Judges confirmed for inaugural spirits writer award

We are pleased to announce that the judges have been confirmed for the Alan Lodge International Young Spirits Writer of the Year Award.

Alan Lodge: 1982-2012

The award, as previously featured on thedrinksbusiness.com, is designed to reward young writers worldwide who have a passion for spirits, and was inspired by the urge to celebrate Alan’s journalist talent and the realisation that there is no international award for those who write about spirits.

Although the award is being hosted and organised by ourselves, the judges are entirely independent, with no affiliation to any publisher.

We are extremely grateful to the following members of the drinks trade who have agreed to give up their time to read through the entries.

Karen Fullerton – Global brand ambassador, Glenmorangie and Ardbeg
Chris Mason – CEO, First Drinks Brands Ltd
Vanessa Wright – Communications director, Chivas Brothers
Marcin Miller -– Quercus Communications Ltd
Neil Ridley – director, Cask Strength Creative
Dominic Roskow – freelance drinks writer

Ardbeg have generously offered a trip to Islay for the winner of the Alan Lodge International Young Spirits Writer of the Year Award, while we will give the recipient £1,000.

As reported earlier this week, the award is free to enter and submissions must be published in English either in print or online between September 2011 and September this year. Entrants must be 35 or under.

Up to four entries can be submitted and should reach us by 28 September. Please email them to info@thespiritsbusiness.com with the subect box heading: “Alan Lodge International Young Spirits Writer of the Year Award”.

The winner will be announced at The Spirits Masters Awards lunch in central London on Tuesday 20 November, where the winner will (we hope) attend as our guest.

For further information please contact Daisy Jones, associate publisher, The Spirits Business on + 44 (0) 20 7803 2452 or email daisy@thespiritsbusiness.com

Alan Lodge was news and website editor of the drinks business and died tragically in February this year, aged 29, of a brain haemorrhage.