Bushmills strikes gold in San Francisco

Irish Whiskey was named as the world’s fastest growing international spirits category by IWSR (2008).
• Results for Bushmills at 2010 San Francisco World Spirits Competition:
o Bushmills 1608 - Double Gold and named Best Irish Whiskey
o Bushmills Black Bush - Double Gold
o Bushmills Original - Gold
o Bushmills 10 Year Old Single Malt - Gold
o Bushmills 16 Year Old Single Malt - Gold
o Bushmills 21 Year Old Single Malt - Gold
• Results for Bushmills at 2010 World Whiskies Awards:
o Bushmills Black Bush named Best Irish Blended Whiskey (no age)
o Bushmills 21 Year Old Single Malt named World’s Best Irish Single Malt Whiskey
o Bushmills 16 Year Old Single Malt named Best Irish Single Malt Whiskey (13 – 20 year old)

Bushmills Irish Whiskey is celebrating after sweeping the board at the prestigious 2010 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. As well as winning Best Irish Whiskey, the Bushmills range picked up two double gold and four gold accolades, making Bushmills one of the few international spirit brands ever to scoop 100% gold in the international competition. This comes hot on the heels of the range winning three World Whiskies Awards in London earlier this year.

Now in its tenth year, The San Francisco World Spirits Competition is one of the largest and most respected spirits competitions in the world - attracting more than one thousand entries from around the globe. Bushmills took home top awards for its entire range of Irish Whiskies, with the Black Bush and 1608 blends each claiming double gold and Bushmills Original and the 10, 16 and 21 Year Old Single Malt Whiskies all winning gold. Bushmills 1608 was also named Best Irish Whiskey.

Colum Egan, Bushmills Master Distiller, said: “This is an incredible achievement for Bushmills. We like to think that we make the world’s finest Irish whiskey – it’s great to hear that the experts share that opinion and the team at the distillery are absolutely thrilled. We’ll definitely be cracking open a bottle and raising a glass to celebrate our wins!”

In February, at the London ceremony of the 2010 World Whiskies Awards, Bushmills Black Bush was named Best Irish Blended Whiskey (no age), while Bushmills 21 Year Old Single Malt was named World’s Best Irish Single Malt Whiskey and Bushmills 16 Year Old Single Malt was named Best Irish Single Malt Whiskey in the 13 – 20 year old category.

“The awards are further recognition of the outstanding quality of Bushmills,” said Sarah Miles, Bushmills Global Brand Director. “It’s a real achievement to be placed at the forefront of the fastest growing international spirits category in the world today. Irish whiskey is obviously a competitive market and so we’re delighted that the excellence of our liquid has been recognised by our peers.”

Colum Egan added, “We like to think that we know a good bit about making whiskey, since it’s been made in the Bushmills area for more than 400 years. And this year the global search for someone to ‘Make it at Bushmills’ opens the doors of the distillery to one lucky winner who will work alongside me for 30 days to learn the secrets that make Bushmills the award-winning Irish whiskey it is today.”

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Bourbon and Tequila confusion

I enjoy Maker's Mark Bourbon. I enjoy Cuervo Tequila. But I have never confused the two. Diageo stopped using the red wax seal six years ago, but what does this mean to some of the smaller wine producers who use the wax seal and other spirits producers? Maker's Mark is a great Bourbon, but I wonder what the point was of this litigation?




SAN FRANCISCO, April 5 (Reuters) - Fortune Brands Inc's (FO.N) Maker's Mark brand has won a ruling in U.S. district court in Kentucky that prohibits Jose Cuervo International and distributor Diageo (DGE.L) from using a dripping red wax seal on its tequila bottles, the company said on Monday.

Maker's Mark, a premium brand of bourbon, is topped off with red wax in a design that is "off limits to our competitors," said Maker's Mark President Bill Samuels in a statement.

The ruling prohibits Jose Cuervo International Inc, its affiliates and the company's U.S. distributor, Diageo North America, from the infringing use, Fortune said.

Diageo said it had voluntarily ceased using the wax seal over six years ago, ajavascript:void(0)dding in a statement that neither it nor Cuervo had been found liable for monetary damages.

Federal Judge John G. Heyburn III issued an injunction against future use, finding that consumers could be confused about Cuervo products, given the similar seal. (