A TIME TO CELEBRATE

Recognizing some of the distilling industry’s award winners from 2021

A TIME TO

CELEBRATE

Last year was a weird one for the craft distilling industry. The pandemic’s rolling tide constantly changed the narrative about a return to relative normalcy, and this fluctuation caused an uneven dose of disruption. Some events and conferences cautiously returned to in-person gatherings, while others played it close to the vest and engaged virtually for one more year. For distilleries, shifting regulations on everything from distillery visits to DTC laws — not to mention labor shortages — made getting through COVID Year Two a challenging slog.

Yet the show must go on in the face of these hurdles. This also means awards must be distributed, as they should. After all, awards recognize any combination of merit, talent, skill, and a desire to do good for the community. After two years of struggle, they are shining moments that produce bright pops of joy amid a difficult landscape.

As 2022 rolls along and question marks persist about what the industry’s future will look like, it feels appropriate to look at those that earned hardware in 2021 for their efforts. Each award is more than just a cool medal, plaque, certificate, or obelisk that looks nifty on a tasting room shelf. After another year of unorthodox twists and turns on top of the industry’s usual histrionics, they provide hope that excellence, and the happiness such excellence can inspire, is still possible even if the world feels like it’s falling apart. (Awards listed in alphabetical order by organization) MILAM & GREENE CHRIS MONTANA, PORT FINISHED RYE AMERICAN CRAFT SPIRITS ASSOCIATION (ACSA) DU NORD SPIRITS ARTISAN SPIRIT MAGAZINE Artisan Spirit of the Year Best in Show That Chris Montana provided a beacon of hope Hauling in ACSA’s top prize is an exclamation during 2020’s tumultuous times speaks volumes point for this relatively young label, which officialabout the excellence of his character. He could ly launched in 2019. At the same time, the award have easily turned inward after Du Nord’s feels like a coronation of sorts for Master Distiller warehouse was burned in the unrest following Marlene Holmes and Master Blender Heather George Floyd’s murder. He did not. In fact, he Greene, who reaped the rewards of a potentially continued to outwardly help those in the Twin risky move. Equipped with roughly 50 years of Cities. This help continues through the actions experience between them, the duo applied their of his Du Nord Foundation, an organization knowledge and skills into the craft sector. The committed to stemming the local tide of racial move paid off. The winning bottle itself is a multi- inequality. Montana does these things not for state affair: Indiana rye is carefully batched in the personal glory, but simply because he’s a terrific distillery’s warehouse in Blanco, Texas before — and terrifically modest — human being. being finished in port wine casks. The result is a “It is humbling beyond words to receive this testimony to the supreme knowledge and skill of honor from the very people I look up to and the hands involved. “What makes this whiskey whose lead I hope to follow,” Montana said. “It special is both the Milam & Greene team and the is particularly impactful when I think of what wily Texas weather,” Greene stated. “Anyone who’s the team at Du Nord had to fight through these spent time in the [Texas] Hill Country knows the past couple years. Du Nord is a small team of uncertainty of weather, and so creating a consistent nine people, not one, so it is the whole team, flavor is tricky. Quite simply, this whiskey couldn’t and the mentors who helped us along the way, exist anywhere else. It’s a real testament to a sense who got us here, so I will say on behalf of all of of place. I think that’s why it’s so wonderful.” us: Thank you, we hope to live up to this honor.”

GARRISON BROTHERS DISTILLERY

THE ASCOT AWARDS Craft Distiller of the Year The inaugural ASCOT Awards might be new to the awards circuit, but they carried instant clout. Their founder is Fred Minnick, a celebrated spirits writer and veteran tasting judge. The man knows his stuff, and so does his tasting panel. The pedigree involved makes Garrison Brothers Distillery hauling in Craft Distiller of the Year an impressive score. The win further solidifies the Texas distillery’s status as a beloved brand. It also helps keep the Lone Star State’s reputation for top-shelf craft spirits strong. “The ASCOTs are a blind competition, and our judges only assess the whiskey by its merits,” Minnick explained. “For Garrison Brothers to do so well, that's because our judges loved its flavor profile. That said, this brand consistently does well amongst the critics and in blind competitions. They've put Texas whiskey on the map and have garnered a cult following in the process. And that's all about the whiskey.”

UNCLE NEAREST PREMIUM

BARTENDER SPIRITS AWARDS Distillery of the Year

Winning top honors from a competition designed by the on-premise industry for the on-premise industry is impressive. All the components that move bottles in the market are present: The whiskey is terrific, the brand’s story is exceptional, and their commitment to quality is sublime. They’re also using their brand for good: The efforts of Uncle Nearest founder and CEO Fawn Weaver helped bring fellow distiller Jackie Summers’ hibiscus liqueur Sorel back to the market after a hiatus, further shining the spotlight on Black- and minority-owned spirits businesses in the process. “When we started Uncle Nearest five years ago, we set out to cement Nearest Green’s name in history and tell the world what we knew: That he was one of the best whiskey-makers of all time,” said Katharine Jerkins, Uncle Nearest’s chief business officer. “This honor solidifies the amazing work our team has done to continue his legacy, and we could not be more proud to be awarded Distillery of the Year.”

IRONROOT REPUBLIC DISTILLING

ICONS OF WHISKY American Craft Producer of the Year

First off: Icons of Whisky is based in the UK — it’s sponsored by Whisky Magazine — so whisky is spelled properly. No matter how it’s spelled, however, the fact remains that a craft distillery from the small town of Denison, Texas winning the award is a big deal. While Ironroot Republic’s win pushes their excellent juice onto the international stage, it also allows the concept of Texas craft spirits to further penetrate the collective consciousness of drinkers around the globe. This is important — Texas craft had one hell of a year on the awards circuit in 2021, so it would be quite wise for spirits aficionados everywhere to take notice. Fortunately, it looks like plenty of people have done just that. “Winning the American Craft Producer award from Whiskey Magazine was life changing,” said Robert Likarish, Ironroot Republic’s Founder and Distiller. “Having won a number of awards over the years, we were not prepared for what came with winning at their World Whisky Awards. Our business tripled overnight. It’s enabled us to produce more and experiment more. For us, it was truly a blessing.”

ALEX CASTLE, OLD DOMINICK DISTILLERY

DISTILLED SPIRITS COUNCIL (DISCUS) Impact Award for Emerging Leaders

Equality, diversity, and inclusiveness are crucial concepts for the distilling industry to promote. Alex Castle’s efforts go a long way in making sure these concepts don’t devolve into mere empty buzzwords. Her status as Tennessee’s first post-Prohibition female head distiller merely scratches the surface of the impact she’s had and will continue to have on the industry. Castle’s recognition by DISCUS serves as recognition of all the achievements she’s made in her career thus far, but it also points towards more great things to come. “As president of the Tennessee Distillers Guild, a member of the DISCUS Craft Advisory Council and the first female head distiller in Tennessee since Prohibition, Alex embodies everything this award stands for,” said Chris Swonger, President and CEO of DISCUS and Responsibility.org. “She is an exemplary leader who is working to make the spirits industry stronger, more inclusive, and a welcoming industry for all.”

KAVALAN

SAN FRANCISCO WORLD SPIRITS COMPETITION (SFWSC) The Tasting Alliance Distillery of the Year

Japan tends to gather the lion’s share of attention in the Asian whiskey market. This hyper-focus on a particular country helps make the win by this Taiwanese distillery so impressive. The accolade serves as a reminder that exceptional whiskey can be made anywhere if there are passionate people that understand how to harness the art and science of distilling properly. While Kavalan’s win may come as a pleasant surprise to some, it wasn’t necessarily a shock to the judges, who’ve long admired the product. “Kavalan has been entering SFWSC for about a decade. Every year they win multiple Double Gold medals,” explained SFWSC Executive Director Anthony Dias Blue. “I must say, their products are among the most consistently top quality of all the entries submitted.”

Rich Manning is a freelance food and drink writer based in Fountain Valley, CA. He lives about 15 minutes south of Disneyland, but he hasn’t gone there in ages — he’d rather visit the nearby breweries and distilleries instead. You can check out some of his other written hackery by visiting richmanning.pressfolios.com. He can be reached at richmanning72@gmail.com.