Welcome to the French Drinks Awards
12.05.25
The World Drinks Awards is proud to present the French Drinks Awards, a newly launched competition designed to celebrate the very best in the French Drinks MarketWelcome to The French Drinks Awards! These awards were created to celebrate the very best products available in the French drinks market. We’ve partnered up with our colleagues at La Maison du Whisky to showcase great French products like gins, liqueurs, rums, vodkas, and whiskies, as well as the French cultural staples Armagnac, Calvados, and Cognac.
The French Drinks Awards aims to spotlight the individual achievements of all products in the French drinks industry, regardless of the brand size or the popularity of the product style. There are multiple drinks categories to ensure that every producer in the French drinks industry has a chance to present their product to the national stage. Entrants could be in with the chance of winning a bronze, silver or gold medal, and the most impressive product in each category will take home the diamond award.
The French Drinks Awards judging panel is comprised of industry professionals from media, distribution, on and off trade, as well as sommeliers and distillers, each one bringing their own unique talent, skill, and insight to the tastings.
Winners will be showcased via the event’s media coverage—announcements via our email campaigns, online articles, and video promotion. All coverage will be shared on La Maison du Whisky’s website and across the French Drinks Awards as well as World Drinks Awards’ influential social media channels.
Nicolas Le Brun, sales manager for La Maison du Whisky, spoke on what he hopes to achieve with the awards: “France is full of countless gems in terms of spirits. Distillers, merchants, and brand owners are invited to compete in this new version of the World Drinks Awards, the aim of which is to place France at the heart of the global industry’s emerging new challenges.”
Nicolas continued and discussed how the recent rise in US tariffs has greatly influenced the awards and subsequently the French drinks market: “This development is pushing the French spirits industry to seek out new commercial opportunities. In this context, Cognac, Armagnac, and Calvados are at stake—these products can no longer rely solely on the domestic market. This new situation is prompting a renewed focus on raising the profile of these categories, first among professionals and then among consumers. That is precisely the purpose of the French Drinks Awards.”
Anita Ujszaszi, director of the awards, added: “When people think of countries with a rich history of crafting beautiful spirits, France is often the first one to come to mind! France’s prestige in the drinks industry is near-unmatched with its production of terroir spirits like Cognac and Calvados, as well as gin, rum, and whisky. We felt the very best way to celebrate the country’s industry was to create a platform solely for French products. Witnessing people’s passion, enthusiasm, and commitment to preserving the history of the French drinks industry is a wonderful thing to experience—I can’t wait to be a part of it alongside talented entrants and our amazing judges!”
Entries for the first annual French Drinks Awards opened on 14 April and will remain open until 30 June. The tastings will take place in Paris in July, followed by the results announcement on 26 September. After the results announcement, Whisky Live Paris will then open and take place from 27 through 29 September.
Don’t hesitate, enter your award-worthy products now! For more information on The French Drinks Awards, head over to the competition’s official
website or contact us at
info@frenchdrinksawards.com.
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