Testimonials from winning producers and brand owners in the 2026 London Wine Competition, London Spirits Competition and London Beer Competition show how medals won in those events have had a direct impact on the products they entered. Be it increased demand for their brands online, stronger interest from distributors and potential customers, or an increase in social media and media support.
The Buyer picks out 10 reasons for entering the only drinks competitions that judge products by how they taste, their quality, their value for money and their packaging and design. Anyone interested in entering the 2027 awards can take advantage of early bird pricing up to November 30. Full details at the end.
1. Drive more traffic to your website
2026 winner: Foxcub Brewing
Jamie Fox of Foxcub Brewing reported a clear change immediately after receiving its results. Its Fudge Comb beer earned Gold with 92 points, while Windfall, a British brown ale, received Silver with 86 points.
“Over the first 24 hours, our website traffic has increased by more than 140%, and we've seen a significant increase in demand for both Fudge Comb and Windfall,” says Fox.
For a brewery that had launched just over a year earlier, the recognition created an opportunity to reach more potential customers.
He says a clear practical lesson came out from entering the awards: prepare your product pages, stock availability and purchasing information so that increased attention has somewhere useful to go.
Explore the 2026 London Beer Competition winners here.
2. Support distributor sales and retailer enquiries
2026 winner: Root Shoot Distillery
Heyward Gualandi of Root Shoot Distillery in Colorado in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains, said the impact of being named America’s best single malt whiskey in the 2026 London Spirits Competition meant it immediately was struggling to keep up with with demand. Both from the trade and consumers. It resulted in increased interest from key retailers and strong support from its distributor.
As he said at the time: “Our local distributor is selling out, retail accounts are calling off the hook, and our whiskey is running out.”
He also found himself fielding multiple media requests and appeared on Denver’s Fox 31 and Channel 2 to tell his story as well as coverage in a wide range of US media titles, including Forbes, The Denver Post, Craft Spirits Magazine and Whisky Magazine.
Gualandi calls on distilleries entering the 2027 awards to ensure their stocks are high and they are ready for increased demand if they are fortunate enough to pick up the medals they are looking for.
3. Give importers and distributors a reason to take notice
2026 winner: Little Owl Wine
Elliott Vavitsas said Little Owl’s Double Gold, Best Wine by Package and Wine of the Year Greece recognition brought more attention to the brand and increased traffic to its platforms.
He told The Buyer: "It's definitely put a lot of good attention on the brand. We've seen lots more traffic to our platforms, a lot more people taking interest in the brand, wanting to find out what we're all about and understand our brand mission.”
The award was also well timed as it helped its profile and impact at May’s London Wine Fair where it received a lot of interest.
“It was a great piece of momentum coming into a trade show like the London Wine Fair - where we can talk to people about these awards and tell them, hey, this is award-winning wine. This is something you should take seriously and you should step into the world of Greek wine,” added Vavitsas.
4. Help customers feel confident trying an unfamiliar brand
2026 winner: Smiling Wolf Drinks
Hamilton Lowe, co-founder of Smiling Wolf Drinks, says winning an award in a major competition as the London Spirits Competition gives your product credibility and a sense of place when you are a new brand in such a cluttered market. Particularly if you happen to win Non-Alcholic Spirit of the Year in the 2026 London Spirits Competition.
Establishing your quality credentials is difficult if key buyers and suppliers have not tasted your product before, he adds.
“Being named Non-Alcoholic Spirit of the Year and winning Gold gives people the confidence to try the brand for the first time,” he says.
He told The Buyer: "It's really helped because one of the things when you're a new brand is convincing people that you have quality. Until they taste you it's just impossible. So having Non-Alcoholic Spirits of the Year or the Golds always helps people have that trust to give you a first try. And then we see that once they've had a first try they come back again and again. So it really helps with that first sort of taking a chance, willing to experiment with the brand."
For emerging brands, recognition can help overcome that first barrier, he adds. It gives shoppers and venue customers an additional reason to experiment.
5. Open new retail, distribution and export conversations
2026 winner: Licores Don Mateo
Matthieu Massei described Rico Rico’s 95-point Gold medal in the London Spirits Competition as a significant achievement for the Chilean craft distillery. He says the award opened up conversations with key target retailers, distributors and export partners around the world.
It is a milestone for the business that it can now use going forward when talking to potential new customers and has helped it get its foot in the door in new markets.
For a small producer from San Pedro de Atacama it has given them international recognition that they simply would not be able to get on their own, says Massei.
6. Extend your reach through media and promotional coverage
2026 winner: Root Shoot Distillery
Todd Olander, owner of sister company Root Shoot Malting
When Root Shoot was named the Best malt whiskey in the US it resulted in huge state-wide coverage for the brand and its team.
Heyward Gualandi found himself fielding multiple media requests and appeared on Denver’s Fox 31 and Channel 2 to tell his story as well as coverage in a wide range of US media titles, including Forbes, The Denver Post, Craft Spirits Magazine and Whisky Magazine.
It also saw Todd Olander, owner of sister company Root Shoot Malting, appearing in multiple media outlets.
He told The Denver Post: “Recognition for Root Shoot Whiskey is also recognition for the soil, sun, sweat and stubbornness that went into making it. Whiskey, especially single malt, is as good as its raw materials, and ours have been carefully cultivated for generations using lots of hard work, dedication and regenerative agricultural practices.”
7. Reconnect with existing trade customers
2026 winner: Spy Valley Wines
For some producers winning medals in key competitions like the London Wine Competition can also be a way to re-confirm their quality credentials in the market and give new opportunities to engage with existing customers and partners.
It is also a way to look at new initiatives and promotions to help push their brands and products in the market.
That was the case for New Zealand’s Spy Valley Wines when it won seven golds and Winery of the Year New Zealand in the 2026 London Wine Competition.
"People were really happy for us We've really spread the message across many of our top UK customers - our importers, our best trade customers, our retailers. And they're all really happy,” Tony Cloke of Spy Valley Wines told The Buyer.
“The cost of living crisis is challenging for everyone. People have less money to go and buy wine in the UK now. So they want an experience, they want value. So we have to provide something really good at the price that they're paying. And that's why this award is so important to us. It's not just to be recognised, but commercially it's extremely important.”
Read Spy Valley’s perspective on the commercial importance of its awards.
8. Strengthen your social media story
2026 winner: Mallorca Distillery
Byron Holland said Mallorca Distillery’s success in the 2026 London Spirits Competition was a breakthrough for the business for as well as double gold for its Palma Vodka it was named named Spirit of the Year Spain.
Such accolades brought recognition for its production approach and increased exposure across its social media channels, he says.
A great platform for it to be able to tell different stories about the brand via its social media and go into the production and distilling process and the work that goes into creating award winning spirits brands.
9. Help a young brand stand out
2026 winner: Salicorn Gin
Salicorn Gin says recognition in the London Spirits Competition came at just the right time for a business that was only established two years earlier. Being able to stand out amongst competing brands in an early stage of its development was not only a boost of confidence for the brand and its team but it also helped drive its quality message to potential customers in the premium on and off-trade.
"It was a little bit unexpected, and really it's incredible, all the points we raised. This is a really good way to approach the market and to stand out in the middle of so many different brands. It's important for a brand to have a precise feedback from professionals in the sector, to know how our product is perceived by the market and what we can do to improve,” says Salicorn Gin in a statement to The Buyer.
Salicorn is an Italian coastal gin made in Verona, built around Salicornia, a herb from southern Italy that was historically used as a salt substitute in Italian coastal cooking.
“Gaining 92 points from a professional trade judging panel at such an early stage of our journey is significant. It validates the liquid, gives the brand a credible story to tell buyers, and creates a benchmark to improve against year-on-year.”
10. Give people a reason to try your product before they taste it
2026 winner: Dropworks Rum
Eloise Knapman of Dropworks Rum says as a young company you face two connected challenges: getting your name known; and persuading people the liquid deserves a taste
“Awards like this tell people that it's worth trying before they've even tasted it,” he says.
Early bird pricing before November 30
Enter the 10th edition of the London Competitions by November 30, 2026, to take advantage of early bird pricing.
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