The International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC)
From The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails
is an annual competition recognizing excellence in spirits and wine production worldwide. Launched in London in 1969, it attracts thousands of entries from more than ninety countries, across hundreds of product categories. Producers pay a fee to enter their products, and judging is undertaken by more than three hundred industry experts, including master blenders, distillers, Masters of Wine, buyers, and journalists, who taste and score entries out of 100 using the double-blind method to ensure complete impartiality. Entries are also submitted to chemical analysis to ensure that they are free from faults, contaminants, or illegal additives, a step that makes the IWSC unusually rigorous in the world of drinks competitions. The IWSC awards medals in five categories ranging from Bronze to Gold Outstanding, with any Gold Outstanding products going forward to compete for one of the IWSC trophies. The awards are presented each year at a ceremony in London’s Guildhall.See also cocktail contests.
International Wine and Spirit Competition website. https://www.iwsc.net (accessed February 17, 2021).
By: Alice Lascelles
This definition is from The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails, edited by David Wondrich (Editor-in-Chief) and Noah Rothbaum (Associate Editor).