For all the details about the individual awards click on the links here and find out why to enter and who is judging the awards below. Super Early Bird entry fees close at the end of September.
- To enter the London Wine Competition click here.
- To enter the London Spirits Competition click here.
- To enter the the London Beer Competition click here.
As the Super Early Bird entry process for the 2023 awards closes on September 30 here are the key reasons why it makes good business sense to enter your beers, wines and spirits into the three separate London Competitions.
The London Wine, Beer, and Spirits Competitions were set up six years with one objective. To introduce drinks awards that recognise, highlight and reward wines, beers and spirits based on the three key criteria a consumer decides which product they are going to buy.
Every drinks brand and product entered into the London Wine, London Beer and London Spirits Competitions is judged in these three ways:
Blind Tasting
Each product entered is first blind tasted by our professional team of judges made of leading wine buyers, importers, merchants, sommeliers and Masters of Wine. Only those wines, beers and spirits that pass the blind tasting are then put forward to the next two rounds of judging..
Pricing and value for money
The judges are then told the recommended retail price and cost price of the wine, beer or spirit in question and asked to assess how that equates to the quality they have just tasted. Does it offer value for money at that price point? Will a retailer, wine merchant, bar or restaurant be able to sell it at that price to their customers?
Design
The judges are then asked to look at the actual bottles and packaging of all the products entered, to pick them up, to analyse their front and back labels and their overall brand design. Do they live up to the taste and quality credentials? Does it match the price being asked for it? Would the judges be proud to have that on their retail shelf or back bar?
Scoring
The judges in the London Competitions are all drinks professionals who have or have had direct buying experience
Scores are awarded per product in each of these three key criteria in order to determine which medal they will receive.
To win a medal in each of the competitions a product needs to get the following scores:
Gold: 90 points or over.
Silver: a score between 76-89.
Bronze: a score between 65-75.
Promotion
All products that receive medals in either the London, Wine, Beer or Spirits Competitions will then be promoted through the various business and trade websites, social media and YouTube channels that the shows organiser, Beverage Trade Network, runs around the world. This includes the London Drinks Guide and two new dedicated sites for the UK – The On-Trade and Drinks Merchants.
You can also use the specially created media and press templates to personalise press releases and publicise any medal winning products to key trade and consumer titles
The Judges
Any drinks competition is only as good as the judges and the judging process behind them.
Which is why since it was launched six years ago the London Competitions have worked hard year by year to build up a network of professional judges that each have direct drinks buying responsibilities and are responsible for deciding what product are listed by the businesses they work for.
Drinks trade professionals that know what it takes for a wine, beer or spirit to make it on a list and then stay there. Judging panels made up of top sommeliers, bartenders, leading wine buyers, merchants, importers, suppliers and Masters of Wine.
Here are some of the judges taking part.
How to enter
The entry process for the London Wine, Beer and Spirits Competitions ends on February 22. Here’s how to enter:
- To enter the London Wine Competition click here.
- To enter the London Spirits Competition click here.
- To enter the the London Beer Competition click here.
Fee Schedule:
London Wine Competition
£90 – Super Early Bird to September 30, 2023
£120 – Early Bird: October 1, 2023 to December 20, 2023
£140 – Regular: December 21, 2023 to February 22, 2024
London Spirits Competition
£110 – Super Early Bird: Now to September 30, 2023
£140 – Early Bird: October 1, 2023 to December 20, 2023
£180 – Regular: December 21, 2023 to February 22, 2024
London Beer Competition
£70 – Super Early Bird to September 30, 2023
£90 – Early Bird: October 1, 2023 to December 20, 2023
£120 – Regular: December 21, 2023 to February 22, 2024
Quantity Discount for London Spirits Competition
3 to 8 entries: 10% discount
9 to 13 entries: 15% discount
14 or more entries: 20% discount
Quantity Discount for London Wine & Beer Competitions
4 to 9 entries: 10% discount
10 to 14 entries: 15% discount
15 or more entries: 20% discount
