8 Mile Vodka, produced in Detroit by 4 Detroiters Liquor, has won two awards in the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC): Best in Class: Vodka and Best of Class: Overall Vodka.
Earlier in the year, 8 Mile Vodka also won a Double Gold Medal award for taste from the SFWSC.
“It’s an honor to receive these awards and be recognized as the best tasting vodka in the world,” says Michael Tomey, co-owner of the 8 Mile Vodka brand. “We entered this competition knowing our product was great, but seeing the results in this caliber of competition, we are just thrilled.
“Sometimes you enter a competition hoping to get some recognition and have judges confirm what you already know, but this feels bigger than that. Double Gold, Best of Class for Vodka, and for Best of Class for Overall Vodka? This is exciting.”
Founded in Detroit 2016 by two brothers, 8 Mile Vodka was acquired by another set of brothers in 2020 — George and Alex Bourkoulas, and Michael and Anthony Tomey. The four partners have focused on showcasing, enhancing, and expanding the brand.
“I think this is a lot bigger than we even realize at this moment,” adds Michael Tomey. “Getting our name out there and showing that our taste backs up our claims of smoothness is big for us. We feel that everyone should want to carry the best vodka in the world, and we will do our best to make sure that happens.”
The owners state 8 Mile Vodka is distilled in single 90-liter batches to enable optimal quality control and care. It is then carbon filtered, aerated, and bottled at the optimal time to produce a subtle taste with smooth finish.
Tapping into Michigan agriculture, 8 Mile Vodka uses local grains recognized around the world for quality and consistency. The combination creates a premium vodka with a distinctive taste as well as subtle earth tones and a great body, according to the distiller.
The SFWSC is organized by the Tasting Alliance and was started in 2000 to recognize exceptional products in the spirits industry. The group maintains it is the oldest competition in North America and the largest spirits judging in the world.
Emphasizing integrity and impartiality, the competition is comprised a panel of 70 carefully selected spirits-industry judges, who blind taste spirits from all over the world. More than 5,000 spirits were submitted to the annual competition, 300 of which were vodkas.
: Best in Class: Vodka and Best of Class: Overall Vodka.){kind=link}