Stark Spirits of Pasadena, California, is proud to announce that Skyline Gin and Dragon Spirits Gin won awards at the 2021 London Spirits Competition. Karen Robinson-Stark won a Gold medal for her Skyline Gin and a Silver medal for her Dragon Spirits Gin.
The goal of the London Spirits Competition is to award and celebrate the spirits that spirits’ drinkers actually want to buy, whether at a retail store or ordering off the menu at a London restaurant. The competition is sponsored by Beverage Trade Network. According to CEO Sid Patel, the event organizer, the London Spirits Competition looks at the elements of the product that contribute to the consumer’s choice: quality first, then value, and an overlooked, but critical element, appearance. A retail consumer is more likely to choose a brand previously unknown to them when it’s packaged attractively.
Entering the competition was daunting for Karen. She was hoping simply to get some pointers from the notes judges make in their evaluations to get ideas for improvements to her gins. Venturing into the cradle of gin as we know it today took courage, she says. “Though many people will say that tea is the national beverage of England, there’s a large percentage who will declare that it’s gin!” She never dreamed Skyline and Dragon Spirit would compare most favorably with the English “national” beverage.
Skyline Gin was awarded 92 points and Dragon Spirit was awarded 86 points.