There are lots of whiskey awards that go out around this time of year. Lots of “BEST WHISKEYS” lists encouraging consumers to buy one whiskey over another. And, of course, the accusations of pay-to-play activity around the granting of awards. This is nothing new, but as someone always interested in the origins of things, it got me thinking.
The most prestigious awards given to whiskey brands in the 19th century were the award medals presented by judges at the World’s Fair. The first World’s Fair was in London in 1851, but America followed up with their own World’s Fair event in New York just two years later in 1853. These grand events were meant to showcase the achievements and advancements of nations around the world, but also became a way for American businesses to assert themselves in a competitive marketplace. Awards became exclusive and desirable, even if the judging of the awards were not always consistent across the board. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there were scandals. Here is one from the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. (The 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago was a commemoration of the Four Hundredth Anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ landing in the New World.)
Note that the judges in question were investigated and judged harshly for their violations of the “public trust”. I wonder when that “public trust” was lost? Can it be restored? I honestly never trusted the outcomes of modern whiskey award listings. It is assumed (perhaps unfairly, I don’t know) that the list was either paid for or drawn from a limited pool of possibilities. Unless I know a panel of judges tasted samples blindly to find their award winners, I just keep scrolling…What are your thoughts?
