Farmer-distillers will again vie for top honors in three distinct awards
CHICAGO, IL, April 15, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The Heartland Whiskey Competition today announced that the 2025 competition judging will take place July 15 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The biennial competition is proudly sponsored by state corn marketing associations and hosted in partnership with the American Craft Spirits Association. The competition is strictly limited to craft whiskeys that contain corn as an ingredient. Any craft distiller in the U.S. is eligible to enter products for judging in multiple whiskey categories (e.g., bourbon, bottled in bond, rye, etc.).
The most coveted awards are "Best-of-State," given to one product from each of the states sponsored by corn associations, and the Top Farmer-Distiller award.
The 2025 Farmer-Distiller program will give awards in three distinct categories:
• Top Farmer-Distiller Trophy — Awarded to the distillery with the highest average score across three different entries, this is considered the competition's most challenging and prestigious honor;
• Best Farmer-Distilled Bourbon — Recognizing the highest-scoring bourbon produced by a farmer-distiller;
• Best Farmer-Distilled "Beyond Bourbon" Whiskey — Honoring the top whiskey outside of the bourbon category made by a farmer-distiller.
Farmer-distillers are distilleries whose owner(s) also operate farms that grow corn. The Top Farmer-Distiller program celebrates the agricultural heritage behind some of America's finest whiskeys. In the 2023 competition, more than 30% of entries for the Heartland Whiskey Competition were farmer-distillers.
Since its inception in 2017, the Heartland Whiskey Competition has awarded hundreds of medals to family-owned distilleries across dozens of states. These distilleries rely heavily on locally-grown corn.
"We are grateful that corn producers continue to support our industry through this important and unique competition that puts whiskey and corn in the spotlight," said Margie A.S. Lehrman, Chief Executive Officer of ACSA. "The craft distilling sector is driving remarkable innovation, as distillers explore new techniques and expressions that elevate the role of corn in premium spirits. This spirit of ingenuity is not only redefining the landscape of American whiskey but also reinforcing its reputation as a product of exceptional quality and creativity."
Judging will take place on July 15 in Indiana at West Fork Whiskey Co. Winners will be selected by a panel of esteemed industry professionals and expert mixologists with deep experience in evaluating craft spirits. Results will be announced in early September. The contest is now open for submissions.
The following state corn marketing associations collectively sponsor the 2025 Heartland Whiskey Competition and state-level competitions in 21 states representing more than 75% of all U.S. craft distillers:
Colorado Corn Promotion Council
Illinois Corn Marketing Board
Indiana Corn Growers Association
Iowa Corn Promotion Board
Kansas Corn Growers Association
Kentucky Corn Growers Association
Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board
Corn Marketing Program of Michigan
Missouri Corn Merchandising Council
New York Corn & Soybean Growers Association
Ohio Corn Marketing Program
Pennsylvania Corn Growers Association
Tennessee Corn Promotion Board
Texas Corn Producers
Wisconsin Corn Promotion Board and Corn Growers Association
About American Craft Spirits Association
The American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA) is the only registered non-profit trade association representing the U.S. craft spirits industry. Its mission is to elevate and advocate for the community of craft spirits producers, and membership in ACSA is open to anyone.
ACSA is governed by a Board of Directors elected by the eligible voting members of the Association. Voting members must be independent licensed distillers (DSPs) annually removing fewer than 750,000 proof gallons from bond (the amount on which a Federal Excise Tax is paid.)
About Heartland Whiskey Competition
Founded in 2017, The Heartland Whiskey Competition is a biennial, blind tasting judging event sanctioned and supervised by the American Craft Spirits Association. It is sponsored by the promotion arms of participating state corn associations. Competition in several whiskey categories is open to all U.S. craft distillers whose submission are manufactured using some amount of corn.
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