2026 Honey Spirits Competition

2026 Awards

The Honey Spirits Competition featured eleven spirits style categories, including a category that contained products that used honey as the primary distillate. The submitted spirits were judged on nose, appearance, palate, balance and finish. A design category also recognized the best honey or honey bee-related packaging graphics.

Best of Show: Gold

Colorado Botanical Gin
Honey House Distillery
Durango, CO

Best of Show: Silver

Beargrass
Glacier Distilling Co.
Coram, MT

Best of Show: Bronze

10 Year Reserve Honey Spirit
Up North Distillery
Post Falls, ID

Gold Medals

Bourbon/Whiskey

  • Gunnar's Wheated Honey – Gunnar's Bourbon

Brandy

  • Beargrass - Glacier Distilling Co.

Design

  • Willie's Montana Honey Moonshine – Willie's Distillery

Gin

  • Colorado Botanical Gin – Honey House Distillery

Liqueurs/Specialty Spirits

  • Small Batch Honey – Copper Run Distillery
  • Chrysanthemum Honey Liqueur – KOVAL
  • Honey Pear Bourbon Ratafia – Mountain State Spirits

Moonshine

  • Howlin' Hounds Honey Moonshine – Missouri Ridge Distillery & Brewery LLC

Spirits Distilled from Honey

  • Distiller's Reserve – 12th Hawaii Distiller
  • 10 Year Reserve Honey Spirit – Up North Distillery

Silver Medals

Bourbon/Whiskey

  • Honey Finished Tennessee Whiskey – Leiper’s Fork Distillery
  • Security Bourbon with Honey & Brown Sugar – Old Ozarkian Distillery LLC
  • Golden Eagle Rye Whiskey – Springfield Distillery
  • Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Honey Casks – Whiskey Acres Distilling Co

Gin

  • Barr Hill Gin – Barr Hill by Caledonia Spirits
  • Tom Cat Reserve Gin – Barr Hill by Caledonia Spirits
  • Vermilion Gin – New Alchemy Distilling

Liqueurs/Specialty Spirits

  • Barrel Aged Honey Liqueur – Jettywave Distillery
  • Hazelnut Honey Bourbon Ratafia – Mountain State Spirits
  • Sugarfield Honey Liqueur – Sugarfield Spirits

Moonshine

  • Honey Moonshine – Denmark Distilling

Packaged Cocktails

  • Gold Dust – Switchgrass Spirits

Spirits Distilled from Honey

  • Barr Hill Vodka - Barr Hill by Caledonia Spirits
  • Somel – Packsaddle Nectars
  • Cask Strength Honey Spirits – Up North Distillery

Spirits Distilled from Honey - Flavored

  • Kona Coffee Spirits – 12th Hawaii Distiller
  • Honeyshine – Packsaddle Nectars

Vodka

  • Orange Blossom Sweet Tea Vodka – Loggerhead Distillery
  • American Yeoman Honey Flavored Vodka – Perlick Distillery

Bronze Medals

Bourbon/Whiskey

  • Long Strange Drip Sweet n’ Sour Mash® Honey Bourbon – Dark Arts Whiskey House
  • Trapline Rock & Rye – Glacier Distilling Co.
  • Evan Williams Honey – Heaven Hill Brands
  • Colorado Cinnamon Honey Whiskey – Honey House Distillery
  • Colorado Honey Whiskey – Honey House Distillery
  • Bourbon Finished in Mead Casks – KOVAL
  • Kentucky Nectar – Old Commonwealth Distillery
  • Southern Star Honey Finished Bourbon – Southern Distilling Company
  • 1799 Whiskey – Springfield Distillery

Liqueurs/Specialty Spirits

  • Coffee Liqueur – Doundrins Distilling
  • Honey Liqueur – Doundrins Distilling
  • Irish Mist – Heaven Hill Brands
  • Colorado Honey Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur – Honey House Distillery
  • Texas Honey – Trinity River Distillery

Rum

  • Belle Rose Honey Flavored Rum – Skip Rock Distillers

Spirits Distilled from Honey

  • Honey Spirits – Up North Distillery

Spirits Distilled from Honey - Flavored

  • Kona Cacao – 12th Hawaii Distiller

Vodka

  • Hex Vodka – Honey House Distillery
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