Discover Your New Favorite Spirit: L.A. Spirits Awards Hosts A Virtual Tasting August 4th , 2022

LOS ANGELES - July 13, 2022 - PRLog -- The 3rd Annual L.A. Spirits Awards winners were just announced July 6, 2022 on Vine Pair.com. The awards  were held June 13-14th in Los Angeles, CA at the City Club L.A. Over the two competition days, each judge tasted over 100 entries, awarding 26 Platinum medals and 19 Best in Show honors. Among medal winners were industry mainstays that re-invigorated judges, as well as new-to-market discoveries that excited our judges about the future of the spirits industry.

To further recognize the top winners,  the competition is hosting their first virtual tasting on August 4th, 2022. Attendees will consist of influential journalists, bloggers and the L.A. Spirits Awards judging panel. Members of the media will be given an inside look into the world of bottles and beverages, discovering the latest trends, brands and new cocktails.

The founders of L.A. Spirits Awards, Nicolette Teo and Joel Blum, spent years working behind the scene of a spirits competition based in San Francisco. When they launched L.A. Spirits Awards in 2019, they sought out a judging panel that would better reflect today's modern spirits industry—one that has become more culturally and racially diverse, more youthful, more creative, and less predominantly male than ever before.

"The 2022 L.A. Spirits Awards was our largest competition to date and also our first-ever in-person competition," says Teo. "And what a joy it was to meet and work with our judges face to face for the first time after two years! I've been running spirits competitions for the majority of my career and have never experienced such a collaborative and supportive atmosphere—not just among the judges themselves, but also between the judges and staff."

Best in Show — L.A. Spirits Awards 2022 (For the full show winners, visit www.laspiritsawards.com/2022-results

Best Vodka

Trader Joe's Texas Vodka (https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/tx-vodka-069347) – Houston, USA

Best Flavored Vodka

Mushroom Spirits Distillery Hen of the Woods Flavored Vodka (https://mushroomspirits.distilleryspirits.com/product.aspx?item=HenoftheWoods) – New York, USA

Best Aquavit

Batch 22 Classic Gold New American Aquavit (https://www.drinkbatch22.com/) – California, USA

Best Gin

Papa Salt Coastal Gin – New South Wales, Australia

Best Rum

Ten To One Caribbean White Rum (https://www.tentoonerum.com/white-rum/) – Jamaica and Dominican Republic

Best Cachaça

Ajornada Carvalho Cachaça (https://ajornada.co/) – Brazil

Best Tequila & Best Blanco Tequila

Don Vicente Blanco Tequila (https://www.tequilamatchmaker.com/tequilas/7041-don-vicente-tequila-blanco) – Jalisco, Mexico

Best Añejo Tequila

Cutwater Spirits Añejo Tequila (https://www.cutwaterspirits.com/cutwater-tequila/) – Jalisco, Mexico

Best Extra Añejo Tequila

Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia Extra Añejo Tequila (https://www.reservebar.com/products/jcrdlf) – La Rojeña, Mexico

This year's judges were: Clyde Davis, Jr. (Co-founder of Team Spirit Imports Company), Derek Brown (Owner of Drink Company), Erick Castro (Host of Bartender At Large Podcast), Eryn Reece (Bar Director), Joseph D. Solis (CEO and Founder of Sol Hospitality Group), Karla Alindahao (Senior Contributor, ForbesLife), Kim Haasarud (Liquid Architecture), Masahiro Urushido (Owner, Katana Kitten), Caroline Pardilla (Digital Content Editor, Imbibe Magazine), Samara Davis (Founder of Black Bourbon Society), Mark Stoddard (world champion mixologist and Level 3 certified sommelier), Tiffanie Barriere (The Drinking Coach), Tim McKirdy (Staff Writer,VinePair.com), Raul Pool (General Manager, The Airliner LA), Amie Ward (HealthTender), and John DeBary (Co-founder, Restaurant Workers' Community Foundation (RWCF).

"The one thing that separates L.A. Spirits Awards from other competitions is the caliber of judges," says spirits judge Erick Castro. "Every one has a palate that's unmatched and I'm honored to be in a room with such an experienced collective within the spirits industry."

For all media inquiries and to RSVP for the tasting, please email Lindsey Walker at Lindsey@walkerassocmediagroup.com.