The Drinks Business Awards 2019: the winners

We are delighted to reveal the winners of the 2019 Drinks Business Awards, which were announced yesterday afternoon at a packed out ceremony at the London Wine Fair.

Engineered to reward top performers across the global drinks industry, this year’s winners drew attention to the rising importance of sustainable packaging, the strength of the English wine sector, and the importance of investment in staff training, market research and product development.

A full report on each winning person, brand and business will appear in the June issue of the drinks business, while today we bring you a list of the winners in each category, beginning with our awards for the leaders in drinks design.

Best Design & Packaging in Wine

Winner

Graham’s Port for Graham’s Blend No. 5 White Port

Special Commendation

Denomination for Uovo

Shortlist

• Co-Partnership for Stoneleigh Wild Valley
• Denomination for Uovo
• Graham’s Port for Graham’s Blend No. 5 White Port
• Omdesign for Quinta do Crasto Honore Port
• Stranger & Stranger for The Prisoner Wine Company exclusives range

 

Best Design & Packaging in Spirits 

Winner

Scilly Spirit Distillery Island Gin

Special Commendation

Stranger & Stranger for Pierre Ferrand 10 Generations Cognac

Shortlist

• Elixir Distillers for Past, Present and Future
• Harvey & May for Scilly Spirit Distillery Island Gin
• Stranger & Stranger for Pierre Ferrand 10 Generations Cognac

Best Sustainable Packaging

Winner

Mirabeau Wine for Mirabeau Pret-a-Porter

Shortlist

• Mirabeau Wine for Mirabeau Pret-a-Porter
• Pol Roger Portfolio for IGO Rosé

 

Best design & packaging in RTDs

Winner

Co-Partnership for Tanqueray Gin & Tonic 

 

Sparflex award for English Sparkling wine packaging

Winner

Hambledon Première Cuvée NV

Shortlist

• Black Chalk
• Gusbourne Estate
• Hambledon Première Cuvée NV
• Hoffmann & Rathbone

Consumer Campaign of the Year

Winner

Beefsteak Club for Raise the Steaks

Special commendation

Aber Falls Gin for Sipping on Top of the World 

 

Trade Campaign of the Year

Winner

Wine Australia for Australian Wine Discovered

Special commendation

Wines of Hungary and RandR Teamwork for Furmint February

Shortlist

• Pol Roger Portfolio for Above Preconceptions
• Wines of Hungary and RandR Teamwork for Furmint February
• Wine Australia for Australian Wine Discovered

Best Launch

Winner

Global Brands for ‘All Shook Up’

Special commendation

Sir Ian Botham Wines

Shortlist

• Atom Brands for Olfactor-y Gin
• Benchmark Drinks for Sir Ian Botham Wines
• Global Brands for ‘All Shook Up’

 

Social Media Campaign of the Year

Winner

Global Brands for VK Watermelon

Special commendation

Atom Group for #WhiskySanta

 

Drinks Event of the Year

Winner

DrinkUp.London for London Cocktail Week 2018

Special commendation

The Whisky Exchange for The Champagne Show

Runner-up

Roberson Wine for Somm 3 UK premiere

Shortlist

• London for London Cocktail Week 2018
• People’s Choice Wine Awards
• Roberson Wine for Somm 3 UK premiere
• The Whisky Exchange for The Champagne Show

Best Contribution to Wine and Spirits Tourism

Winner

d’Arenberg for The Cube

Special commendation

The Three Drinkers

Shortlist

• d’Arenberg for The Cube
• La Motte
• The Three Drinkers

 

PR Company of the Year

Winner

Phipps Relations

Shortlist

• Chapman Poole
• Clementine Communications
• Phipps Relations

 

Best Logistics Company of the Year

Winner

JF Hillebrand

 

Supply Chain Initiative of the Year

Winner

Liv-ex for Liv-ex Automation 

On-trade Supplier of the Year

Winner

Bibendum Wines

Special commendation

Speciality Drinks

Shortlist

• Bibendum Wine
• Hallgarten & Novum Wines
• Liberty Wines
• Speciality Drinks

 

Drinks Company of the Year

Winner

Liberty Wines

Special commendation

The Bottle Club

Shortlist

• Douglas Laing
• Concha y Toro
• Liberty Wines
• The Bottle Club

LCB award for Independent Retailer of the Year

Winner

Oxford Wine Company

Special commendation

Bon Coeur

Runner-up

Jeroboams 

Shortlist

• Bon Coeur
• House of Townend
• Jeroboams
• Oxford Wine Company

 

The Drinks Retailer of the Year

Winner

Waitrose 

Shortlist

• Aldi
• Master of Malt
• The Bottle Club
• Waitrose

 

Online Retailer of the Year

Winner

Master of Malt

Special commendation

The Whisky Exchange

Shortlist

• Master of Malt
• The Whisky Exchange
• The Bottle Club
• Winebuyers

Fine Wine Retailer of the Year

Winner

Sotheby’s Wine

 

Retail Buying Team of the Year

Winner

Waitrose

Shortlist

• Master of Malt
• Waitrose

 

Retail Buyer of the Year

Winner

Mike James of Aldi

The Alan Lodge Award for Young Drinks Writer of the Year

Shay Waterworth

 

Young Achiever of the Year

Thomas Parker MW

Woman of the Year

Kirsty Loveday

 

Man of the Year

Jimmy Smith

 

Lifetime Achievement Award

Serena Sutcliffe MW