The San Francisco World Spirits Competition is one of the only competitions we enter every year and the one we care about the most. This year, Epoch 6 Year Cask Strength Rye Whiskey has been nominated for Best in Class, and we’re over the moon. To learn a little more about SFWSC and how it became the most important spirits competition in the US, keep reading!

There are a lot of booze competitions these days. More this year than last, and more next year than this year. But, after 10 years of gold medals across competitions big and small, the competition that matters most to us, to our customers, and to the industry hasn’t changed in 25 years. It’s the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Why does this competition continue to stand head and shoulders above the rest? Believe it or not, it starts with wine, and it starts in the 70s.

When people think of California wines today, it’s likely that they consider California ‘blue chip’ wine country. It’s reliable. It’s renown. It’s a no-brainer. But in the early 70s that wasn’t the case. In the early 70s, most of the world thought that truly excellent wine could only be produced in France. California, Italy, Spain, and the rest of the world wine cultures were pale imitations of the fine wines of France.

That changed at the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, a blind tasting where Northern California wines won both the white and red wine categories in what was supposed to be a formality for the French greats. The judges were French, some of the best wine connoisseurs on the planet, and as a group they preferred the California wines to the French wines. The result shook the foundation of French superiority and changed world wine culture all together. If this sounds like an exaggeration, it isn’t. For the first time in modern history, people began to believe truly fine wine could be produced outside of France, leading to a serious exploration of wine around the world. California wine in particular became a standard bearer for fine wine. If you’d like to learn more about the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976 and its impact, I highly recommend reading the book.

By 1980, California wine was well established and the San Francisco International Wine Competition was founded, making it the second oldest international wine competition in the world (after what is now called the International Wine & Spirits Competition in London). Originally, the SFIWC had a local focus, highlighting the newly famous California wine scene, but quickly became a truly international competition. The competition established a rigorous, blind tasting method with highly qualified judges, and quickly became (and remains) one of the most prestigious wine competitions in the world, judging around 5000 wines from over 30 countries each year.

In 2001, Anthony Dias Blue, who had been running the San Francisco International Wine Competition for over a decade, expanded into spirits by founding the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. In the bourgeoning years of modern cocktail culture and spirits enthusiasm, Blue saw an opportunity to use the same rigorous blind tasting method and high level judging perfected through the wine competition to evaluate spirits.

Blue had extensive experience in the food and beverage industry, from a weekly radio spot to editing Food & Wine Magazine, even winning a James Beard in 2001. The San Francisco World Spirits Competition became an immediate authority in the spirits world, receiving over 1000 entries in its first year. That number grew to over 6000 entries in 2024. The judges are carefully screened before selection, and have included Fred Minnick, David Wondrich, and Jeffrey Morgenthaler.

The tasting and judging at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition is truly blind. Samples are poured in a secure area outside the judging room, and are brought to the judges in unmarked glasses. The judges know what category they’re tasting (and sometimes some details like proof), but they do not know the product or brand. Each judge in a group assigns a rating to each sample, then the judges share their ratings and give a final rating to the spirit. The final rating (no rating, bronze, silver, or gold) must be discussed and agreed upon by the judging group. A Double Gold medal is only awarded if each judge assigned a gold rating to the spirit independently and before discussion (Epoch Rye has been awarded Double Gold 5 times, to toot our own horn a little).

Spirits that win Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition are tasted again, and by more judges, to whittle down the best of the best. Eventually (with some samples being tasted by over 100 judges), the Best in Class finalists are assigned, to be reevaluated against one another before selecting the elusive Best in Class winner (and then, Best in Show). Depending on the category, only three to six spirits in each category will make it to the Best in Class round, making even the nomination a truly special award. Winning the award can change the trajectory of a company and industry.

• Baltimore Spirits Company — Epoch Maryland Straight Rye Whiskey 6 Year Old Cask Strength
• O.K.I. — Single Barrel Rye Whiskey
• WhistlePig — The Boss Hog Collection: Boss XII Feather & Flame Rye Whiskey
• James B. Beam Distilling Co. — Old Overholt 12 Year Old Extra Aged Cask Strength
• Art of the Spirits — Mogadishu Hazmat Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey
• Kings County Distillery — Barrel Strength Straight Empire Rye Whiskey

Yes, it’s true. Epoch Rye 6-Year Cask Strength has been nominated as a Best in Class finalist this year at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, competing against giants like Jim Beam and legendary Rye producers like WhistlePig. Is it California vs France all over again? Can Maryland Rye shake the foundation of Rye Whiskey geography in 2026? We’re excited to have an opportunity to try, and proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with industry greats. The Best in Class winners will be announced on November 8th at the Top Shelf Gala in San Francisco.

To see what all the fuss is about, you can reserve a bottle for pick up in our online shop.