Smirnoff Zero Sugar Black Cherry Seltzer took first place at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The drink was named Best of Class in the Hard Seltzer category beating 23 hopeful seltzers for the title.
The Black Cherry seltzer also earned a Double Gold medal which, according to competition guidelines, is “awarded to the entries that receive a Gold medal rating by all members of the judging panel; these are among the finest products in the world.”
Smirnoff seltzers took home 5 of the 24 medals awarded in the category. In addition to the Double Gold, the Diageo brand was also awarded 2 Silver medals for their Berry Lemonade and Orange hard seltzer flavors and 2 Bronze medals for their Lemon Lime and Red, White and Berry flavors. The brand won 8 additional medals in the Flavored Vodka category, including a Double Gold for their Infusions Watermelon & Mint Vodka.
Smirnoff Zero Sugar Black Cherry Seltzer contains 90 calories, 1 gram of carbs and an ABV of 4.5%. It can be purchased in a variety 12-pack which also features flavors like Lemon Lime, Orange, and the winner of the 2018 Product of the Year award– Berry Lemonade.
The variety pack launched last October alongside a marketing campaign in partnership with the Bachelor Franchise. The campaign, entitled “Can We Steal You for a Seltzer?,” was a follow up to the successful “Will You Accept This Rosé” campaign that ran in January of last year and featured Smirnoff Seltzer Rosé.
The San Francisco World Spirits Competition dates back to 2000 making it “the oldest and largest competition of its kind.” Winning in a competition like the SFWSC can be extremely important for brands vying for national and global distribution opportunities. The stakes are even higher for hard seltzers fighting for shelf space in the overcrowded and competitive seltzer market. According to the SFWSC’s website, “The Tasting Alliance Competitions are considered the most influential for a reason.
Earning a medal from the organization not only helps brands enter and stand out in the U.S. and international markets but is a critical next step for any producer to earn recognition in the industry and with consumers.”
Smirnoff Vodka Has Won Many Awards, Too
Smirnoff, “The World’s No. 1 Vodka,” was founded in Moscow in 1864 and quickly became the unofficial drink of the Russian Imperial Court. Now known for their extensive collection of vodkas and flavored vodkas, the brand has aggressively expanded into the ready-to-drink (RTD) market in recent years in an attempt to keep up with consumer trends.
The RTD offerings now include 18 varieties of Smirnoff Ice, an ever-growing line of hard seltzers and rosé seltzers, Smirnoff Ice Smash–boasting an ABV of 8%–and Smirnoff Sourced, which features real fruit juice.
In March of this year Diageo (NYSE: DEO), Smirnoff’s parent company, announced plans to invest $80 million into their facilities to bolster production of ready-to-drink products like hard seltzers. Fans of Smirnoff’s bottled cocktails and hard seltzers hope this means they’ll continue to grow their award-winning RTD lines.
True to their slogan, “Zero sugar. Zero fomo [fear of missing out],” Smirnoff Zero Sugar Black Cherry Seltzer delivers winning flavors and proves victory can be sweet, even without the sugar.
Other Entries in the Competition
The other hard seltzer brands receiving awards in the 2021 version of the competition include Biza Cocktails for the Passion Fruit and Pomegranate Vanilla, each winning a Bronze medal for their 6% ABV seltzers.
Blue Norther Wild Blackberry won a Gold medal, while the brewer’s Prickly Pear took home Silver, and Agave Lime received a Bronze award.
Collective Arts Distilling in Ontario, Canada, received a Silver medal for its Blueberry & Elderberry Sparkling Hard Tea.
High Noon had six entries that received medals, including Double Gold awards each for Grapefruit Seltzer, Watermelon Seltzer, and Pineapple Seltzer. High Noon Black Cherry and Peach each won a Silver medal, while the Lime variety took home Bronze.
Ola Brew won a Double Gold for Hibiscus Lavender hard seltzer, Silver for Lemongrass hard seltzer, and Bronze for Orange Vanilla hard seltzer.
Vita Frute from St. Louis received two Silver medals. Its Watermelon and Grapefruit vodka sodas were awarded.
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