com.au
Classification: World-Spirits Award Participant 2020
Gold: Adelaide Gin, Melbourne Gin, Sydney Gin, Perth Gin
Silver: Brisbane Gin

BRAZIL

Cervejaria Backer, Brasilien, 30390550 Belo Horizonte, Rua Santa Rita, 220, +55-3199-531369, www.cervejariabacker.com.br
Classification: World-Spirits Award Participant 2020
Gold: 3Lobos Whiskey Experience, Lebbos Hop Dry Gin

The "World Spirits Award" is known among connoisseurs as the highest quality spirits award in the world. The contents and topics are presented on the website www.world-spirits.com. You can find results of the competitions from the past 10 years by utilizing the special tools WSA Spirits-Finder and the WSA Spirits-Calculator. These features are - like many other interesting channels - accessible via registration on our official website.

Two years ago we commissioned Wolfgang Egarter from IT-Solutions to program these tools as an app for IOS devices. The result is impressive and can be downloaded for free via the App Store.

It is not until the Award-giving Ceremony that WSA participants learn about the complete results and be surprised with a possible win of the bonus title "Distillery of the Year" or even the "World-Spirits Award".

Award-Celebration 22. März 2018, 16.00 Uhr:

Brennerei Hubertus Vallendar GmbH & Co KG
Hubertus Vallendar
Hauptstraße 11
56829 Kail, Germany
Tel.: +49-2672-913552, Fax: +49-2672-913554
www.vallendar.de

8x8 is our formula for magic. Eight tasters will taste about 450 samples over the course of eight days. We often receive inquiries from top tasters whether they can work with us. However, regardless of credential, all our jury have to undergo the WSA trainings. Just as an airline trains its pilots, we also train our tasters. Each year, a 3-day fine-tuning session is held in June as part of the WSA Academy to ensure our jury stay up-to-date and competent in performing the best possible assessment for products we receive from around the world.

In order for the judge panel of eight to be "served" in a way that they can work alongside the important assessment parameters most accurately possible, all products must be analyzed for its added sugar content. It is important to know whether a product is made with or without added sugar. This does not affect the product, but the information is important for the overall assessment. Dr. Robert Leubolt and his assistant Sissy have been the team of specialists that we rely on for many years.

The World Spirits Award is known amongst experts as being the highest quality spirits award in the world. You now have the possibility to access the results directly, all the way back to 2008, using the WSA Spirits Finder. The WSA app (in German and English) has the following functions, which are available free of charge:

• WSA Spirits Finder
• WSA Spirits Calculator
• WSA Website

Detailed information on the approx. 3,500 spirits - from A for Asbach Uralt to Z for Zwack Unicum: producers around the globe, from manufacture to industry (with direct links to the websites), products ranging from absinthe, Armagnac and Moutai to tequila and plum distillates (some with photos). You can select distilleries, restrict your search to medals or WSA years, choose a special brand or a special product, and much more. The basis for this high quality data pool are the results of the professional jury at the annual World Spirits Award. The app also includes verbal descriptions of brand-name products and the exact number of points they received (maximum 100 WOB points), and thus offers profound information on the price/performance ratio.

History/Fascinating Facts

The first attempts to distil cognac are recorded in documentation in the area of the same name, dating from the 15th century. Cognac was a commercial metropolis for salt and wine and had ties with England, Scandinavia and the Netherlands. Given the high demand, a large quantity of wine was produced in the 16th century, although admittedly of a low quality. These wines could not survive transportation by ship and therefore people turned to distillation. Storing the distillates in wooden barrels gave them a more refined flavour, triggering the development of some big brands: Martell was founded in 1715 and Hennessy in 1765. To prevent any copies being produced, the borders of the region were defined by law in 1909.