The New Orleans Spirits Competition (NOSC) presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation (TOTCF) announced the medalists at its inaugural 2022 competition today. A final list of award winners is linked below.
An international spirits competition bringing wider recognition to fine spirits among top-flight bartenders worldwide, NOSC was founded in 2022 to recognize and celebrate the most distinguished spirits being produced around the world today. Held this year during Tales of the Cocktail’s 20-year anniversary, the inaugural competition was open to all classes of spirits, domestic and international — whiskey, gin, brandy, baijiu, vodka, rum, agave spirits, liqueurs — as well as the emerging class of non-alcoholic spirits. More than 500 entrants sent samples for evaluation.
Three dozen experts convened over three days at The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans in the historic French Quarter of New Orleans for the evaluation. Judges included notable industry professionals such as David Wondrich, Dale DeGroff, Tiffanie Barriere, Lauren Mote, Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, Matt Hofmann, Henry Preiss, Karen Hoskin, and Lynnette Marrero.
Judges were seated in four-person panels and served flights of spirits without any identifying information other than the class of spirit and proof, the evaluation process was not open to the public. The panels rated and provided tasting notes for each sample, and conferred to discuss which medal the spirit deserved if any.
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