World Drinks Awards – No/Low Category

I’m pleased to announce that next year I’ll be chairing the No/Low Category for the World Drinks Awards.

This may come as a surprise to some, who know me more for working with spirits like gin, rum and many more nowadays! However, I have also been judging no/low categories with interest for a number of competitions in the last couple of years and was very pleased to be offered this opportunity by Anita and the World Drinks Awards team.

The no/Low is a category in relatively early days. There have been no/low options for some time, but in recent years we have started seeing more demand and more people producing these types of drink. I believe the category is still finding it’s feet, I’ve tried varying efforts over the years. Some things work, and some things don’t.

I believe that this is an important time for the category, as the feedback brands receive in these early days has the potential to shape the direction of the category in the future. No/low products are not easy products to make, for the simple reason alcohol carries flavour. Creating flavourful, mixed drinks without it is a real challenge and one that people are finding different solutions too with different results. Feedback is paramount right now to help producers now what is working and what isn’t, with the ultimate goal of creating great products for the consumer, ones that deliver a satisfying experience. With this in mind, it is real privilege to be in this position.

My philosophy is this: that whether you are drinking no/low full time, for a window of time, or as and when, you deserve a good drink. One that tastes good to start, and delivers a good experience, one you can savour. Whether a product emulates a spirit that we know, or it’s doing it’s own thing, quality of experience is what I’m looking for.

We are putting together the judges list at the moment. If this is a category that is important to you, and you feel you could bring something to the judges table, please don’t hesitate to get in touch through my contact page or social media and let’s get a conversation going. Likewise registration is now open, and will be until late January 23. For more information and to register, just head here.