Firecracker, the debut gin by the Lancaster Spirits Company, and Raspberry and Rose the Lancashire distillery's debut flavoured gin have both been presented with international awards at the 7th annual London Spirits Competition.
The judges gathered in late March in London's Marylebone to sniff, swirl, and taste their way through a vast array of gins, vodkas, and whiskies, as well as a range of more esoteric spirits to identify this year's medal winners.
After their deliberations Firecracker was presented with a silver award, and Raspberry & Rose collected a bronze award. This year over 2000 spirits were entered into the awards, from 80 countries around the globe, including the UK, USA, New Zealand, Mexico, Lithuania and France. A total of 520 products alone were entered into the gin category, making it the largest category to be judged.
Each product submitted was judged by an illustrious panel of judges, featuring some of the world's leading figures from the hospitality and drinks sectors, including independent drinks buyers, mixologists and spirits specialist, including the likes of Ivan Dixon; Forray Andras, Michele Becatti, Aurelie Montana Luca Ponte, and Marco Stella.
What sets the London Spirits Competition apart is its judging process. It goes beyond blind tasting to determine medal winners. First, judges evaluate the spirits' label, design, and packaging, assigning a portion of the score based on visual appeal, storytelling effectiveness, and how well the brand's overall presentation aligns with its price point and perceived value for money. However, the judges also pay particular attention to the quality of the spirit itself, the deciding factor in each individual product's overall final score.
Lancaster Spirits Co Senior Manager, Gemma Carradice, commented: "Winning a silver award for Firecracker and bronze in the London Spirits Competition is brilliant news. We've won a total of six international awards for our spirits since launching in late 2022. Our range now includes two vodkas, a premium gin and two flavoured gins, with more products to be added shortly. As one of only a handful of grain to glass distilleries in the UK we're making great progress in what we do and how we go about doing it, and these awards wins are testament to that and as a result mean a lot to the entire team."
Alongside that good news Lancaster Spirits Co is also happy to report that work is well underway with the creation of the next stage of the distillery's developing story.
After significant investment and months of construction work, the Lancaster based company has now added a bespoke pot still and storage facility to the grain-to-glass distillery's facilities - The Whisky Rack.
This specialist building will produce, house and age cask whisky. The building is an essential part of ensuring a quality product: produced using water from an ancient Bowland aquifer, a two-hundred-year-old Lancastrian yeast and the finest barley malts and ultimately infused with delicate flavours and aromas from "1st fill" bourbon oak casks.
The new Whisky Rack will house hundreds of wooden casks, each carefully stored to maximise the evolutionary maturation process all the while gaining more flavour, aroma, and body.
In due course The Whisky Rack will play host to a wide range of events, including distillery tours and tastings.
Please keep an eye on the website for future event details. https://lancasterspirits.co.uk