On Tuesday the 21st of September, the Guild of Fine Food revealed the long-awaited results of this year’s Great Taste Awards. After 20 minutes of agonising web-page-refreshing, we were thrilled to see our Margarita, Old Fashioned and Cacao Espresso Martini each received a coveted Great Taste Star for being ‘Simply Delicious’.
Often cited as the “Oscars of the food and drink world,” the Great Taste Awards have been a highly respected seal of approval for over 25 years. Why? Because for these awards, taste is championed above all else. Products are reviewed blind, without the bells and whistles of seductive branding and packaging. For a panel of over 500 industry experts, including chefs, buyers, food writers and more, ‘taste’ is key.
The array of judges is remarkably diverse, and notably, they are not paid for their time. The opportunity to receive impartial, honest, constructive feedback from these specialists is invaluable; to win stars is an honour.
There was stellar feedback from the judges for our three cocktails entered into the awards.
Our limited-edition Cacao Espresso Martini was noted for its “balanced sweetness and acidity,” using “high quality ingredients”. The judges described it as “a true expression of a coffee-based cocktail…beautifully made.”
Our Old Fashioned, a staple in our range since day one, was noted as having “lovely colour” and a “rich, smoky and orangey aroma,” with “great viscosity and mouthfeel…it’s both comforting and refreshing.” Judges also praised the Old fashioned as having “classic bourbon whiskey warmth, sweet vanilla notes, slight note of smoke and well-judged level of sugar,” with a “clean and persistent” flavour…“Not just a hug, but a lazy stretch and sigh in a glass.”
Our Margarita was noted for “having a wonderful complexity whilst clearly Margarita-noted”…“instantly enticing and with a delicious aromatic nose” and an “uncompromising punch; a very successful RTD Margarita”…“The palate startles with its lime zing and acidity - a defibrillator for your senses.”
The Great Taste Awards will return next year, and we are very excited to not only enter new cocktails, but also digest the valuable feedback from the judges this year, and improve upon our offering, in the hopes of achieving even greater accolades.
