The New Orleans Spirits Competition is an international spirits judging bringing wider recognition to fine beverages and spirits from top-flight producers across the globe. Presented by the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, each spirit is tasted blind by a panel of industry experts, without identification, to ensure integrity and secrecy. The judging panels include preeminent industry professionals; including award winning bartenders and distillers, decorated beverage writers, and industry luminaries. Awards will be presented during Tales of the Cocktail, the largest and most prestigious cocktail conference. 

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NEW FOR 2023

Imbibe Magazine is our official media sponsor. Medalists will be announced by both Imbibe Magazine and Tales of the Cocktail on the morning of Tuesday, July 25, and featured in press releases and social media. The Best of Class winners will be highlighted in the Sept/Oct print issue of Imbibe.

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A Distillery of the Year will be chosen from those producers that enter four or more brands. The distillery with highest average score will earn this award. Distillery of the Year will be announced at the Meet the Distillers Tasting, Friday, July 28.

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A first-of-its-kind public judging will be held Monday July, 24 in New Orleans at Tales of the Cocktail. A preliminary judging round will be held in June. The top-scoring spirits in key spirit classes will advance to a blind tasting will be conducted publicly. An audience of industry professionals will taste along and listen to the debate over the spirits.  The judges will determine winners to be designated Spirits of the Year for four classes of distilled spirits.

Gold medalists will be invited to participate in the Meet the Distillers tasting, Friday, July 28, and have the opportunity to sample their products for bartenders, spirits buyers, and journalists in attendance.