Judging – American Craft Spirits Association

American Craft Spirits Competition

“It’s all great what your friends and family think about your spirits, but getting impartial and unbiased feedback from a panel of diverse spirit’s professionals is priceless…The feedback from the ACSA Judging notes was immeasurably helpful. Plus, it affirmed thoughts from family and friends. We will continue to be proud members of the American Craft Spirits Association for years to come – it’s worth it!”

— David Weglarz Owner/Distiller ; StilL 630; St Louis, MO

Submit your spirits by September 16, 2024!

The 2025 American Craft Spirits Competition is officially open for your entries until September 16, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. est!

REGISTER NOW →

We’re looking for the American whiskeys, vodkas, rums, gins, brandies, RTDs, and other specialty craft spirits that could take home a medal! Whether you’re nationally distributed or you just launched your very first product, we encourage you to submit your spirits to be tasted and reviewed by industry experts. ACSA recognition can help you build your brand, increase product distribution and sales, get media exposure, and secure the industry cred you’ve been looking for. The competition is open to all craft spirits products from anywhere in the U.S. Review entry guidelines.

But…this is about more than the medals! Our diverse team of judges understand the competitive craft spirits landscape, and entering into a spirits competition ensures your products will get a thorough and thoughtful third-party evaluation. Get validation that you’re on the right track, and feedback that will help you improve based on reviews from these industry experts. ALL ENTRANTS receive tasting notes that will help you understand how your spirits resonate in the larger market, and all entries will be presented at an industry-wide tasting party at the 2025 ACSA Annual Convention.

If you do take home a medal, we’ll be there to celebrate with you! We’ll post all winners to our site, share the list with the media, and provide you with the marketing tools you need to promote your success. Competition results will be announced at the 2025 ACSA Annual Convention.

About the ACSA Awards

For more than a decade, the annual ACSA Competition has awarded exceptional spirits across categories, promoting a culture where all craft brands can thrive. The 2025 Competition judging will be held in Washington, D.C. at Cotton & Reed this October. Spirits must be received by September 20, 2024. This year’s Competition will be chaired by Colton Weinstein of Liba Spirits and Jeff Wuslich of Cardinal Spirits.

Costs

ACSA MEMBER

General Fee (By 08/1/24): $275 per entry
Late Riser (By 9/16/24): $300 per entry

NON-MEMBER Join Now

General Fee (By 8/1/24): $375 per entry
Late Riser (By 9/16/24): $400 per entry

Learn more

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Am I eligible to enter the ACSA Craft Spirits Competition?

While membership in ACSA is not a prerequisite for entering the competition, to enter your spirits you must be eligible for voting membership as defined by ACSA. ACSA membership does, however, provide a significant discount on entry fees.
ALL products must have a valid COLA from TTB. We reserve the right to request a copy of your COLA should there be a question as to an individual submission. Each spirit must have received formal approval for the “fanciful name” with a corresponding COLA by the date of judging or that spirit will be ineligible for evaluation.
You must identify whether your spirit is Third Party (made using a base spirit distilled off-site) or Made from Scratch (distilled on premise). You may classify a spirit as other or with some specific identifier. If your product is a blend of Third Party distillate and Made from Scratch distillate, please classify this as ‘other’ and note the blend. The Judging Chairs reserve the right to reclassify a submitted spirit based on its professional judgment.