The winners of The Spirits Business Awards have been announced, with the Lifetime Achievement Award bestowed upon Terry Fraser, master distiller of Tanqueray and Gordon’s Gin.

Yesterday (23 November), The Spirits Business Awards welcomed more than 80 guests to The Club at The Ivy in London to reveal this year’s winners. The shortlisted entries were revealed in October.

The awards cover a number of categories such as retail, marketing, sustainability, innovation, tourism, products and people.

Judging took place earlier this year, and the 2023 panel consisted of: David T Smith, spirits writer, consultant and co-founder of the Craft Distilling Expo; Anne Jones, partner and drinks experience manager at Waitrose; Herchelle Perez Terrado, founder and director of Drinks Partnership; and Melita Kiely, editor of The Spirits Business.

“Once again, we received an impressively strong selection of entries into The Spirits Business Awards,” said Kiely. “It reflected the ongoing creativity we see coming from the global spirits industry, and commitment to producing top-quality products, packaging solutions, marketing initiatives, and consumer experiences.

“As a panel, we were delighted to give the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award to Terry Fraser, a real craftsman who has created myriad products adored worldwide by consumers and trade professionals. My congratulations go to Terry on this thoroughly deserved recognition after 40 years in the spirits trade.”

Jones said about Fraser during the judging process: “The breadth of his influence and the impact he has had on consumers, and consumer expectations for quality, is fantastic.”

The trophies for The Spirits Business Awards 2023 were supplied by Glencairn Crystal.

New plans revealed for The Spirits Business Awards 2024

At the end of the awards ceremony in London, The Spirits Business revealed a shake-up planned for 2024.

After five years and year-on-year growth, next year’s event will be revamped into a black-tie event at The Underglobe in London, on 14 November 2024.

Further details will be revealed in due course via The Spirits Business Awards website, and by contacting Ryan Graves ([email protected]) and Rhiannon Morris ([email protected]).

Keep scrolling to discover all the winners from The Spirits Business Awards 2023.

Retail and Marketing

Spirits Bottler of the Year

Winner: That Boutique-y Drinks Company

Runner-Up: Contract Bottlers Glasgow

Special Commendation: Young Spirits

Spirits Distributor of the Year

Winner: Maverick Drinks

Runner-Up: Speciality Drinks

Best New Marketing Campaign

Winner: West Cork Irish Whiskey for Casked Conversations

Best Event

Winner: Lecce Cocktail Week

Runner-Up: The Whisky Event

Special Commendation: Diageo Bar Academy: World Bartender Day

PR Company of the Year

Winner: Doubleshot

Runner-Up: Richmond & Towers

Drinks Consultancy of the Year

Winner: International Drinks Specialists

Best Whisky Auction House

Winner: Whisky.Auction

Sustainability and Innovation

Distillery Sustainability Award

Winner: Ahascragh Distillery

Ethical Award

Winner: Everleaf Drinks

Innovation in Production

Winner: Archie Rose Distilling

Special Commendation: SpiritCask by Devil’s Cask

Innovation in Packaging

Winner: Stauning Design Edition

Runner-Up: Match Tonic Water

Best New Product

Winner: Jack Daniel’s & Coca-Cola

Culture and Tourism

Distillery Consumer Experience Award

Winner: Archie Rose Distilling

Cultural Contribution to the Spirits Industry

Winner: Ararat Museum

Contribution to Spirits Tourism

Winner: Takamaka Rum

Runner-Up: The Glenlivet

Special Commendation: TX Whiskey Ranch

People

Young Achiever of the Year

Winner: Will Edwards, Archie Rose Distilling

Runner-Up: Holly Browne, Distill Ventures

Blender of the Year

Winner: Sam Simmons, Atom Brands and Master of Malt

Runner-Up: David Fisher, Archie Rose Distilling

Distiller/Producer of the Year

Winner: Dave Withers, Archie Rose Distilling

Runner-Up: Rich Hudson, Mainline Spirits

Lifetime Achievement Award

Terry Fraser, master distiller for Tanqueray and Gordon’s Gin