After a day of judging in San Francisco on July 21, Sunora Bacanora Blanco, The Original Outlaw Spirit™, received a GOLD medal, and BEST IN SHOW award from a panel of high-profile spirits industry judges. Sunora Bacanora Blanco scored highly in three different categories – Quality, Value and Packaging – in order to take home a medal in the competition. Winning a GOLD medal at the USA Spirits Ratings Competition is the ultimate seal of approval, showing that Sunora Bacanora Blanco is a high-quality spirit with broad consumer appeal.

One of the guiding principles of the USA Spirits Ratings competition is that all spirits that receive medals in the competition should be those that consumers actually want to buy, whether it is shopping for a spirit at a retail liquor store, or ordering a spirit off a restaurant menu. As a result, the USA Spirits Ratings competition has created an entirely new 100-point rating system that takes into account three different criteria (Quality, Value & Packaging) rather than just spirit making technique or overall taste.

In order to receive a GOLD medal at the USA Spirits Rating competition, a spirit needed to score at least 90 points. In coming up with a total weighted score for each spirit, Quality was scored out of 50 points, Value out of 25 points and Packaging out of 25 points.

“We’re really excited that our Sunora Bacanora Blanco scored so highly on the various factors that determine the drinkability of a spirit” said Bob Reider. We’ve put a lot of emphasis on creating spirits with broad consumer appeal, and on that spirit drinkers will enjoy on a variety of different occasions. This award is validation for The Original Outlaw Spirit™ – and taking BEST IN SHOW is the ultimate proof that Sunora Bacanora Blanco is one of the finest Bacanoras available anywhere.”

Sid Patel, CEO and Founder of Beverage Trade Network, emphasized the importance of finding spirits that score highly across all three categories rather than just one, “This is a new, innovative approach that proved popular at this year’s London Spirits Competition, and we feel that it offers a broad, comprehensive approach to evaluating spirits the same way that consumers do.”

“Increasingly, consumers are thinking of spirits as brands, just like they would any other product they find in a supermarket,” said Patel. “That’s why is was so important to include Packaging & Presentation as a key judging criteria – it means that the spirit is being created with a specific type of customer or demographic in mind.”

The judging panel included spirits industry professionals with commercial buying expertise. Judges included professionals from leading retail chains, wholesalers, distributors, specialty retailers and casual and find dining establishments. The inclusion of so many high-profile judges ensured that spirits awarded medals in competition were those with a high degree of commercial appeal.

Additionally, Sunora Cream De Bacanora Mocha & Sunora Cream De Bacanora Pineapple Colada took SILVER medals with 85 & 81 points awarded respectively.

The USA Spirits Ratings looks to recognize, reward and help promote spirits brands that have successfully been created to identify with and target a specific spirits drinker. For any spirits brand to earn its place on a retailer’s shelf or a restaurant’s spirits list -  and then vitally stay there - they need to be marketable and consumer-driven and not just produced in the general hope it can find enough people willing to sell and buy it.

That is why the USA Spirits Ratings is different. It will single out and shine the spotlight on those spirits brands that consumers really want to buy and have a clear market value for trade buyers.

A Competition that will judge spirits in three key areas:

• Their quality

• Their value for money

• What they look like

To be an award winner you will need to have top-quality spirits, that offer both the trade and the consumer great value for money, and you will need to look good and truly stand out on the shelf and on the back bar.

For more information, please visit USA Spirits Ratings website.