Stoli® Group’s Post

## Artisanal or Alarming? The Hidden Dangers in Craft Gin Production 🍸🚫 I recently stumbled upon a video that left me shaken, not stirred 😱 - and not in a good way! It showed someone hand-shaking gin before bottling. While it might look quaint and artisanal, it raises some serious red flags 🚩 **Safety Concerns vs. Public Perception:** - 🦠 Potential contamination risks - 👏 Yet, consumers often praise these "handcrafted" methods - 🏆 Some of these products even win awards in competitions! **The Blind Spot in Blind Tastings:** Judges in blind tastings can't "see" these questionable techniques 🙈 They focus on: - 👃 Aroma - 👅 Taste - 🎨 Appearance But what about the unseen dangers? 🕵️♀️ **HACCP and Regulatory Concerns:** - ❌ Likely non-compliant with HACCP standards - 🏭 Violates good manufacturing practices - 🧼 Lacks proper sanitation controls **The Bigger Picture:** It's concerning that products made without proper health controls are not only sold but celebrated 😕 This raises questions about: - 🏅 The criteria used in spirits competitions - 👨🍳 The romanticization of "artisanal" techniques - 🧑🔬 The need for better consumer education on food safety While we all love a good craft spirit, shouldn't we prioritize safety over spectacle? 🤔 Let's appreciate the art of distilling without compromising on health standards! What do you think? Is the charm of "handcrafted" worth the risk? Share your thoughts below! 💬👇

WHAT IT MEANS TO WIN AT THE London Competitions? North Uist Distillery | Certified B-Corp that won the 2023 London Spirits Competition with its award-winning Downpour Gin from Scotland share a few insights with our team. Downpour Scottish Dry Gin, from the North Uist Distillery Company in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, was the highest scoring spirits brand with 98 points in the 2023 London Spirits Competition. Here’s what it meant to the distillery owners Kate MacDonald and Jonny Ingledew: “Being a gold medal winner at the London Spirits Competition has had a significant impact on our sales. One of our business goals for the year was to gain more traction in the on-trade. Recognition from London Spirits Competition has acted as a seal of approval in this respect as the competition is judged by some of the world’s leading figures from the hospitality sector. Not only this, judging is undertaken with the end consumer in mind, so you know the judges can genuinely see a space for your products.” “Often it is difficult to identify a tangible link between awards success and specific listings, however, I can point to several new partnerships as a direct result of our London Spirits Competition medals. This includes a listing with a high-end UK-wide department store whose buyer was on the judging panel. This also includes the opening up of a new export market after we were approached by an importer who had seen coverage of our success.” “This is no coincidence. The LSC team did a superb job of promoting the competition and providing a platform for the medal winners. We have won top medals in other competitions and it was a flash in the pan, whereas LSC has sustained the coverage throughout the year. We really appreciate it – thank you!” #brandsuccess #globalrecognition #brandstory North Uist Distillery | Certified B-Corp | Kate MacDonald | Jonny Ingledew The Deadline for entry to the London Competitions is February 22.⌛️ Enter while you still have time: https://lnkd.in/dRVxt6b PS: Image proudly showing LSC sticker on top of the bottle. 😍

Calling all Australian Distillers! "SHOW YOUR STILL" We're on a mission to celebrate the artistry behind Australian spirits production, and what better way to do it than by showcasing YOUR stills! Send us a captivating image of your still, and we'll feature it on dedicated pages titled "SHOW US YOUR STILL" across our two websites, "Buy Whisky" and "Buy Gin." Additionally, we'll share it, along with details about your distillery, across our social media platforms. By participating, you're not just sharing a glimpse of your craft; you're giving us permission to share your image, and we'll put a spotlight on your distillery. How to participate: 1️⃣ Send us a high-quality image of your still—simply click the message, message me Matt Lee and add a file or attach the high-quality image to the comment section below. 2️⃣ Include details: the type of still, your distillery, and the spirits you're producing from the still. 3️⃣ Watch as we shine a spotlight on your unique contribution to the Aussie spirits scene! 4️⃣ Australian Distillers only. image for reference only #ShowYourStill #AustralianSpirits #CraftDistillers #DistilleryShowcase #CheersToCraftsmanship #whisky #gin #australianwhisky #Australiangin

"Competition medals don't mean anything; everyone has medals." That's a common sentiment we often hear. Most of the time, it's true. Many competitions give distinctions to whoever pays, with judging criteria that don't solely focus on taste. However, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition appears to be different. It is a blind competition where only taste matters, judged by an extraordinary panel of experts. "Many consider a Double Gold at San Francisco to be the highest medal one can receive in the spirits world, but there’s something even more prestigious: a Platinum Medal." We are proud that our Rum 0.0% has been awarded Double Gold every year since its creation and is now the first non-alcoholic spirit to receive the Platinum Medal. Our dedication to crafting the finest non-alcoholic spirits from real spirits is paying off, and we couldn't be prouder.Check out the full list of platinum medal winners at SFWSC here https://lnkd.in/dkx7AxjT #SFWSC #Competition #PlatinumMedal #DoubleGold #NoAlcohol #AlcoholFree #NonAlcoholicSpirits San Francisco World Spirits Competition The Tasting Alliance

Calling all Australian Distillers! "SHOW YOUR STILL" We're on a mission to celebrate the artistry behind Australian spirits production, and what better way to do it than by showcasing YOUR stills! Send us a captivating image of your still, and we'll feature it on dedicated pages titled "SHOW US YOUR STILL" across our two websites, "Buy Whisky" and "Buy Gin." Additionally, we'll share it, along with details about your distillery, across our social media platforms. By participating, you're not just sharing a glimpse of your craft; you're giving us permission to share your image, and we'll put a spotlight on your distillery. How to participate: 1️⃣ Send us a high-quality image of your still—simply click the message, message me Matt Lee and add a file or attach the high-quality image to the comment section below. 2️⃣ Include details: the type of still, your distillery, and the spirits you're producing from the still. 3️⃣ Watch as we shine a spotlight on your unique contribution to the Aussie spirits scene! 4️⃣ Australian Distillers only. image for reference only #ShowYourStill #AustralianSpirits #CraftDistillers #DistilleryShowcase #CheersToCraftsmanship #whisky #gin #australianwhisky #Australiangin

Hey Bartenders, Spirits Importers and Spirits Distributors, hear directly from the USA Ratings Spirit of the year: Cierto Tequila Reserve Collection Reposado. In this video Jim Ruane, Chief Growth Officer, Cierto Tequila Elevated Spirits, LLC shares why adding the brand to your Bar makes a lot of sense. Medals won at USA Spirits Ratings 2024: USA Spirits Ratings 2024 SPIRITS OF THE YEAR 96 Points   USA Spirits Ratings 2024 BEST IN SHOW BY COUNTRY MEXICO 96 Points USA Spirits Ratings 2024 BEST SPIRIT BY QUALITY 96 Points USA Spirits Ratings 2024 TEQUILA OF THE YEAR 96 Points

Here's the full update on our amazing news....

𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘆!   These are 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝙈𝙤𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙣 𝘾𝙤𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚. The oak is inside the barrel -- up to 20 staves on a rotating carousel with all surfaces available to the spirit. We have a handful of lightly-toasted American Oak staves in this one to spice up a batch of gin. The staves can be swapped out through those triangular doors, and an integral paddle on the carousel can be used to agitate the liquid. 𝙉𝙤𝙬, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤 w𝙚 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙡-𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙜𝙞𝙣?

🤑 £4.56m in Lost Revenue!!! ⚫ Our survey of independent UK bars, has revealed a staggering £1.9 million worth of old and open gin bottles is going to waste on Britain's back bars. ⚫ 30% of UK bars are left with old, unused, and open gin bottles and shockingly, one in 10 venues reported having at least 20 leftover bottles of stock languishing in their cellars or back bars. ⚫ This makes the average revenue loss per venue from post-gin boom stock a huge £775, amounting to a nationwide total of £4.56m in lost revenue! 🔄 This is why we're launching The Big Gin Swap. An opportunity to deposit their old, open, and unused clear full-strength gins and in exchange, receive fresh bottles of premium French gin G’Vine Floraison, Irish-born Dingle Gin, or English gin Martin Miller’s. ➡️ Find out more: https://lnkd.in/dw6BApkP 📊 More on our survey: https://lnkd.in/eKA4yZ_2 Dingle Distillery Maison Villevert Martin Miller's Gin Chris Jones James Robinson Mark Jordan

Samaroli is an Italian independent bottler of whisky and rum, renowned for its exceptional quality and dedication to the art of spirit selection and aging. The company was founded by Silvano Samaroli in 1968. Initially, the focus was on Scotch whisky, and Samaroli quickly gained a reputation for its unique approach to whisky bottling. Unlike many other independent bottlers, Samaroli often chose to age whiskies for extended periods in carefully selected casks, sometimes even re-casking the spirits to enhance their flavor profiles. Samaroli's bottlings are highly sought after by collectors and investors due to their limited releases and the attention to detail in selecting and maturing the spirits. Each bottle is often seen as a work of art, with carefully chosen cask strengths and unique labeling that reflects the company's philosophy. In addition to whisky, Samaroli expanded its portfolio to include rum, applying the same meticulous approach to selecting and aging. The rums are often sourced from the Caribbean, aged either in their country of origin or in Europe, and are known for their complexity and depth. Even after Silvano Samaroli passed away in 2017, the company has continued his legacy, maintaining the same high standards and passion for creating exceptional spirits. Samaroli remains a symbol of craftsmanship and dedication in the world of fine spirits. For us, who seek in exclusivity an opportunity to preserve the value of our capital and to gain, a methodical selection of Samaroli bottles offers our clients the possibility to build a solid portfolio of premium spirits, with the aim of creating a profitable safe-haven asset in the short and midterm, with a two-digit percentage increase. Samaroli 1968 #InvestmentOpportunity #LuxuryInvestments #SpiritsMarket #PremiumSpirits #SamaroliBottler