• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Spirit of Craft Awards 2025: The gateway to Asia for craft spirits makers returns for second edition with a craft festival

Asia Food Journal
  • Home
  • Latest News
  • Channels
    • Packaging
    • Processing
    • Ingredients
    • Industry
    • Automation
    • Guest Posts
    • Market Trends
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Event Calendar
  • Contact Us
    • Submit Guest Posts
Share
Leaderboard of Asia Food Journal




Spirit of Craft Awards 2025: The gateway to Asia for craft spirits makers returns for second edition with a craft festival

January 17, 2025 by Asia Food Journal

Spirit of craft awards

Courtesy of SOCraft Awards

After a successful debut honouring 43 winners across four continents, SOCraft Awards returns on 1 February to spotlight craft distillers and give them a direct entry into Asia’s vibrant bar scene

FoodNews Creative Marketing Agency proudly announces the return of the Spirit of Craft Awards (SOCraft Awards), Asia’s first awards program dedicated to celebrating the art and craft of artisanal spirits. Early bird submissions open on 1 February 2025, with winners revealed on 19 May 2025. The award-winning spirits will also be showcased at a craft spirit festival in Singapore in November 2025.

Leaderboard of Asia Food Journal

Conceptualised by FoodNews Creative Marketing Agency — Southeast Asia’s leading F&B marketing agency and co-founder of the Singapore Cocktail Festival — SOCraft Awards debuted in 2024. Its inaugural edition honoured 43 outstanding spirits, selected by a panel of 36 judges that included Asia’s top bartenders, spirits experts, and drinks critics, through six rigorous judging rounds in a blind-tasting format.

The mission behind SOCraft is to provide an accessible platform for global craft spirit makers to connect with importers, buyers, and bartenders in Asia — where the cocktail industry is thriving and there is a growing demand for craft liquor. Ivy Woo, Managing Director of FoodNews and Co-Founder of SGCF, says, “SOCraft Awards aims to inspire drink makers by showcasing some of the world’s most incredible small-batch spirits. We’re thrilled with the success of our first edition, where 70% of the entries were new to our market. This year, we’re introducing several innovations, including an expanded panel of sustainability judges and a celebratory festival to showcase the winning spirits. Together, these initiatives aim to unite industry leaders, craft spirit makers, and enthusiasts in honouring artisanal distilling.”

Eligibility for SOCraft Awards

SOCraft Awards defines craft spirits as handcrafted and produced by an independent distillery. All craft spirit makers must adhere to these criteria to be considered for entry:

  • SOCraft Awards is open to craft spirit distillers from any part of the world
  • Craft spirit distillers must already be marketing themselves as craft
  • Craft spirit distillers must be majority independently owned
  • Craft spirit distillers must be producing no more than *750,000 gallons annually

*In accordance with the American Craft Spirits Association

How craft spirits are judged and awarded

This year, the SOCraft Awards has a Judging Committee of 10 thought leaders — each representing a key geographical market in Asia’s drinks and spirits industry. Jointly, the committee votes for a panel of 36 judges, consisting of independent and acclaimed bar owners and bartenders, spirits writers, importers, and distributors from Asia.

Entries will be judged in a blind-tasting format from 5-7 May 2025, with each judge tasting no more than 10 spirits per session, over a 120-minute seating. Spirits will be evaluated on a 120-point scale across the following key criteria: Aroma and Bouquet (20 points), Mouthfeel (20 points), Taste (20 points), Finish (20 points), and Overall Impression (20 points).

A dedicated panel will also award up to 20 points for each spirit’s Sustainability Footprint, evaluating factors like production materials, waste and emission management, and community support. The five leading green advocates on the panel are: Demie Kim, bartender-owner of Zest in Seoul; Laura Prabowo, co-founder of Penicillin in Hong Kong; Rohan Matmary, head bartender at Bar Trigona; and Sasha Wijidessa, co-founder of Singapore’s future-forward Fura. Angelo Gerard Dela Cruz, Bartender at Greatroom, Manila Marriott Hotel, and winner of the Marriott International Sustainable Bartender Award in 2024, also joins the panel.

The spirits are scored independently and awarded 1 Star, 2 Stars, or 3 Stars (Platinum), with a ‘Green Ring’ if they score over 15 points for their sustainability footprint.

Awards Timeline

The submissions for the SOCraft Awards 2025 open on 1 February and close on 15 March 2025 at 12 AM (UTC/GMT +8:00). Craft distilleries interested in finding out more about the submission requirements can visit the website here.

About SOCraft Awards

SOCraft Awards (Spirit of Craft Awards) is an independent awards body that spotlights those pushing the frontiers of the global craft spirits industry. It is also the first awards body that includes “sustainability footprint” as a core judging criterion. Through a well-regarded panel of experts and enthusiasts from Asia’s vibrant bar community, the awards serve as an Asian-centric lens, providing craft spirit makers with an immediate gateway to the region’s thriving bar industry. For more information, go to www.spiritofcraftawards.com

Visited 2 times, 1 visit(s) today

Other Topics: beverages, Craft Beers, Craft Spirits, Processing, SOCraft Awards, Spirit of Craft Awards

Related Articles

  • cell–based natural preservatives

    Courtesy of Novella

    Novella, Metaphor Foods unite to commercialize cell–based natural preservatives
  • Tetra Pak Egypt

    Courtesy of Tetra Pak

    Tetra Pak Egypt Area and Zulfa launch a €14 million Flagship Greenfield Project in Libya, introducing innovative processing and packaging solutions to the local market 
  • Immersive Experience Hub

    Courtesy of IFF

    IFF expands innovation center in Singapore with new immersive experience hub 
  • precision fermentation

    Courtesy of 21st.BIO

    ADM and Asahi Group sign exclusive distribution agreement for innovative postbiotic designed to support stress, mood, and sleep 
  • precision fermentation

    Courtesy of 21st.BIO

    21st.BIO launches precision fermentation program for bovine alpha-lactalbumin
  • new ice cream creations

    Courtesy of Hydrosol

    From dairy ice cream to sorbet – fresh ideas for new ice cream creations  
Leaderboard of Asia Food Journal

Primary Sidebar

Stay Connected

Your browser does not support the video tag. Learn More

Trending News

  • sustainable sourcingBeverage solutions brand DaVinci Gourmet drives… In a first among global food service beverage brands, DaVinci…
  • Fi Asia Thailand 2025Fi Asia Thailand 2025 registration opens:… Organisers expect a record-breaking showcase of ingredient innovations from 17-19…
  • Restaurant Asia 2025Restaurant Asia 2025: F&B industry gathers at… Co-organised by the Restaurant Association of Singapore (RAS) and IEG…
  • Immersive Experience HubIFF expands innovation center in Singapore with new… Immersive Hub to accelerate innovation, deepen customer collaboration, and strengthen…
  • greatviewGreatview operates aseptic carton packaging facility… Greatview, a leading global supplier of aseptic carton packaging solutions,…
  • ModulaSENSEdsm-firmenich launches new ModulaSENSE® maskers:… dsm-firmenich, a leading innovator in nutrition, health, and beauty, today…
  • precision fermentationADM and Asahi Group sign exclusive distribution… ADM (NYSE: ADM), a global leader in innovative solutions from…

Subsribe to Our News Letter

Subscribe To
Our Newsletter


By submitting this form, you consent to receive marketing emails from Asia Food Journal. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email.

© 2025 Harvest Information. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.

Disclaimer: Translations on this website are automated using Google Translate. While we strive for accuracy, please be cautious, as machine translations may contain errors. For critical or sensitive content, consider seeking professional human translation. We are not liable for any reliance on the translated content.

Become an F&B industry insider

Your go-to resource for all the latest trends, innovations, and news about the food and beverage industry!

 

By submitting this form, you consent to receive marketing emails from Asia Food Journal. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email.