San Francisco World Spirits Competition Announces Celebrity Cocktail Competition

The 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC) will kick off this year on March 21 with the highly anticipated inaugural celebrity cocktail competition, co-sponsored by BevMo. The featured guest judges, all of whom are spirits company owners, include multi-platinum rapper Gerald “G-Eazy” Gillum, partner & co-creative director of Stillhouse Spirits Co.; Oscar-winning filmmaker Steven Soderbergh, founder of Bolivian liquor brand Singani 63; and Sammy Hagar, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted musician and spirits entrepreneur behind Santo Puro Mezquila and Sammy’s Beach Bar Rum.

During the celebrity cocktail competition, three mixologists chosen from SFWSC judges will compete per brand using the celebrity judges’ spirits to create an original cocktail. The celebrity judges, along with SFWSC stalwarts Anthony Dias Blue and Tony Abou-Ganim, will determine the winning cocktail for each spirit. The winning mixologist will receive a coveted medallion from SFWSC.

“In its second year, we are ramping up the cocktail competition with the addition of three talented celebrities, each of whom represents a spirit that will be the focus of the competition,” said founder and executive director of SFWSC Anthony Dias Blue. “We are thrilled to have them on hand cheering on the competitors as each of these founders are actively involved in their brand and have been welcomed with open arms into the spirits community.”

“I’m honored to be representing Stillhouse, my spirits company, as a judge at the inaugural cocktail competition to kick off the annual San Francisco World Spirits Competition weekend,” said Gerald “G-Eazy” Gillum, Investing Partner & Co-Creative Director of Stillhouse Spirits Co. “Not only is this one of the most important and prestigious spirits competitions in the world, it takes place in the Bay – my favorite place in the world…my hometown.”

Over the past 19 years, the SFWSC has established itself as the spirits industry’s most influential competition, with an international reputation for integrity and impartiality. Over 2,500 spirits from around the world are expected to compete in this year’s competition. A selection of winners will be featured in a curated BevMo SFWSC retail display launching in stores April 23. Entrants can enter their products online or download entry materials from the SFWSC’s website. The main judging across all categories will take place March 22-24 at Hotel Nikko. The deadline for submissions is March 14.

For more information, including a roster and bios of the Competition’s 2019 judges, please visit the SFWSC website.