A huge majority of Americans are at stuck home these days and for some, that means one thing: more booze. Luckily, there’s a smorgasbord to choose from, all of it made in the USA. Just take a look at the winners of the 2020 American Craft Spirits Association’s Craft Spirits Awards.
The Association sifted through 500 entries from 42 states to give awards in two big categories: “Best in Class” and “Innovation.”
Winners demonstrated just how varied the American spirits production industry truly is now. The “Best In Class” whiskey honoree was the Notch Nantucket Island Single Malt Whisky 12 Years from the Nantucket, Massachusetts-based Triple 8 Distillery. The “Distilled Specialty Spirits” winner was Wigle’s Saffron Amaro from the Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) Distilling Company.
Innovation Awards were just as intriguing. The whiskey winner there was a Peated Rye produced by the King’s County Distillery in Brooklyn, New York, and Caledonia Spirits based in Montpelier, Vermont won for its Barr Hill Vodka.
If you’re planning on stocking up, read on—American Craft Spirits assembled an excellent shopping list below.
Best In Class
Whiskey: Triple Eight Distillery, The Notch Nantucket Island Single Malt Whisky 12 Years (Nantucket, MA)
Gin: Three Floyds Distilling Co., Wight VVitch Midwestern Gin (Munster, IN)
Rum: Proof and Wood Ventures, The Funk (New Canaan, CT)
Vodka & Grain Spirits: Boot Hill Distillery, Boot Hill Distillery Vodka (Dodge City, KS)
Brandy: ChainBridge Distillery, Williams Pear Brandy (Oakland Park, FL)
Distilled Specialty Spirits: Pittsburgh Distilling Company, Wigle Saffron Amaro (Pittsburgh, PA)
RTD: Salt Flats Spirits, Salt Flats Kentucky Mule (Salt Lake City, UT)
Innovation
Whiskey: Kings County Distillery, Peated Rye (Brooklyn, NY)
Gin: Highside Distilling, Highside Distilling Gin (Bainbridge Island, WA)
Vodka: Caledonia Spirits, Barr Hill Vodka (Montpelier, VT)
Distilled Spirits Specialty: Tattersall Distilling, Bitter Orange Liqueur (Minneapolis, MN)
RTD: 1220 Artisan Spirits, Cucumber Hibiscus (St. Louis, MO)
Learn more at americancraftspirits.org.