From honey-flavored whiskeys to high-end spirits distilled from honey, the spirits industry has seen the value in using honey as evidenced by the growing number of new made with honey products in the marketplace. The National Honey Board is recognizing these made with honey spirits by conducting a Honey Spirits Competition.
The competition will be judged in October, with registration due August 31, 2018. More information on the competition can be found at www.honeyspiritscompetition.com.
The competition will feature nine categories, each requiring the distilled spirit to use honey in the product. Categories include vodka, gin, bourbon / whiskey, rum, tequila / mezcal, liqueurs / specialty spirits, brandy, spirits distilled with honey as primary fermentation substrate, and design / packaging.
“We are excited to launch the Honey Spirits Competition to recognize distillers that use honey in innovative ways to create truly unique products that carry the flavors and aromatics of honey,” Catherine Barry, National Honey Board’s director of marketing, says. “It’s been fascinating to see honey’s use in spirits expand beyond the whiskey category into products such as rums and specialty liqueurs.”
The Honey Spirits Competition will be judged by industry experts and the winners will be announced on October 4, 2018 on www.honeyspiritscompetition.com.
The National Honey Board (NHB) is an industry-funded agriculture promotion group that works to educate consumers about the benefits and uses for honey and honey products through research, marketing and promotional programs. The Board’s work, funded by an assessment on domestic and imported honey, is designed to increase the awareness and usage of honey by consumers, the foodservice industry and food manufacturers. The ten-member-Board, appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, represents producers (beekeepers), packers, importers and a marketing cooperative.