The CHOYA AGED 3 YEARS EXTRA FRUIT Umeshu wins Double Gold and named Best in Class and Best in Show Fruit Liqueur at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition

The CHOYA AGED 3 YEARS EXTRA FRUIT Umeshu wins Double Gold and named Best in Class and Best in Show Fruit Liqueur at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition

CHOYA is delighted to announce that The CHOYA AGED 3 YEARS EXTRA FRUIT Umeshu has won a Double Gold medal at this year’s prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Its distinctive flavours have been recognised in two categories with The CHOYA AGED 3 YEARS EXTRA FRUIT Umeshu scoring a near perfect 97 out of 99 points and being voted Best in Class Fruit Liqueur and Best in Show Liqueur.

This year saw a total of 267 liqueur entries with CHOYA coming out on top being awarded the highest honour at the competition, The Best in Show Liqueur. It cements The CHOYA AGED 3 YEARS EXTRA FRUIT Umeshu as the best liqueur across all liqueur categories which is an incredible achievement. Sitting alongside this is the Double Gold medal which is only awarded to a small percentage of entries.

Double Gold medal winners are selected by the most trusted blind judging panels in the world. Awarded to the entries that receive a Gold medal rating by all members of the judging panel; these are among the finest products in the world. Out of thousands of entries over the course of the year, only a small percentage are awarded Double Gold medals. This year the competition had close to 5,500 entries including, but not limited to, over 300 Vodkas, 450 Gins, 280 Rums, 450 Tequilas, 500 Bourbons, 260 Scotch Whiskies, 200 Brandies, and 250 Liqueurs. The San Francisco World Spirits Competition was led this year by President, Amanda Blue and Chief Judge, Jeffrey Morgenthaler.

Founded in 2000, The San Francisco World Spirits Competition is the oldest and largest competition of its kind. Medal winners range from some of the most renowned international distillers to small-batch producers that the competition has helped put on the map. The SFWSC medal is a testament to their hard work and universally recognised indicator of exceptional quality and craftsmanship. In 2022, the competition cemented its position as the largest spirits competition in the world with nearly 5,000 entries.

CHOYA is a high quality Japanese fruit liqueur made from the Japanese ume fruit, a popular fruit in Japan. The liqueur is 100% natural and is a combination of Umeshu liquid extracted from the ume fruit, sugar and alcohol and has fruity flavour that is both sweet and tart. CHOYA fruit liqueur is a versatile drink that is enjoyed chilled either straight, on the rocks or as a base for cocktails.

CHOYA was founded by the Kondo family in 1914 and first focused on viticulture. After realising that the Japanese wine market could not compete with European wines the company decided to focus on beverages that could only be produced in Japan. It is now the 5th largest liqueur producer in the world*.

In 1959 the company started production of Umeshu which at that time was produced individually by each family. Today CHOYA is responsible for the development of Umeshu into a commercially viable product. It is a brand with countrywide recognition, available across the whole of Japan and exported to over 90 countries worldwide.

*https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2024/07/the-worlds-biggest-selling-liqueurs-2/