CASC Entry Guidelines
Artisan Distillery & Product Qualifications
Entries and entering distilleries must meet our artisan qualifications unless explicitly stated otherwise.
Contents
Spirits
Absinthe
An anise-flavoured spirit derived from from botanicals that must be bittered with wormwood.
It can be barrel aged.
Akvavit
Versions flavoured with caraway and/or dill are traditional.
We welcome modern artisan interpretations which may feature local/regional botanicals.
Amaro or Vermouth
Bittering agents are a required component and should be detectable, palatable and ideally part of a complex botanical recipe.
Brandy
Grape or fruit brandies and eau de vie are welcome.
Brandies can be aged or un-aged.
Eau-de-Vie
Clear, colourless fruit brandies.
Fruit Liqueur
Fruit liqueurs are for liqueurs with a fruit base spirit, not for a fruit-infused or flavoured spirits.
Gin – Aged
This class is for any style of gin which has spent time in an oak barrel.
Gin – Classic
Classic Gins are judged on adherence to traditional taste profile, e.g. London Dry, Plymouth, Old Tom, or Genever.
Gin – Contemporary
While we are still looking for the presence of juniper to define the spirit, we are open other characteristics or interpretations which may not be present in classic gins.
Gin – Flavoured
This is to indicate if the gin is flavoured with a competing, dominant botanical (for example, rhubarb), or if it represents other regional styles, e.g Japanese.
Liqueur
This class is now a catch-all for any liqueurs which are not fruit-based.
Rum – Alternative
Entries into the class will be made with a base other than a sugar cane byproduct. This will most likely be honey, or in some cases beets or other high-sugar inputs. It may be NGS as well. The spirit can be aged or unaged, flavoured or unflavoured.
Rum
Entries in the Rum class must be made from sugar cane or sugar cane products. They can be spiced or flavoured.
Vodka – Classic
This class is for more “commercial”, neutral styles of vodka.
Vodka – Contemporary
While the dominant characteristic should still be relatively neutral flavours and aromas, vodkas in this category should have some character remaining.
Also see Eau-de-Vie above.
Vodka – Infused or Flavoured
This class is for higher-proof spirits with little-to-no sugar added (sugar would reduce the ABV and turn it into a liqueur).
“Young” Whisky
Young whiskies are aged in oak for less than three years.
These spirits will be judged based on their own merits, and potential for further aging will not be evaluated.
White Spirit
This is for spirits which don’t conform to any other class, e.g. “white whiskies”, moonshine, etc.
There are four optional sub-classes which you can use to help our judges understand your spirit:
Clear
Flavoured
Moonshine
White Whisky
Whisky – 100% Rye
This is a whisky made from 100% rye (a small amount of malted barely can be added for conversion) which has spent at least three years in an oak barrel.
Whisky – Single Malt
This is a whisky made from malted barley which has spent at least three years in an oak barrel.
Whisky – Single Grain
This is for all other grains, including a blend of more than one grain, which has spent at least three years in an oak barrel.
Spirits Terroir Entries
Terroir inputs (ingredients, aromatics, maturation elements) must be sourced from within 200 km of your distillery.
Entrants must describe the intended flavour/aroma profile or other results the “sense of place” has on the finished spirit. (e.g. Instead of “we used fresh strawberries from ABC distillery farm,” state “We tried to achieve the just-picked aroma of strawberry leaf and the juiciness of tiny, ripe fresh berries.”)
Specific geographical references and place names should be excluded, as this can lead to easy identification of the distillery, circumventing our blind process. (Last year these were edited out before passing on to judges.)
Zero-Proof Spirits
The zero-proof spirits must be produced by a distillery which meets items 1, 2, and 3 of the Artisan Distillery and Product Qualifications.
Cocktails
The majority of alcohol ingredients by volume must meet the Artisan Distillery and Product Qualifications.
Only bottled coctkails are allowed – no RTDs.
Bitters
Bitters must be made using alcohol extraction and real ingredients. No artificial flavours are permitted.
The company must be owned and operated in Canada.
The company must be the original producer – no contract-produced or white label products are permitted.
Business & Community Awards
Product Innovation Award
Entries for this award must refer directly to a CASC submission.
Describe a market, product, or production challenge or opportunity which was overcome to produce a spirit which is unique, innovative, or otherwise different from the spirit typically offered in that category.
Product Collaboration Award
Entries for this award must refer directly to a CASC submission.
Describe how the product was produced or enhanced by direct collaboration with another business. This should not just be a supplier relationship, but something that has more substantively impacted the product’s development.
Tasting Room Destination of the Year
Describe the visitor experience offered
Describe partnerships, events or educational initiatives carried out
Visitor numbers, engagement numbers or revenues generated
Include examples of publicity, reviews and customer testimonials received in the last 12 months
Upload pics or other media
Community Engagement Award
Describe a program where the distillery is directly engaged with the community (distillery-led), or partnered with a community-based organization. Examples include (but aren’t limited to):
Social and/or environmental impact programs
Local causes
Arts and culture
Promoting diversity or inclusion
The distillery’s engagement can be through fundraising, raising awareness, or direct involvement of staff and owners.
Artisan Distillery Sustainability Award
Describe sustainable business practices related to use of raw materials, energy use, packaging materials, distillation techniques, distribution, etc.
Generally this will be a project-based sustainability initiative where a goal was set and positive environmental outcomes are measurable.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award
This award recognizes new or ongoing DEI program or initiative that has demonstrated positive impacts on an equity-deserving group or groups.
Submissions should include details on the goals, scope, funding, and documented impact of the program.
The program’s impact can either be within the organization, or more broadly supporting DEI in the whisky industry and community.