The winners of Global Drinks Intel‘s inaugural ESG Awards have been announced this week, one year on from the untimely death of the online drinks industry platform & publication’s founder, Alexander Smith.
The awards, which were unveiled at an evening event held on Monday during the TFWA World Exhibition & Conference in Cannes, raise the awareness – and reward the achievements – of those beverage alcohol companies and brands that are leading the way in Environment, Social and Governance activities.
Known within the beverage alcohol industry as ‘Big Al’, Alexander Smith set up Global Drinks Intel in 2018. He had long held the ambition to set up an awards programme for an industry he had reported on for two decades, up until he passed away aged 58 in September last year.
Among the winners were several smaller brand owners, whose innovative approaches to ESG caught the eye of Global Drinks Intel’s highly experienced and strongly qualified panel of judges. Joining them were some of the more established brand owner companies, all of whom had expressed great interest in Global Drinks Intel’s ESG Awards.
“Our intention with the Global Drinks Intel ESG Awards has been to draw attention to those that are working hard in these three vital areas while also sharing best practices with those companies that are earlier on in their ESG journeys,” said COO Kate Wake-Walker. “We’re already excited about next year’s awards and encourage all beverage alcohol companies to join their peers in getting ready to submit their entries in the coming months.
“We look forward to an even bigger and better competition in 2024”.
The winners and special commendations were:
Global Travel Retail Green Product
- Winner – Quintessential Brands for Greenall’s Gin paper bottle
- Special Commendation – Brown-Forman for Jack Daniel’s 5cl bottles
Global Travel Retail Green Champion – Brand Owner
- Winner – Pernod Ricard
Global Travel Retail Green Champion – Operator
- Winner – Gebr. Heinemann
- Special Commendation – Lagardère Travel Retail
Sustainable Spirits Product
- Winner – Avallen Spirits for Avallen Calvados
- Special Commendation – Clonakilty Distillery
- Special Commendation – Good Liquorworks for Good Vodka
- Special Commendation – Mijenta Tequila
Sustainable Wine Product
- Winner – The Hidden Sea
- Special Commendation – Sea Change Wine
Sustainability Marketing Campaign
- Winner – Clonakilty Distillery for ‘Happening Now’
- Special Commendation – Diageo for ‘Guinness Regenerative Agriculture’
Resource Reduction Achievement
- Winner – Good Liquorworks
- Special Commendation – Beam Suntory
Green Packaging Initiative
- Winner – Rémy Cointreau
- Special Commendation – Beam Suntory
- Special Commendation – The Boatyard Distillery
Rewilding/Nature Improvement
- Winner – Beam Suntory
- Special Commendation – Gonzalez Byass
- Special commendation – Heaven Hill Distillery
Responsible Drinking/Alcohol Harm Reduction Initiative
- Winner – Pernod Ricard
- Special Commendation – Diageo
Diversity/Gender Inclusion Achievement
- Winner – Distill Ventures
Sustainable Wine Producer
- Winner – Ferrari Trento
- Special Commendation – Remy Cointreau for Champagne Telmont
Sustainable Spirits Producer
- Winner – Flor de Caña
- Special Commendation – Clonakilty Distillery
- Special Commendation – Mijenta Tequila
Further coverage of the winners and special commendations will be published later this month. To receive a notification, sign up for the weekly newsletter here.
