Bellarine Spirits wins Gold in 2026 London Spirits Competition

Bellarine Spirits wins Gold Medal at the 2026 London Spirits Competition
London, United Kingdom, 22ND April 2026.

Bellarine Spirits Cafe de Agave "a Tequila/Agave based Coffee style Liqueur", claimed a Gold medal at the 2026 London Spirits Competition, scoring 90 out of 100.

The achievement marks a strong endorsement from one of the industry's most commercially minded judging panels, which evaluates spirits not just on taste, but on value for money and shelf appeal, factors that actually drive purchase decisions. Now in its ninth year, the London Spirits Competition judges each entry across three weighted criteria
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Quality, Value, and Packaging
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producing a score that reflects how a spirit performs in the real world, not just in a tasting room. Entries are first blind tasted by a panel of active trade professionals, including spirits buyers, bar managers, and mixologists, before price and packaging are factored in.
The competition drew entries from more than 30 countries, with particularly strong
representation from the UK, Australia, India, Italy, USA, Mexico and Netherlands among
others reflecting the increasingly global character of the spirits industry. The LSC saw gins,
whiskies, liqueurs, rum and vodka as the most entered categories, followed by tequilas, RTDs and other no and low beverages.

This year’s judging brought together over 70 top industry experts and buyers, including Master Distillers, Master Blenders, Mixologists, and elite buyers. The panel featured names like Stephanie Macleod (Master Blender and Director of Blending, Scotch Whisky for Bacardi), Andrew de Lavis Trafford (Director of Buying Spirits, Beers, Softs & Champagne at Enotria Winecellars Ltd, UK), Nick Larsson Bell (Retail Buyer of the Year 2022 Senior Spirits and Beer Buyer at Harvey Nichols), Enrico Chiappini (Senior Bartender at Dukes Hotel), Georgios Chaziris (Head Bartender at Soho House & Co), Billy Leighton (Master Blender Emeritus at Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard), Christian Maspes (Food and Beverage specialist, Sake sommelier & Educator, Bar project developer), Laura Willoughby MBE (Low and No Alcoholic Drinks Buyer, Founder of Club Soda, The Mindful Drinking Movement) and Craig Wallace (Whisky Creation Leader and Master Blender at Diageo), lending exceptional credibility and insight to the process. These judges brought a wealth of experience from various sectors, including hospitality, retail, and education, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of each entry. 

"Winning a medal here means your spirits performs across taste, value, and shelf appeal, making it a strong contender in both domestic and international markets," said Sid Patel, CEO of the London Spirits Competition.