Final Call To Enter Your Spirits In 2021 London Spirits Competition
Malvika Patel
Editor and VP at Beverage Trade Network, USA Trade Tasting, London Competitions, Cannabis Drinks Expo, IBWSS, Sommeliers Choice Awards, Paris Wine Cup, and More!
2021 London Spirits Competition: Why it makes sense to raise a toast to this one
The prosaic lights, bar stools occupied, men, discussing stock performances, women letting their hair down for a good time; and everybody’s favourite, the Friday evenings and the weekend games. All at your favourite bar. There was a time this was normal. Sometimes it seems like a distant memory, but stuff happens. What can you do about it? With the Pandemic redefining the new normal, the hospitality industry as we know it has changed. The impact has slowly, but surely, altered our eating and drinking habits. As most cities and countries world over, go in and out of lockdown, there has been a steady rise in home deliveries and curbside pick-ups. The bar which was once a holy grail of an establishment seems not so needed anymore.
With normalcy on the back-foot for now, people no longer have the luxury of walking to the bar, ordering a Vodka Martini – shaken, not stirred. Since most of the alcohol is now ordered online or picked up from the curbside, people need a spirit that speaks and stands its ground.
[Table set-up at the competition]
What this means for you
With the world in mayhem and the hospitality sector on the loose footing, how can you ensure that you still can reach the consumer and still be able to sell your spirits, in high spirits? (Pun intended)
Well, enter London Spirits Competition. London Spirits Competition prides itself in being the key link between the distillers and the consumers at large. So get your diary out, and ask yourself, what is it that you need at the moment? Is it,
- Increasing your sales
- Brand awareness
- Having your spirits sampled by the decision-makers
- Launching or growing in the United Kingdom
- Distribution
- Consumer attention
- Marketing your spirits to the right demographic
- ALL OF THESE
At London Spirits Competition we understand just how important all of this is to you, and it is exactly what we can assist you with. Having you enter your spirits with us, instantly garners the attention of the real trade buyers who are our judges. The opportunity to showcase your product to the people, who create and shape the consumption of the spirits in the UK, is an opportunity you need at the moment.
Ever since its inception, the London Spirits Competition has had a unique approach to judging the spirits. It has three, highly effective judging criteria that are unlike any other leading competitions.
[Judging at the London Spirits Competition]
The Judging
Spirits are judged on three significant criteria –
- Their quality.
- Their value for money.
- What they look like.
As a producer, you need to understand that just because a spirit has won gold in a competition based on its quality, it will not necessarily fly off the shelves if it does not offer the value for money a consumer is looking for. It could perhaps offer both, but may not be designed and packaged well enough to stand out from various other gold winners on a retail shelf. Thus the golden triangle of Quality, Value and Design is at the centre of our judging process.
[Judges at the London Spirits Competition]
The Judges
Any competition is only as good in worth, as its judges. Because the competition focuses on quality, value for money and the design and packaging, it requires judges that are skin deep in understanding the consumption trends of spirits and its commercial competence.
This is precisely the reason why the 2021 London Spirits Competition has curated and compiled a comprehensive list of judges. They include bar managers, bar owners and bartenders who are at the front line of all the pomp and show your spirits bring to consumers. To put in-to perspective, these guys are real trade buyers. People who are skilled tasters; people who buy spirits, day in and day out for a living!
The judges for the 2021 London Spirits Competition are –
Gary Burdekin - Master Bartender at TGI Friday's UK
Daniel Susko - Head of Bars at Annabel's and The Birley Clubs, London
Cameron Attfield - Bar Manager of Baccarat Bar, London
Giorgio Bargiani - Head Mixologist at The Connaught Bar
Ivan Dixon - Spirits Buyer & Drinks Brand Consultancy
Ludovica Fedi - Head Bartender at The Gleneagles Hotel
Mariantonietta Varamo - Assistant Restaurant and Bar Manager
Thomas Aske - Founder at Blank Canvas Collective
Aurelie Montana - Assistant Bar Manager , D&D London
Luca Rapetti - Assistant Bar Manager at Shangri-La Hotel At The Shard
Nelson Reis - Bartender at Soho House & Co
Ali Ali - Bar Manager at Oriole bar
Erion Bardhoci - Senior Mixologist
Georgia Billing - General Manager at City of London Distillery & Bar
Davide Capirola - Bar Manager at Roka Canary Wharf, London
Andrea Carella -Senior Bartender at 45 Park Lane
Marie Cécile Kasmi -Senior Bartender at Lyaness
Enrico Chiappini - Head Bartender at Dukes Hotel
Tudor Cosmin - Head Bartender at Marriott International
Eddie DeSousa - Head of Whisky Bars at Milroys of Soho & Milroys Spitalfields
Angelo Fierro - Head Bartender at Passo Shoreditch
Kieran Grieves - Head of drinks development at the Cairn Hotel Group
Vitor Louren?o - Head of Bars at Harbour Hotels
Andrei Marcu - Bar Manager at Coupette, London
Salvatore Megna - Head bartender at The Stafford London
Tiago Mira - Bar Manager at The Goring Hotel
Laurenz Ortlieb - Senior Bartender at The Ritz London
Alex Palumbo - Co-Owner at Hey Palu, Modern Italian Bar
Federico Pavan - Assistant Bar Manager, The Donovan bar @The Brown’s Hotel
Cristiana Pirinu - Bartender presso The Donovan Bar
Luca Ponte - Supervisor at JW Marriott Grosvenor House
Luke Ridge - Assistant General Manager at Pali Hill & Bandra Bhai
Bryan Rodriguez - Junior Wine & Spirit Buyer at Harvey Nichols
Stefano Tatti - Assistant Bar Manager and Restaurant Manager, Craft London
Cosmin Tigroso - Head Bartender
Arnaud Volte - Bartender, London Edition
Emilia Wrelton - Bar Manager at The Ivy St. Helen’s Square.
Winning Impact
How does winning this competition make a difference to you? Well, the winners of the 2021 London Spirits Competition have unbelievable ancillary benefits.
[London Spirits Competition Medals]
Winner Stickers
All winners have an option of purchasing their winner stickers from us. Your winning medal stickers can be used extensively on your brand support tools like Brand deck, Shelf talkers, bottle neckers and case cards. 1000 free stickers are added as a bonus with your first order.
Get Drinks Delivered
Beverage Trade Network, the organisers of this competition, in 2020 launched, Get Drinks Delivered. It is an online platform that connects retailers and brand owners to consumers with their delivery services. This came as a much-needed move in the wake of the pandemic. All winners of the 2021 London Spirits Competition will be integrated here for everyone to sit up and take notice.
London Drinks Guide
Winners of the 2021 London Spirits Competition will be promoted on London Drinks Guide. It is a platform that will help promote your winning spirits; and the venues selling them.
Reaching out to professionals
The results will be shared with over 50,000 trade professionals, and over 20,000 spirits buyers world over, in the Beverage Trade Network community. It will also get press coverage with media partners of the 2021 London Spirits Competition.
Social Media Support
Winners get year-round social media support along with the press support from the London Spirits Competition and our media partners.
Top 100 London Spirits Competition winners list
Top 100 winners of the 2021 London Spirits Competition, will feature in the Top 100 On-Premise & Off-Premise Spirits list and Top 100 LSC Spirits.
This is the time for all of us to pick up our boots, step up and go the extra mile to ensure that we adapt to this pandemic and use it to our advantage. With a lot of benefits to reap out of this competition, hop on our bandwagon today!
Key information
When - March 17, 2021
Where - The Worx, London
Key dates
Registration Ends - Feb 22, 2021
Warehouse Closes - Feb 26, 2021
Judging Date - March 17, 2021
Winners Announced - March 30, 2021
Fee schedule
￡170 Regular - Dec 26, 2020 to Feb 22, 2021
Quantity discount now available
3 to 8 entries - 10% discount
9 to 13 entries - 15% discount
14 or more entries - 20% discount
ENTER YOUR SPIRITS TODAY HOW TO ENTER