8 Days Left! The Super Early Bird Deadline is on December 20th.
This is the only competition in the USA that focuses on independent producers, regional wineries, and national retailers, celebrating beverages that truly connect with today’s consumers.
The USA Spirits Ratings looks to recognize, reward and help promote spirits brands that have successfully been created to identify with and target a specific spirits drinker. For any spirits brand to earn its place on a retailer’s shelf or a restaurant’s spirits list - and then vitally stay there - they need to be marketable and consumer-driven and not just produced in the general hope it can find enough people willing to sell and buy it.
That is why the USA Spirits Ratings is different. It will single out and shine the spotlight on those spirits brands that consumers really want to buy and have a clear market value for trade buyers.
Competition that will judge spirits in three key areas:
To be an award winner you will need to have top-quality spirits, that offer both the trade and the consumer great value for money, and you will need to look good and truly stand out on the shelf and on the back bar.
Scoring Definition
Quality: Quality will be assessed based on how agreeable the spirit is for its target customer and chemical analysis. Measure quality considering the following characteristics of the beverage: Appearance, Aroma, Body, Taste, and Aftertaste.
Value: The objective is to understand how well a particular spirits brand is priced, the greater the quality offered for the price, the greater the value score will be.
Packaging: Packaging will be measured by how well judges think the product will be perceived by the consumer. The package will be judged for the Off-Premise market considering factors like label design and information, closure, and overall look. This does not involve boxes, cartons, and bags. It is how they think the product will be perceived when placed on a shelf amongst thousands of other spirits.
Winning Impact
Winning competitions is what determines your pace in this competitive world. And more so for such a competitive industry as wine & spirits. There are so many spirits brands competing with each other for front row seats on a shelf, where they are the first ones visible to customers. In such a scenario, winning a medal can act as one of your most powerful marketing tools as well as a selling point.
Your winning medal stickers can be used on your brand support tools. Some of the best places to showcase your USA Spirits Ratings medal would be:
1. Brand Deck
2. Sell Sheet
3. Shelf Talkers
4. Case Cards
5. Bottle Neckers
But wait, there's a lot more than a medal from USA Spirits Ratings can do for you. This is how a USA Spirits Ratings medal will help you in creating a solid impression on the spirits market across the globe.
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Meet the Experts
This is our first batch of judges for the 2025 competition. These top spirits buyers from all over the US market will gather in San Francisco on July 27, 2025, and will blind-taste and score the spirits based on their quality, value, and packaging(package is revealed after blind-tasting).
Key Deadlines
Pricing
Super Early Bird Pricing - $200 per spirit (now to December 20, 2024)
Early Bird Pricing - $250 per spirit(December 21, 2024, to February 20, 2025)
Regular Pricing - $300 per spirit (February 21, 2025, to June 20, 2025)
Quantity Discount
3 to 8 entries: 10% discount 9 to 13 entries: 15% discount 14 or more entries: 20% discount
With this offers, you’re not just entering a competition—you’re positioning your brand for unparalleled exposure and growth in the U.S. spirits market. Don’t miss out!
For more details on the process, awards, pricing, shipping, and more, feel free to connect with our sales team. Simply send an email to announcement@usaspiritsratings.com, and one of our representatives will be in touch shortly to assist you.