The Pre-Mixed & RTD Masters 2021 winners were announced this month in London by The Spirits Business. One headliner was ISH from Denmark who took the top award for its non-alcoholic DaiquirISH, as it competed against conventional alcoholic brands.

Premixed cocktails is a growing segment that is expected to account for eight per cent of the total alcohol sector by 2025. Potentially driven by lockdowns that forced closures across the on-trade segment, consumers set about exploring other options. Many turned to ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails – alcoholic but also non-alcoholic versions.

The explosion of the RTD cocktail segment over the past 18 months resulted in a bigger than ever Pre‐Mixed & RTD Masters, where more than 100 brands were put to the test as they were blind tasted by judging panels consisting of skilled and experienced spirits writers and experts.

One of the more spectacular headlines from the competition was an alcohol‐free cocktail that blew the judges away. DaiquirISH by Danish manufacturer ISH excelled in the competition and secured the top award – a Master Medal. This was seen as quite an accomplishment, and exactly what the non-alcoholic category needs right now to demonstrate to consumers and the industry that it is possible to skip the alcohol without compromising on flavour and experience.

A ‘no-ABV’ products that’s a cut above

Competition judge Matt Chambers said after having tasted the DaiquirISH: “Great aromas of rum and citrus on the nose; caramel and toffee with lime on the palate – excellent suggestion of rum.”

Meanwhile, fellow judge Derek Millar expressed his excitement at the non-alcoholic beverage: “You would not mind being the designated driver if you had these no‐ABV products presented to you; these shone above some alcoholic versions we sampled earlier in the day.”

Besides taking home the top award of the day, ISH also received a Gold Medal for its non-alcoholic Italian spritz SpritzISH, with the panel describing it as “tangy and refreshing, with nice structure and depth”. Lastly GinISH & Tonic, also an ISH product, took home a Silver Medal. 

“We’re incredibly proud to receive these awards, it’s a huge complement to our product development team who are working so hard every single day innovating and creating the best products in our segment,” enthused ISH founder Morten Sørensen. “We proudly call ourselves a mimic brand – we are creating products that give you the same experience as if you were having a conventional alcoholic cocktail. There are so many mindful drinkers in the world, and we can’t let them down with products that disappoint. That’s what we are working on every day, so receiving these beautiful awards is a big win for us and our category as a whole”. 

All ISH products are available online at www.ishspirits.com – the company exports to about 15 countries worldwide.