Kadamba Single-Malt Whisky Bags 'Gold Medal' at prestigious 2025 SIP Awards in the US

Kadamba Single-malt awarded top honors in the US, at World’s biggest consumer tasting competition. This year’s spirits competition once again uncovers many of the world’s best-distilled spirits, while panel members enjoy the fitting ambiance of California.

Internationally recognized Cheers group, makers of Kadamba Single-malt whisky, are excited to announce its recognition as a Gold Winner at the 2025 SIP Awards in the US. The SIP Awards is an esteemed international competition showcasing an array of spirits and mixers worldwide. According to the SIP Awards a Gold medal corresponds to an outstanding rank of spirits which consumers judged to qualify for the top percentile of their given categories and justify strong recommendations of the Brand.

The 17th annual competition attracted over 1,300 entries from 56 countries, covering a wide variety of categories such as whisky, vodka, gin, rum, tequila, mezcal, liqueurs, brandy, cognac, RTD cocktails, non-alcoholic spirits and more. A panel of 302 spirit enthusiasts served as judges, ensuring a transparent evaluation process free from industry bias. The jury assessed spirits based on aroma, taste and finish. This scientifically rigorous method ensures accurate and consistent results, highlighting the finest products in each category. 

“We are honored to be recognized at this year’s SIP Awards,” said Ashwin Balivada, CEO of Cheers group who mastered Business Management from Cambridge University UK. “We know we make a damn good Single-malt whisky, but to get that reassurance from a consumer-judged competition is priceless” adds he.

Valued at Rs 900 crore, internationally acclaimed Cheers Group has won over 250 national and international awards for its luxury spirits portfolio, including the flagship Kadamba Single Malt series and Scotch offerings - such as Labrodog 12-Year-Old, Labrodog Decade Scotch whisky and GinSin London dry gin.

“We’re extremely proud of our team for all of the hard work they have put in to get us to this point,” said Dr. Mohan Krishna Balivada, founder of Cheers group and World’s first alco-bev marketing Doctorate. And, adds “Our no shortcuts approach, combined with premium quality ingredients and amazing talent, continues to reaffirm our commitment to making world-class Single-malts right here in Goa!”

The SIP Awards, or Spirits International Prestige Awards, is an annual competition that focuses on evaluating spirits based on consumer feedback. The competition is unique in that it uses a blind tasting format judged by a panel of everyday consumers, rather than industry professionals, to ensure an unbiased assessment of the spirits. Winning a SIP Award, particularly Gold, is seen as a significant accomplishment, validating a brand's quality and resonating with the target audience.