BLACK BAND Takes Best Craft Rye and Best Gin at the 2026 ASCOT Awards
BLACK BAND Distillery took home two of the most competitive Best in Category titles at the 2026 ASCOT Awards: Best Craft Rye and Best Gin.
The wins belong to BLACK BAND Cask Strength Straight Rye Whiskey and BLACK BAND Gin. Both expressions also earned Double Platinum — the competition’s highest medal — in blind tasting by the American Spirits Council of Tasters, the judging body behind the ASCOTs founded by spirits authority Fred Minnick.
BLACK BAND’s Cask Strength Straight Rye earned Double Platinum, then went on to win Best Craft Rye. Judges praised the pour’s milk chocolate and berry character, with depth and oak through the finish.
Best Gin went to BLACK BAND Gin, with judges noting warm spice on the nose, a rich juicy mouthfeel, and a bright finish of orange, yellow pear, and juniper.
The category titles sit on top of BLACK BAND’s broader 2026 ASCOT showing of ten medals, including three Double Platinums across Straight Rye, Cask Strength Straight Rye, and Gin. For Peoria’s grain-to-glass distillery, the Best Craft Rye and Best Gin victories mark a landmark moment in the mission to reestablish The Whiskey City.
About BLACK BAND Distillery
Located in Peoria’s historic Warehouse District, BLACK BAND Distillery produces grain-to-glass spirits from Midwestern organic grain and Sankoty Aquifer water. The distillery is dedicated to reviving Peoria’s legacy as The Whiskey City through award-winning whiskey, gin, and more.
