Spirits Competition and Awards - Beverage Testing Institute

PROFESSIONAL SPIRITS REVIEWS

From the creators of the first international spirits competition in the US,
the World Spirits Championships.

100,000 REVIEWS AND COUNTING.
Since 1981, our reviews have put countless brands on the map.
From massive names like Grey Goose, Pappy Van Winkle and Casamigos to the bootstrap-pulling craft distilleries like Few, Copperworks and Vapor Distilling, we broadcast the flavor and quality that sets brands apart.

To this day BTI is the fairest, most consistent professional review source out there— just look at the data.

Published Review Options

EARLY BIRD $550
Submit before category deadline
REGULAR $600
Submit up to 10 - 15 days after deadline
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The year-round review source with the fastest turn-around time, guaranteed.

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A comprehensive suite of marketing tools

– A professional, detailed tasting note compiled by our trade-only panel of experts

– A score and medal for all panel-recommended spirits

– Panel feedback, pairing suggestions, and more

ABOUT OUR PANEL

– A 3-year published review on Tastings.com with your bottle image and company information

– Excellent SEO that boosts your review to the top of search engine results

– A “Buy-it” button on your product’s review page to boost e-commerce

ABOUT TASTINGS.COM

– 100,000+ impressions through our social media amplification highlighting your best-scoring spirits

– Intimate brand exposure to industry influencers

– Free and low-cost POSM materials like shelf-talkers, neckers, and trophies.

ABOUT OUR POSM
2023

2023 World Spirits Championships Calendar

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT NOW

DOWNLOAD 2023 CALENDAR

SPIRITS
DEADLINES & RESULTS
January
SPIRITS
Vodka

Unflavored • Flavored • Barrel-Aged

Add-On Cocktail Competition: Best Vodka in a Cosmopolitan

DEADLINES & RESULTS

Submission: Jan. 15th

Product Received: Jan. 17th

Results Available: Mar. 1st

February
SPIRITS
Gin, Genever and Botanical Spirits 

All Styles and Distillates

Add-On Cocktail Competition: Best Gin in a Martini

DEADLINES & RESULTS

Submission: Feb. 15th

Product Received: Feb. 15th

Results Available: Apr. 1st

March
SPIRITS
Rum 

Rum • Flavored Rum • Spiced Rum • Agricole Rhum • Cachaça • Pisco • Aguardiente and All Cane Spirit

Add-On Cocktail Competition: Best Rum in a Daiquiri

DEADLINES & RESULTS

Submission: Mar. 15th

Product Received: Mar. 15th

Results Available: May 2nd

April
SPIRITS
Agave

Mezcal • Sotol • Flavored Tequila • Bacanora and All Craft Agave Spirits

Add-On Cocktail Competition: Best Tequila in a Margarita

DEADLINES & RESULTS

Submission: Apr. 15th

Product Received: Apr. 15th

Results Available: Jun. 1st

May
SPIRITS
World Whiskey 

Scotch • Irish • Continental Europe • India • Taiwan • French • Japan • All Craft Distilled Whiskies Outside of North America

Add-On Cocktail Competition: Best World Whiskey in a Highball

Cans 1 

Ready-to-Drink Cocktails • Spirits-Based Hard Seltzers & Sodas • Non-Alcoholic RTDs 

DEADLINES & RESULTS

Submission: May 15th

Product Received: May. 16th

Results Available: Jul. 1st

June
SPIRITS
North American Whiskey 

Bourbon • Tennessee • Rye • Un-aged • Canadian • American • Moonshine • Corn • Wheat • Flavored • Straight • Single Malt & All American Craft Whiskies

Add-On Cocktail Competition: Best Whiskey in a Manhattan

DEADLINES & RESULTS

Submission: Jun. 15th

Product Received: Jun. 15th

Results Available: Aug. 1st

July
SPIRITS
Asian Spirits 

Baijiu • Soju • Shochu • Awamori • Umeshu • Arak • Raki • Feni • All Distilled Spirits from Asia

Liqueurs 

Fruit • Cream • Chocolate • Coffee • Herb/Spice • Anise • Floral • Nut • Schnapps • Amaro • Fernet • Absinthe • Bitter Liqueurs • Aperitivos • Aperitifs

Brandy

Cognac • Armagnac • Calvados • Eau-de-Vie • Grape Brandy • Fruit Brandy • Applejack

Add-On Cocktail Competition: Best Brandy in a Sidecar

DEADLINES & RESULTS

Submission: Jul. 15th

Product Received: Jul. 15th

Results Available: Sep. 1st

August
SPIRITS
Last Call: Spirits 

All Spirit Types

Conscious Spirits

Low-to-No ABV • Spirit-Free

DEADLINES & RESULTS

Submission: Aug. 15th

Product Received: Aug. 15th

Results Available: Oct. 3rd

September
SPIRITS
Super Early-Bird Spirits

All Spirit Types

Best Buy Bar®

A competition to find the best spirits priced $25 and under that deliver the highest quality at the best price

DEADLINES & RESULTS

Submission: Sep. 15th

Product Received: Sep. 15th

Results Available: Nov. 1st

October
SPIRITS
Innovative & Experimental Spirits

 

DEADLINES & RESULTS

Submission: Oct. 16th

Product Received: Oct. 16th

Results Available: Dec. 1st

November
SPIRITS
Packaging

Paper Label • Etched or Embossed Label • Bottle • Gift Box • Case • Spirits Accessories • Spirits Novelties • Spirits Glassware

DEADLINES & RESULTS

Submission: Nov. 15th

Product Received: Nov. 15th

Results Available: Jan. 2nd

December
SPIRITS
Mixers & RTDs

All Large Format RTDs, Cocktail Mixers, Bitter, and Elixirs

Cans

Ready-to-Drink Cocktails

DEADLINES & RESULTS

Submission: Dec. 15th

Product Received: Dec. 15th

Results Available: Feb. 1st

"We have used BTI for the last 5 years and couldn’t be happier. They always have great customer service and support! Not only do they have detailed professional reviews and tasting notes, the addition of the metallic stickers and shelf-talkers help us capture customers, and drive bottle sales."

-MIKE HUFFMAN, WHIDBEY ISLAND DISTILLERY

We're not an event, we're an institution.

For 39 years, Beverage Testing Institute’s outstanding methodology and unprecedented approach to panelist recruitment have made us the fairest and most consistent review organization in the industry. With expert test design, custom software and the most professional tasting environment in the country, your brand is in good hands.

A trusted source for consumers and the trade.

Ratings and reviews are crucial elements of your marketing toolkit, but it’s important to choose a review source that’s trusted by consumers.

We’ve built our value to the trade on our unique position as advocate for the spirits industry, independent publication, and trusted consumer brand.

Used in countless marketing campaigns, an award from BTI is synonymous with quality in the eyes of the consumers you need to reach.

"The consistency and broad consumer reach of BTI ratings and reviews really solidified the quality message of our artisan brand and helped us build a well-distributed and highly regarded specialty portfolio of beers."
Laurent-Xavier Gilbert,
VP Development at La Brasserie Unibroue
"The BTI rankings have an effect on what restaurants put on their wine lists, and ultimately on what you might be drinking."
Joe Gray,
Editor, Chicago Tribune
"BTI is still the outstanding tasting organization, uniquely independent. Keep up the good work!"
Jan Wells,
VP of Marketing, Cannon Wines
"Beverage Testing Institute is a professional operation with a professional approach. I like that they are committed to truly blind tastings and that their reviews are comprehensive and informative. We highlight the reviews in our tasting room and post them on social media; the consumer response is very positive. "
Edwin Richards,
Winemaker/Owner, Adastra
“Our BTI awards have helped us with our US distribution. Sales have increased form 0 cases to 250 cases in just a couple of months. We opened two new accounts in Seattle and New York.”
Eduardo Aguirre Victoria,
Terre de Vignerons
“[BTI's] Tastings.com is well known as a main reference for connoisseurs, experts and followers of spirits.”
Otto Flores,
Ron Barcelo
"We have used Tastings.com (BTI) for the last 5 years and couldn’t be happier. They always have great customer service and support! Not only do they have detailed professional reviews and tasting notes, the addition of the metallic stickers and shelf-talkers help us capture customers, and drive bottle sales. The trophies, medals, and printed awards are displayed as center pieces in our tasting room. Their website is easy to navigate and has great product information."
Mike Huffman,
Whidbey Island Distillery
“Our winery has had BTI rate our wines for a number of years. We use the bottle stickers and shelf talkers for both education and to enhance our marketing. We have had distributors request bottle stickers, and during wine pourings, we use the shelf talkers as a customer take away. We appreciate the information written by BTI since we find it to be concise, descriptive, informational, and a well rounded review of our wines.“
Janet Soderberg,
Alamira Wines, Vistaflores Estate
When we found out that our 20 year Pappy Van Winkle had been entered in BTI's 1997 World Spirits Championships and received their 99-point rating, that’s when we started getting calls from distributors around the country looking for our whiskey.

That was a benchmark moment for our business. Every time we received a high rating from BTI over the years, interest increased for our brand.

We owe a lot to the Beverage Testing Institute for our success.
Julian P. Van Winkle, III,
President, Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery
BTI has been our go-to partner for our alcohol awards program for years now, providing quality reviews of our wide selection of wines, beers and hard seltzers. The unique quarterly submission process allows our team to highlight new, trending and seasonal offerings and the staff at BTI is always responsive, collaborative and supportive to help us reach our goals.
Carrie Reitz,
Corporate Buying US, ALDI Inc.
The trust that consumers, major retailers, distributors and suppliers have for BTI makes their reviews and recommendations an invaluable complement and a huge asset to the success of Atlas’ bespoke label brands. I enthusiastically recommend their tools and services to anyone in the control or private label beverage program spaces.
Jim Cosma,
Atlas Imports

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