High Hopes for High Spirits
A Sneak Peek Behind the Curtain at the Inaugural High Spirits Awards
By Rachel Burkons • Photos by The Best Drink Ever
Judges at L.A. Spirits Awards and High Spirits Awards, left to right: Back Row: Nicolette Teo, co-founder, L.A. Spirits Awards; Joel Blum, co-founder, L.A. Spirits Awards; Tiffanie Barriere; Wendy Zeng; Rachel Burkons; Aqxyl Storms; Raul Pool; John deBary; Mark Stoddard; Amie Ward; Clyde Davis Jr.; Front Row: Tim McKirdy; Sother Teague; Karla Alindahao; Joseph D. Solis; Kim Haasrud; Eryn Reece; Moe Aljaff; Erick Castro.
During my more than a decade working in the wine and spirits industry, I had the opportunity to work across a wide variety of events and activations, ranging from intimate tastings with the Master Distiller of world class cognacs, to large-scale event series for the biggest brands in the world. But one of the most incredible industry-insider experiences I ever had was working as a panel coordinator for the San Francisco International Wine Competition, then helmed by Nicolette Teo, a longtime colleague of mine from the wine and spirits events space.
I remember watching amazed, as Nicolette orchestrated a room full of dozens of people, running around in the organized chaos of pouring hundreds of wines, deliberately and carefully flighted, then sent out to panels of judges, who would blind taste and evaluate sips from across the globe. I then watched as the judges chewed on the wines, swirling, swishing, and spitting them into spittoons I had the great displeasure of emptying, before listening as each judge recited a deep, thoughtful analysis of the wine’s strengths and flaws. The judges would discuss and advocate for wines they loved (or decry those they didn’t). As an observer, I gained a remarkable education, not only in the language and lexicon of the professional wine judge, but also the finely tuned dance of organizing and executing the huge undertaking that comes with planning a beverage competition.
Judging in action at High Spirits Awards.
So when Nicolette co-founded her own beverage competition, L.A. Spirits Awards, alongside fellow SF Wine Competition alum Joel Blum, I knew she would bring best-in-class expertise to the managing and operating of a beverage competition. But Nicolette was also determined to turn this often stodgy, white, and male industry on its head, and set out to build a diverse panel of judges that offer unique perspectives and drive some of the biggest beverage programs in the country. “It was time for something different,” Nicolette explains. “As an Asian woman, it felt important to build an inclusive space that reflects not only the real face of the modern spirits industry - but also that of its consumers.”
As I watched the competition grow, I simultaneously became increasingly involved in the cannabis beverage space, working closely with organizations like the Cannabis Beverage Association (CBA), and speaking on behalf of the category at a variety of events and seminars. There was a boom happening in the space, both in terms of product selection and availability, and overall quality of the category. At the same time, trends in consumer drinking indicate that more and more people are looking for alcohol-free alternatives, and cannabis beverages are positioned to be a powerful sub-segment of the no-, low-, and functional-infused spaces. While the market may be small now, it is mighty, and has the potential to truly change consumer drinking habits in the opinion of this humble bong vivant.
So I asked Nicolette to lunch, and barely made it a minute into our conversation before I admitted that I had an agenda: There was something specific I wanted to propose to her. She smiled and let me know she had an agenda too - and the High Spirits Awards was born at that very table. “It just made sense,” explains Nicolette about why the L.A. Spirits Awards was willing to jump into these uncharted and infused waters. “A lot of our judges were asking for it, actually,” she told me, confirming my long-held belief that hospitality professionals are not only interested in the space - but are also largely stoners.
First of Its Kind
Judges Aqxyl Storms, John deBary and Amie Ward taste on day two of High Spirits Awards.
While there are several different cannabis product, cultivation, and potency competitions, there is nothing quite like High Spirits Awards. Operated with the same technical, highly organized tasting procedures as L.A. Spirits Awards, High Spirits Awards is the first-ever competition designed specifically to evaluate cannabis and hemp-derived beverages. Products in High Spirits Awards are judged by highly trained palates who understand what makes a beverage great and understand the cannabis beverage category as a whole, with expertise in their production, regulations, technical challenges, and real-life consumer applications.
Judge Aqxyl Storms, who owns nonaloholic bottle Shop Minus Moonshine in Brooklyn, NY, says “The cannabis beverage category is so innovative and exciting.” Agrees judge John deBary, author of the recently released Saved by the Bellini, “I have been a longtime consumer of all things cannabis, and I’ve been eagerly watching the rollout of all the drinks and edibles in the past few years. This was such a great way to survey a meaningful cross section of what’s going on in the industry right now. People are craving alternatives to alcohol.”
Continues Storms, “The taste of the drinks is what matters the most to me, alongside the functionality.” As a specialized beverage retailer, Storms also understands not only what their customers want, but also how they interact with new and emerging categories. “As someone who can use plant medicine in low doses, having them in a beverage is an enjoyable and easy way to partake. I'm a lightweight and the labels on the cans tell me the exact number of milligrams I'm going to ingest, which is harder to gauge when smoking. I feel safer in knowing what I'm going to experience by how much I drink, and so will my customers,” they continued.
“This is such an exciting step in watching the evolution of the cannabis beverage space,” agreed Jim Baudino, Director of Marketing for the CBA. “As we’ve watched the cannabis beverage category evolve, brands are having great results applying traditional techniques for beverage marketing. Bringing a trusted and prestigious organization like L.A. Spirits Awards into the cannabis beverages space gives authenticity to the overall category.”
Chimes in Diana Eberlein, President of the CBA, which was an official partner of High Spirits Awards, “putting cannabis beverages in front of judges of this caliber is so exciting. As our work at the CBA continues to evolve and we drive to expand the availability of cannabis beverages nationally, traditional beverage operators may find themselves needing to understand this category as they begin to sell and serve THC-infused beverages, like what’s happening in Minnesota,” she continues.
After months of planning, High Spirits Awards opened its entry window to hemp-derived beverages and California cannabis-derived beverages. Hemp-derived THC beverages, often referred to as hemp Delta-9 (or hemp D9) THC beverages, are made from hemp-derived cannabinoids, which are defined as cannabinoids derived from a plant containing less than .3% THC by weight. Because cannabis beverages are heavy, and because hemp derived cannabinoids are legal nationally, THC-rich beverage products are fully legal to manufacture and ship across the country and legal to consume and sell in any state. Because the competition was based in Los Angeles and all tastings were conducted in person, High Spirits Awards only accepted licensed cannabis-derived beverages from California.
Jumping in to High Spirits
Judges take detailed notes as they taste each product blind.
So when judges began flying in from across the country to taste the best in spirits, nonalcoholic products, and cannabis beverages over the course of two days in late June, High Spirits Awards came to life alongside L.A. Spirits Awards. My panel, which included experts in the nonalcoholic and cannabis beverage spaces specifically, was faced with the daunting task of tasting and evaluating nearly 80 products in just under a day-and-a-half.
Hosted at City Club LA on the 51st floor in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles, the view was the only thing that was high. Just like the judges tasting spirits, and following standards long held in competitions, High Spirits Awards judges carefully monitor their consumption and spit regularly throughout the tasting. Products ranging from plain infused water to oat milk brown sugar lattes were flighted and blind tasted, judged individually on their merits for flavor.
Each judge also brought their own unique perspective: Retailers offered great consumer insight, commenting on everything from what a suggested retail price might be to the product’s overall sellability. Cannabis chef Wendy Zeng, also a knowledgeable spirits aficionado, offered a finely tuned palate for flavor, teasing out spice from Szechuan peppercorn, and stone fruit into apricots.
“These have gotten really good,” commented Amie Ward, who took delight in both the category’s quality and depth. “It’s just amazing how incredible so many of these taste,” agreed Storms.
The Best of the Best
Cannabis Chef Wendy Zeng tasting during the High Spirits Awards.
After a day-and-a-half of tasting, High Spirits Awards headed to the Best in Show round, where all of the judges blind taste the best of the best and vote on their favorites for each category, from vodka and pisco, to sotol and Scotch, and, yes, from tequila to THC. It was here that live resin-infused cider Malus won Best Cannabis Beverage. The judges were blown away by its balance and true cider flavor. “I would drink a lot of these,” remarked one judge, who also enjoyed its hops-like cannabis-forward flavor profile. Others were wowed by Best in Show RTD winner Squared’s Gin & Tonic, which tasted so much like a classic G&T that one judge admitted they’d happily make the swap to this alcohol-free alternative. (Read the complete list of High Spirits Awards medal winners here.)
After all of the spirits and beverages were tasted and all of the medals awarded, High Spirits and L.A. Spirits Awards drew to a close. Judges got back on airplanes and back to their jobs running large-scale beverage programs, writing thoughtfully about spirits and hospitality, or advocating for their communities. But for many of those judges, they took an increased awareness, knowledge, and understanding of this burgeoning beverage category and a willingness to learn and share more with their own customers about the benefits of cannabis beverages, and that, for the industry as a whole, is a win bigger than any medal.
To stay up-to date on how you can enter your product in the 2024 High Spirits Awards, please click here.
