Diageo Honors America's Leading Spirits, Wine and Beer Distributors at 8th Annual Golden Bar Awards in New York

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Jul 22, 2011, 12:38 ET

NEW YORK, July 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Diageo, the world's leading beverage alcohol company, honored spirits, wine and beer distributors at the Eighth Annual Golden Bar Awards at Lincoln Center in New York City on Thursday night.

Ivan Menezes, President and CEO of Diageo North America, said at the event, "Tonight, we honor and commend Diageo's distributors for their dedication and hard work over the past year." He continued, "The Golden Bar Awards recognize the best in the industry, and there is no better place than Lincoln Center to celebrate the great performances our distributors have demonstrated over this past year."

The Golden Bar Awards, the beverage alcohol industry's equivalent of the Academy Awards, celebrates distributors and brokers from across the United States for their excellence in the marketplace and the important role they play in their communities.

Larry Schwartz, Diageo USA President, said, "It is Diageo's strong relationships with our distributors that help drive the success of our companies. Tonight we celebrate and honor the best in this industry and our joint commitment to the business."

The Golden Bar Awards recognize distributors and brokers for performance across brands including Smirnoff, Captain Morgan, Guinness and Beaulieau Vineyard. Awards are also given for corporate citizenship, innovation and the grand prizes go to the distributors of the year for beer, wine and spirits.

This year, Diageo also recognized several of its agency partners for excellence in marketing, advertising, brand public relations and social responsibility programs. The winners of these awards were voted for and decided by Diageo's distributor partners for programs which truly engaged consumers and achieved high standards of performance.

In total 45 statuettes, 43 made of 24 carat gold, and 2 made of platinum, were awarded to distributors. Each Golden Bar statuette weighs eight pounds, stands more than a foot tall, and is produced by R.S. Owens, the company that created the Oscar®, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Below are the categories and winners for the 2011 Golden Bar Awards:

DISTRIBUTOR OF THE YEAR
Distributor of the Year - Spirits	Atlantic Wine & Spirits, a Division of Empire Merchants, LLC, Metro New York
Distributor of the Year - Wine	Atlantic Wine & Spirits, a Division of Empire Merchants, LLC, Metro New York
Distributor of the Year - Beer	Glazer's of Texas

IN MARKET EXCELLENCE
Winning in Retail Award	United Liquors LLC, A Division of Martignetti Companies, of Massachusetts
Multicultural Excellence Award	Atlantic Wine & Spirits, a Division of Empire Merchants, LLC, Metro New York
On Premise Excellence Award	Coastal Wine & Spirits of Florida
President's Award	Atlantic Wine & Spirits, a Division of Empire Merchants, LLC, Metro New York
	Coastal Wine & Spirits of Florida
	Glazer's of Texas
	Reliable Churchill of Maryland
	United Liquors LLC, A Division of Martignetti Companies, of Massachusetts
	United Distributors of Delaware
	Washington Wholesale - District of Columbia

SPIRITS
Spirits Excellence Award - Smirnoff	Alliance Beverage of Arizona
Spirits Excellence Award - Johnnie Walker	Pacific Wine & Spirits of California
Spirits Excellence Award - Baileys	Wirtz Beverage of Illinois
Spirits Excellence Award - Captain Morgan	Southern Wine & Spirits of Indiana
Spirits Excellence Award - Jose Cuervo	Wirtz Beverage of Illinois
Spirits Excellence Award - Tanqueray	Empire Spirits North/Regent Division - Upstate New York
Spirits Excellence Award - Crown Royal	Glazer's of Texas and Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada
Spirits Excellence Award - Ketel One	Pacific Wine & Spirits of California and Southern Wine & Spirits of Indiana
Reserve Brands Execution Award	Atlantic Wine & Spirits, a Division of Empire Merchants, LLC, Metro New York
Control State Excellence Award	Glazer's of Ohio
Advancing Responsible Drinking Award - Wine & Spirits	Glazer's of Ohio

BEER
Beer Excellence Award - Guinness	Andrews Distributing of North Texas
Beer Excellence Award - Smithwick's	Premium Distributing of Virginia
Beer Excellence Award - Red Stripe	City Beverage of Illinois
Beer Excellence Award - PABs	DET Distributing of Tennessee
Three Year Consistency Award - Beer	Premium Distributing of Virginia
Advancing Responsible Drinking Award - Beer	Harbor Distributing of California

WINE
Wines Excellence Award - Sterling Vineyards	Pacific Wine & Spirits of California
Wines Excellence Award - Beaulieu Vineyard	Odom-Southern Distributors of Oregon
Wines Excellence Award - Chalone Vineyard	United Distributors of Massachusetts
Wines Excellence Award - Acacia Vineyard	United Distributors of Delaware
Wines Excellence Award - Rosenblum Cellars	Glazer's of Louisiana

INNOVATION
Innovation Launch Award - Spirits	Coastal Wine & Spirits of Florida
Innovation Launch Award - Wine	Phillips Wine and Spirits / Johnson Brothers
Innovation Launch Award - Beer & PABs	J&L Ventures of Georgia

MARKETING
Best Beer / PAB Marketing Platform	BBDO and Colangelo for Guinness – 'Only for the Bold' St. Patrick's Day and March Madness
Best Spirits / Wine Marketing Platform	Spike for Captain Morgan Bracketmaster
Best Spirits Advertising	The Blue Flame Agency for the launch of Ciroc Flavors

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Best Social Responsibility Platform	Taylor Strategy for the Crown Royal 'Your Name Here' SR Program

About Diageo

Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, beer and wine. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, JεB, Windsor, Buchanan's and Bushmills whiskies, Smirnoff, Ciroc and Ketel One vodkas, Baileys, Captain Morgan, Jose Cuervo, Tanqueray and Guinness.

Diageo is a global company, with its products sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.

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SOURCE Diageo