PRESS RELEASE: Long Road Distillers Announces New Honors from Seattle International Spirits Competition
Long Road Distillers Announces New Honors from Seattle International Spirits Competition
Grand Rapids distillery awarded 6 new medals, including 2 Double Golds, for locally made spirits.
Seattle, WA – Grand Rapids-based Long Road Distillers has announced a handful of new honors for their line of locally crafted spirits, including top honors for two of their products. At the Seattle International Spirits Competition, held earlier this month, Long Road Raspberry Liqueur and Long Road Original Aquavit were awarded Double Gold Medals. Other awarded spirits were Long Road Gin (Gold), Long Road Wheat Whisky (Gold), Long Road MICHIGIN (Silver), and Long Road Old Aquavit (Silver).
Hundreds of spirits from around the world were entered into the competition from regional, national and international producers. The double-blind competition was based on a 100-point scale with the goal of recognizing and celebrating world-class spirits with consumers, enthusiasts and industry professionals. Samples were evaluated in category flights and scored individually, with judges casting their votes for Double Gold, Gold, Silver and Bronze for each qualifying category.
“We’re extremely excited to receive this recognition for our portfolio of spirits, but especially eager to share the accolades for our Raspberry Liqueur,” said Jon O’Connor, co-owner and co-founder of Long Road Distillers. “This is the first opportunity we’ve had to enter it into competition. Taking home a Double Gold certainly re-affirms our decision to begin crafting this line of seasonal spirits with West Michigan-grown agriculture.”
Long Road Raspberry Liqueur was made with raspberries grown by DeLange’s Redberry Farm in nearby Hudsonville, MI. It is the first in a line-up of seasonal liqueurs the distillery is releasing this summer. Long Road Cherry Liqueur and Blueberry Liqueur will be released in the coming months, followed by their popular Nocino in the fall.
“We’re fortunate to find ourselves in the epicenter of some of the world’s best agriculture,” said Kyle VanStrien, co-owner and co-founder of Long Road. “It only makes sense for us to utilize and highlight the ingredients we have just miles from the distillery. We look forward to continuing our work with local farmers to bring the West Michigan flavors we love so much to other parts of the state and beyond!”
Long Road’s line-up of internationally recognized spirits is available for purchase at the distillery on Grand Rapids’ west side, and at over 900 specialty retailers, bars, and restaurants throughout the state of Michigan. To find a retailer near you, visit www.longroaddistillers.com/spirits-finder/
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About Long Road Distillers:
Long Road Distillers was born from the belief that making world-class spirits means never taking shortcuts along the way. After becoming the first craft distillery in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Long Road Distillers formed relationships with local farmers to bring that mission to Grand Rapids’ West Side neighborhood. Each spirit produced at Long Road Distillers is milled from locally sourced ingredients, fermented, and distilled on-site. The result is an uncompromised lineup of spirits including Vodka, Gin, Whisky and more. Their spirits, along with a handcrafted collection of cocktails and a wide variety of food can be enjoyed at their tasting room on Leonard Street. www.LongRoadDistillers.com
About the Seattle International Spirits Competition:
The Seattle International Spirits Competition is the Pacific Northwest’s largest and most comprehensive distilled spirits and liqueurs awards program. It brings together distilled products from local, regional, national and international producers to recognize and celebrate world-class spirits with consumers, enthusiasts and industry professionals. The Third Annual Seattle International Spirits Competition was held at The Swedish Club in Seattle, WA.