Judging takes place during the months of May and June, 2023.

Accepting all categories of spirits plus aperitifs; vermouths; fortified wines such as port and sherry; shochu, sake, ready-to-drink cocktails; non-alcoholic mixers; non-alcoholic drinks; hard seltzers, sample bottles not yet in their finished packaging or with final label and products that do not have a US importer or distributor.

JUDGING METHODOLOGY:
The finest judges, led by F. Paul Pacult, drawn from our pool of buyers, consultants, journalists, educators and international spirits and wine experts.

Small judging flights to avoid palate fatigue. All products are tasted blind and matched like-with-like for judging.

Ratings using the consumer-friendly 100-point scale.

Our permanent evaluation center allows the judges to fully concentrate on each product’s profile without having to rush.

Multi-round judging to ensure impartiality and to remove any possibility of bias.