Welcome to Meininger's International Spirits Award
Few things are as diverse and varied as the world of spirits. What drives the industry is unbridled creativity, the search for the extraordinary and the pursuit of the highest quality.
High-quality distillates are therefore increasingly coming into focus, new distilleries are being founded, existing ones are upgrading for the future and producers' ranges are becoming broader and more colourful. Visionary distillers around the world are looking for new ideas to make their spirits even better, leaving old paths behind - or deliberately going back to them. In this way, spirits are reaching ever new target groups who are eager to discover this infinite variety for themselves. A booming workshop and tasting culture are the best indicators of this new quality thinking on the part of consumers.
In this growing variety, however, it is becoming an increased challenge for customers to keep their bearings and find their way around.
This is where Meininger's International Spirits Award - ISW comes in. Since 2004, we have made it our task to provide distillers and producers with objective, neutral, expert and detailed feedback on their products, as well as to offer consumers reliable quality orientation for their purchasing decisions.
The competition in 2023 will be held in three parts with category focuses in January, April and June.
January 2023
- Brandy & Spirits
- Fruit liqueurs
- Liqueurs of all kindst
- Brandy & Grape marc spirit
April 2023
- Gin and juniper spirits
- Aperitif
- Vermouth
- Non-alcoholic distillates
- Other spirits, absinthe, tequila
June 2023
- Whisk(e)y
- Rum
- Vodka
- Korn & other grain spirits
- The Grand Gin & Tonic Tasting (only awarded Gins from the ISW April Tasting 2023 can participate)
You will find all important information in our announcement.
We look forward to tasting and evaluating your spirits and to presenting the best ones to spirits lover all over the world in an even broader and more public way.
- Presentation of the best spirits per category in a virtual award ceremony
- Wide-reach publication via the ISW website and social media channels
- new, additional formats such as product videos, round tables and much more
- Informative certificates for the competition-winning spirits are effective in advertising
- Integration of the valuable ISW medals on the labels of winning spirits.
Registered spirits are allocated to groups of judges, each consisting of five to six tasters. Under the leadership of the head judge, the jury blind-tastes the spirits in thematic flights. Each jury member tastes each spirit and makes an objective assessment. Unlike in many other competitions, a comparative assessment is neither made nor openly discussed. This ensures that each spirit is given the full attention it deserves.The results of each jury member are checked for completeness by the head judge on each table before being recorded electronically. The final score is ultimately the average of all submitted assessments.
Rastal nosing glasses are used throughout for tasting, to ensure optimum comparability. Using a 100-point system, each judge rates the samples on the basis of their appearance, aroma, taste and overall impression. Additionally – and this is another special feature of the ISW – the spirits are described according to their aroma using an aroma wheel specially designed for each type of spirit. This shows the flavour profile of the product at a glance and provides real added value for both end consumers and producers alike.
The International Spirits Competition ISW provides valuable help not only for the trade but also for the consumer. The well-known and widely used ISW medals have become a seal of quality for trade and consumers. Take advantage of the opportunity to win an award, present your spirit to this unique jury of international experts and increase the awareness of your product with an ISW medal!
Additional awards:
BrandSpirit of the Year
Spirit of the Year
Newcomer Spirit of the Year
Distiller/Producer of the Year
Spirit Importer of the Year
Best spirit in each category (national+international)
