About the awards
World Grain Spirit Awards 2025 - Entries are now open!
We are happy to announce that the World Grain Spirit Awards is open for entries. The World Grain Spirit Awards aims to showcase the best people, products, and places in the global grain spirit industry.
Dates for your diaryOnline registrations open now
- Early entry rates deadline - 30 November 2024
- Entries deadline - 29 January 2025
- Shipping deadline - 27 February 2025
- Winners announced - May 2025
Why awards are now more important than ever:
In today's competitive market, advertising has become increasingly crucial for businesses to succeed. Winning the World Grain Spirit Awards 2025 can provide you with a unique opportunity to showcase your brand and products to a global audience. This prestigious competition not only recognises the quality of your grain spirit but also opens doors to direct advertising opportunities. Don't miss out on the chance to elevate your brand and reach new customers through the World Grain Spirit Awards.
Being recognised at the World Grain Spirit Awards not only sets you apart from your competitors but also establishes your brand as a top-quality product. It is a testament to the hard work and dedication that goes into crafting a superior Grain Spirit. Winning an award can also increase your brand's visibility and credibility, leading to increased sales and customer loyalty.
You will receive logos and certificates free of charge, which you can use to promote your win and product as you wish. These materials will help you showcase your achievement and enhance your brand image. We understand the importance of recognition and want to support your success in every way possible.
Your victory will play a crucial role in influencing the decisions of both local and international distributors. This is a golden opportunity for you to establish your grain spirit brand and gain recognition on a global scale.
Each winner is featured on the World Grain Spirit Awards website with their own profile and direct links to their website, attracting thousands of monthly visitors. This provides an excellent opportunity for increased exposure and recognition within the industry.
Have a question?
If you have any questions regarding the World Grain Spirit Awards 2025, get in touch through any of our contacts below:
Contact: The Awards Team @ World Drinks Awards
Email: info@worlddrinksawards.com Telephone: 01603 633808
What is the World Grain Spirit Awards?
The World Grain Spirit Awards is a
prestigious global competition that recognises the finest grain spirits from around the world. This annual event involves a rigorous tasting process that identifies, honours, and promotes the most exceptional grain spirits to consumers and industry professionals worldwide. To be eligible for consideration, your grain spirit entries must be widely available for purchase.
Who should enter the World Grain Spirit Awards?
Are you a distiller, agent, importer, wholesaler, or retailer of grain spirit, or producer of grain spirit products? If so, the World Grain Spirit Awards is the perfect opportunity for you to showcase your products to an expert panel of judges. By entering, you have the chance to compete for the title of the World's Best Grain Spirit.
Icons of Drinks
Welcome to the Icons of DrinksWe are delighted to say that the Icons of Drinks are now open for entries and introduce our new online entry system. You can simply make your applications through your customer profile.
The Icons of Drinks Awards are a celebration of the years of hard work that go into every bottle. From the distillers themselves to brand ambassadors, visitor centre managers, bars, bar tenders and the industry’s communicators – a great deal of craftsmanship, skill and knowledge are imparted at each stage of the process. This is our way of saying thank you to the individuals and producers for their dedication to each innovative release, visitor experience or expert retail service, delivered in a tireless fashion.
A list of rates, categories and definitions can be found
here
Taste categories
Design categories
This design category includes only singular bottles without outer packaging. It does include any decorative items such as neck tags or collars. The overall design, including closure, of the glass or PET bottle: shape, colour, functionality and any embossing, decorative finishes, coatings, or direct printed elements as well as visual appeal will be assessed in this category.
This category is designed to cater for all on shelf gift packs. These can be either gift packs containing individual bottles with packaging and accessories (such as glassware) or multi-product sets, including miniatures.
This includes all aspects of on-bottle brand/product communication, including the application of any direct printing onto bottle, capsule or closure, as well as paper and film labels and sleeves. This will be judged on the overall design and quality of materials, print, decoration and application.
This category applies to designs where the number produced was limited, such as for a special production, occasion or season. This can include individual bottles as well as bottles with outer packaging. This does not include gift packs, travel retail exclusives or special edition designs, which should be entered separately.
Packaging for a new product launched after February 1, 2023. This must be a new product, not a re-design of an existing product. Redesigns, please see the redesign/relaunch category.
This is a packaging design that carries through and unites a range or ‘family’ of different products from one producer or brand. To enter this category a minimum of three expressions need to be provided in order to assess the range design.
This category refers to a new or refreshed packaging design created for an existing product and introduced to the market after February 1, 2023. A picture or sample of the previous packaging must be supplied along with a description of what changes have been made and why
This applies to the secondary, outer, presentation packaging, such as cartons, boxes, cases, plinths, chests etc. The presentation will be judged on the overall effect with the bottle in place. This does not include gift packs or speciality designs, which should be entered separately.
This category is for speciality designs or ‘one off’ productions which have been exclusively designed for a very special occasion, are very limited and mostly in a higher price range. Must contain outer packaging. Sale is extremely selected and not generally available.
Products created specifically and only for sale in the duty-free / travel retail market. This can either individual bottles or products with outer packaging.
Shipping
When shipping your product, please keep in mind the following:
- Ensure all products are packaged securely.
- Print the packing slip from your online profile for each product and attach this to your package(s)
- World Grain Spirit Awards accepts bottles.
- Ensure all customs and duties fees are cleared when booking in the shipment yourself. Should the World Grain Spirit Awards be required to pay any charges, you will be invoiced for the amount plus an administration fee.
Quantities Required
For
Taste entries, we require for each entry:
- 3 x 500ml (minimum) Bottles
For
Design entries, we require for each entry:
If you have entered both Taste and Design, please provide the number of bottles specified under the 'Taste' entries quantities section.
How to Ship
We are delighted to introduce our shipping system, allowing you to ship your entries straight through our own booking system in conjunction with our shipping partner. For a set shipping fee, that covers customs and duties costs, we get your shipment booked in, picked up and on its way! Download the shipping guide
here. Please note this service is available for shipments destined for the
UK only. Please check your individual entry confirmation email for details of where to send your shipment.
When you are shipping your entries yourself, please ensure that all customs, clearance and any associated costs have been paid. If these are not paid, World Grain Spirit Awards can either not accept the entries or will have to invoice any costs occurred, including an administration fee. All duty invoices will come directly from our accounts team.
We do accept in-person deliveries. Please contact our awards team at
info@worlddrinksawards.com to ensure someone is on site to receive your package(s).
Rates
Entry fees
Early Entry Rates - only until 30 November |
|---|
| Note: price is for each entry |
|---|
| | 1 entry | 2 entries | 3 entries | 4+ entries |
|---|
| Sterling |
| Taste & Design | £299 + VAT | £279 + VAT | £269 + VAT | £259 + VAT |
| Design only | £199 + VAT | £189 + VAT | £179 + VAT | £175 + VAT |
| Taste only | £199 + VAT | £189 + VAT | £179 + VAT | £175 + VAT |
| Euro |
| Taste & Design | €355 | €345 | €335 | €325 |
| Design only | €235 | €230 | €225 | €220 |
| Taste only | €235 | €230 | €225 | €220 |
| USD |
| Taste & Design | $449 | $429 | $419 | $409 |
| Design only | $299 | $289 | $279 | $269 |
| Taste only | $299 | $289 | $279 | $269 |
| Canadian Dollar |
| Taste & Design | $520 | $505 | $490 | $475 |
| Design only | $350 | $340 | $330 | $320 |
| Taste only | $350 | $340 | $330 | $320 |
Standard Pricing |
|---|
| Note: price is for each entry |
|---|
| | 1 entry | 2 entries | 3 entries | 4+ entries |
|---|
| Sterling |
| Taste & Design | £315 + VAT | £295 + VAT | £285 + VAT | £275 + VAT |
| Design only | £209 + VAT | £199 + VAT | £189 + VAT | £179 + VAT |
| Taste only | £209 + VAT | £199 + VAT | £189 + VAT | £179 + VAT |
| Euro |
| Taste & Design | €375 | €365 | €355 | €345 |
| Design only | €245 | €240 | €235 | €230 |
| Taste only | €245 | €240 | €235 | €230 |
| USD |
| Taste & Design | $449 | $429 | $419 | $409 |
| Design only | $299 | $289 | $279 | $269 |
| Taste only | $299 | $289 | $279 | $269 |
| Canadian Dollar |
| Taste & Design | $535 | $520 | $505 | $490 |
| Design only | $365 | $355 | $345 | $335 |
| Taste only | $365 | $355 | $345 | $335 |
Terms & conditions
- Products must be sent by prepaid post and be received by the Shipping Date listed.
- Entries are only accepted on a completed online entry form with the appropriate entry fee.
- If an entry is withdrawn by the Due Date (or disqualified), the entry fee will be returned subject to an administration charge of 50% of the entry fee. Products will be made available for collection at the entrant’s expense or retained by the Organiser if not collected within eight weeks of the due date. Due Date is the entry deadline.
- If an entry is withdrawn after the Due Date, no refunds will be given. This includes entries for which product has not been received.
- Payment in full is required before judging commences.
- Substitutions of entries is possible, but needs to be communicated to the World Grain Spirit Awards prior to the Due Date.
- If you are shipping your entries yourself, please ensure that all customs, clearance and any associated costs have been paid in advance. If these costs are not paid, the World Grain Spirit Awards will invoice any costs occurred, including an administration fee. If these costs remain unpaid, the World Grain Spirit Awards are unable to accept the entries.
- The judges’ decision on all matters is final.
- The Organisers may, at their discretion, refuse to accept an entry.
- The Organisers may alter the closing date for the awards, place an entry in the most appropriate style, rule that an entry may not compete or is ineligible to compete, or alter the date, time or place on or at which the awards are scheduled to take place.
- The Chair of Judges has the power to disqualify any entry not deemed as meeting the entry criteria.
- These rules are governed by the laws of the UK.
- Please note, bottles are unable to be returned. Our policy on unreturned bottles is as follows:
- Opened bottles may be poured at trade and consumer events to promote the individual brand, or included in a charity bottling, the proceeds of which are distributed to charity.
- Closed bottles may be distributed to individual charities on a case by basis, or presented for auction, all proceeds of which are distributed to charity.