San Francisco, CA

The Vodka Of The Year According To The San Francisco World Spirits Competition

Published

12 months ago

January 7, 2025

Press Room

The Vodka Of The Year According To The San Francisco World Spirits Competition

Refreshing Lemon Drop Martini with a Garnish

getty

The San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC) has released the inaugural list of its 2024 Vodkas of the Year. Chopin Potato Vodka was chosen the Vodka of the Year. Below is a brief description and tasting notes of the SFWSC’s ten Vodkas of the Year.

These vodkas were Double Gold medalists at the SFWSC and received Gold Medals in at least four other major international spirit competitions. They are among the world’s best, offering diverse aroma and flavor profiles and range from established legacy brands to new offerings from craft producers. All of them are widely available and reasonably priced.

Global Vodka Trends

The global vodka market remained relatively stable in 2024 compared to 2023. According to Euromonitor International, vodka sales were expected to be 338.4 million cases by the end of 2024, a slight decrease from 338.44 million cases in 2023.

Despite this marginal decline in volume, the value of vodka sales experienced growth, increasing from $78.2 billion in 2023 to $79.4 billion in 2024. Sales in 2025 are projected to rise to $82.6 billion by 2025.

Economy and premium brands showed the most significant revenue increases as a combination of economic headwinds drove consumers to low-priced options while continued premiumization drove other consumers towards higher-priced expressions. The demand for premium vodka expressions seemed particularly prevalent among millennials and Gen Z consumers.

Flavored vodkas continued to outperform neutral expressions and are expected to surpass them in volume by 2025 or 2026. Flavored vodka volumes are growing around 6.5% while volume of neutral (unflavored) vodka expressions posted slight declines in 2024.

Botanical vodkas, those flavored with botanicals rather than artificial flavorings, are the fastest growing segment of the vodka market, albeit from a relatively small base. The emergence of botanical vodkas is creating a gin-like vodka category which differs from gin only in the prominence of juniper flavors and is often difficult to distinguish from “contemporary gins” that eschew a prominent juniper flavor.

Overall, while global vodka sales volume remained relatively steady with only a slight decline in 2024, the value of sales increased, indicating the trend towards premiumization in the vodka market is continuing.

Two vodka in shot glasses space

getty

SFWSC Vodka of the Year

These vodkas have been recognized with some of the most significant awards in the industry, including the Double Gold Medal from the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition. These accolades are a testament to their exceptional quality and craftsmanship.

Grey Goose Vodka, Grey Goose Distillery, France

San Francisco World Spirits Competition: Double Gold, IWSC: Gold, Concours Mondial de Bruxelles: Gold, Beverage Testing Institute: Gold, New York International Spirits Competition: Gold

Silky and smooth, Grey Goose features flavors of citrus zest and almond and a creamy mouthfeel, this vodka has a clean and elegant finish, making it a benchmark for luxury vodkas.

Belvedere Vodka, Polmos Żyrardów, Poland

San Francisco World Spirits Competition: Double Gold, IWSC: Gold, World Vodka Awards: Gold, International Spirits Challenge: Gold, Concours Mondial de Bruxelles: Gold

Belvedere is rich and full-bodied, with notes of vanilla and rye spice and a creamy, velvety texture. The finish is long, smooth, and subtly peppery.

Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Fifth Generation Inc., USA

San Francisco World Spirits Competition: Double Gold, IWSC: Gold, International Spirits Challenge: Gold, World Spirits Awards: Gold, New York International Spirits Competition: Gold

Corn sweetness with a creamy texture, subtle notes of bread, and a clean, slightly sweet finish. Tito’s Vodka is versatile for cocktails or sipping neat and pairs well with [specific food or mixers].

Vodka cocktails garnished with lemon, blueberries, and rosemary

getty

Absolut Elyx, The Absolut Company, Sweden

San Francisco World Spirits Competition: Double Gold, IWSC: Gold, World Vodka Awards: Gold, International Spirits Challenge: Gold, Concours Mondial de Bruxelles: Gold

Absolut Elyx is luxuriously smooth and silky with fresh grain flavors, subtle vanilla, and hints of fruit. The finish is crisp, elegant, and refined.

Cîroc Vodka, Distillerie de Chevanceaux, France

San Francisco World Spirits Competition: Double Gold, IWSC: Gold, Concours Mondial de Bruxelles: Gold, World Vodka Awards: Gold, International Spirits Challenge: Gold

Bright and crisp, with light grape, citrus, and tropical fruit flavors, the finish is clean, refreshing, and slightly sweet.

Stolichnaya Elit, Latvijas Balzams, Latvia

San Francisco World Spirits Competition: Double Gold, IWSC: Gold, Concours Mondial de Bruxelles: Gold, World Vodka Awards: Gold, International Spirits Challenge: Gold

Stolichnaya is ultra-smooth with a creamy mouthfeel and flavors of marshmallow, citrus zest, and a subtle peppery finish.

Caviar on a cracker with a glass of vodka makes a classic pairing.

getty

Reyka Vodka, William Grant & Sons, Iceland

San Francisco World Spirits Competition: Double Gold, IWSC: Gold, World Vodka Awards: Gold, Concours Mondial de Bruxelles: Gold, International Spirits Challenge: Gold

Clean and crisp with a soft minerality, notes of vanilla, and a hint of citrus. The finish is smooth and refreshing, with a slightly earthy undertone.

Chopin Potato Vodka, Polmos Siedlce, Poland

San Francisco World Spirits Competition: Double Gold, IWSC: Gold, International Spirits Challenge: Gold, World Vodka Awards: Gold, Beverage Testing Institute: Gold

Chosen as the Vodka of the Year, Chopin Potato Vodka offers a complex and nuanced aroma and taste profile.

It is full-bodied and creamy with earthy undertones, hints of vanilla, and a touch of sweetness. The finish is rich and smooth.

Crystal Head Vodka, Globefill Inc., Canada

San Francisco World Spirits Competition: Double Gold, IWSC: Gold, New York International Spirits Competition: Gold, World Vodka Awards: Gold, International Spirits Challenge: Gold

Bright and clean with subtle notes of vanilla, peach, and soft grains. The finish is crisp and refreshing.

Black Cow Vodka, Black Cow Distillery, England

San Francisco World Spirits Competition: Double Gold, IWSC: Gold, World Vodka Awards: Gold, International Spirits Challenge: Gold, New York International Spirits Competition: Gold

It is smooth and creamy, with hints of vanilla, coconut, and soft sweetness from its milk-based distillation process. The finish is clean and slightly sweet.

These vodkas represent some of the finest in the world, having won the coveted Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and multiple other gold medals from prestigious international competitions. Each of these vodkas demonstrates exceptional quality and craftsmanship, presenting a broad range of aroma and flavor profiles. Each is an outstanding vodka and worth trying!

Source link

Click to comment

San Francisco, CA

Thousands in one San Francisco neighborhood heading into another day without power

Published

3 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

Thousands in one San Francisco neighborhood heading into another day without power

While many people in San Francisco have their power back, there are still thousands without it.

At a press conference Monday afternoon, Mayor Daniel Lurie said 4,000 PG&E customers in the Civic Center area are still in the dark. One of them is Parvathy Menon.

“We haven’t been able to take showers or use the bathroom,” said Menon. “Our electricity is out. I think all our food started rotting about a day in.”

She lives at 100 Van Ness. She said she’s grateful she’s going out of town tomorrow, but even that’s posing some problems.

“I actually have to pack for a trip tonight, and we’re doing it in full darkness,” Menon explained. “We are using our phone lights, we are using our laptops to charge our phones.”

Her apartment is pitch black, except for the small amount of streetlight coming through the windows. She said the apartment complex has been doing all they can to help, like providing some food and water.

They have a small generator to power some lights in the lobby and one elevator for the nearly 30-story apartment building.

Menon said she is most upset about the lack of communication from PG&E.

“Initially, when this started, we were supposed to get power back within the day, then it went to the next day and now they just stopped calling us completely,” said Menon.

San Francisco City Hall was closed for the day because of the outage, but Mayor Daniel Lurie held a press conference with Supervisors Matt Dorsey and Bilal Mahmood.

Lurie said what residents have gone through is unacceptable, and he’s lost trust in PG&E’s estimated times for repair.

“They gave us a timeline that they believe in, but it’s not one that I can have confidence in any longer,” Lurie said. “So, we don’t have full faith that 6 a.m. is the time tomorrow.”

“Shame on PG&E for having this happen,” said District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey. “This is a company that has had a lot of reliability issues and the jury is out on what happened, but if this is negligence, I think it’s going to be really important for people to understand they have rights as customers.”

Leaders encourage everyone who lost anything to file a claim with PG&E; they could be eligible for reimbursements. Mahmood is calling for a hearing after the new year to get some answers for PG&E.

“What went wrong, why weren’t they able to address it this weekend and what steps are they taking to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” said Mahmood about the question he has for the utility company.

PG&E said the outage happened after a fire at its Mission Street substation left significant damage, but the cause is still under investigation.

Meanwhile, Menon has been refreshing social media looking for good news, but she’s starting to lose faith.

“They’re really doing nothing to help us here, so I’m losing hope,” said Menon.

Source link

San Francisco, CA

San Francisco blackout: What we know

Published

15 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Press Room

A fire at a Pacific Gas & Electric substation in SoMa knocked out power to as many as 130,000 customers starting Saturday, leaving thousands in the dark heading into the holiday season and a week of intense storms. Here’s what we know about the outage and state of restoration.

What happened?

The fire began shortly before 1:10 p.m. Saturday at PG&E’s Mission substation at Eighth and Mission streets, initially affecting 40,000 customers. As firefighters worked to suppress the blaze, crews de-energized additional portions of the electric system for safety, causing outages to peak at approximately 130,000 customers.

The fire damaged critical equipment, including a circuit breaker — a safety switch designed to de-energize the system when problems are detected. Firefighters faced unusual complexities suppressing the fire in the multilevel building, including ventilating carbon monoxide before crews could safely enter.

When did power come back?

Firefighters made the building safe for PG&E crews to enter by 6:15 p.m. Saturday. Restoration efforts began immediately. Nearly 32,000 customers were reconnected by 8:45 p.m. Saturday, and about 100,000 — roughly 75% of those affected — were up by 9:30 p.m.

By noon Sunday, 90% of affected customers had power restored. PG&E initially projected full restoration by 2 p.m. Monday; however, a spokesperson said the utility was extending restoration times (opens in new tab) for the remaining 4,400 customers without power. No time frame has been announced.

A PG&E map Monday afternoon shows lingering outages in the Civic Center and SoMa neighborhoods, as well as scattered pockets in the Outer Sunset and Marina District. | Courtesy PG&E

What sparked the fire?

PG&E says it doesn’t know. COO Sumeet Singh said Monday that the extensive equipment damage makes it difficult to determine a root cause. The utility has hired Exponent, a Bay Area-based engineering firm, to conduct an independent investigation.

“We will determine what occurred to ensure it never happens again,” Singh said at a press conference outside the damaged substation.

Was the equipment properly maintained?

PG&E completed preventative maintenance at the Mission substation in October and conducted its most recent bimonthly inspection Dec. 5. Singh said neither inspection identified any problems.

A man wearing a PG&E hard hat and safety vest speaks at a microphone stand with various news outlet logos, while others in safety gear stand behind him. — PG&E COO Sumeet Singh offers an apology Monday outside the damaged substation at Eighth and Mission streets. | Source: George Kelly/The Standard

Why were the estimated restoration times wrong?

Many customers were irate as they were repeatedly given estimated restoration times that came and went. Singh acknowledged the failure and said PG&E’s estimation systems typically perform well, with more than 91% accuracy systemwide.

“It obviously did not work effectively in the circumstance over this weekend,” Singh said. “We are committed to understanding exactly what happened, why it happened, and owning the fixes.”

Were other substations damaged?

Residents have observed a large presence of workers at a substation at 24th Avenue and Balboa Street since Sunday, but the utility has not shared details on what is being done there.

Six hulking diesel generators, which one worker said cost $600,000 to operate daily, were parked outside the substation Monday afternoon. The generators are needed to feed power to the grid while both substations are not fully operational. Crews said they are expected to run for at least two to three days.

Two workers said the substation is undamaged and still online, but its output is diminished because it is fed power by the much larger substation at Eighth and Mission.

However, another said one of the substation’s transformers blew out after a power surge following the fire, and the generators are needed to compensate while workers “update the system” of the west-side substation.

How will customers be compensated?

PG&E plans to offer an expedited claims process for affected customers to seek compensation for losses, including spoiled food, lost business revenue, and hotel costs. Singh said details will be available soon on the utility’s website and through customer service.

He declined to specify compensation limits or provide immediate financial relief, saying customers would need to file claims that PG&E would process quickly. The utility opened a community resource center in the Richmond and partnered with 211 to provide hotel accommodations and food vouchers for vulnerable customers.

Could this happen again?

Singh said PG&E has identified no vulnerabilities at other substations and has made significant upgrades systemwide. Two strong storms forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday (opens in new tab) could bring 4 to 10 inches of rain to Northern California; he said more than 5,500 PG&E workers and contractors are positioned to respond.

The outage occurred 22 years to the day (opens in new tab) after a mass blackout at the same substation in 2003, raising questions about aging infrastructure that Singh did not directly address.

Source link

San Francisco, CA

Fortune Tech: The sheer scale | Fortune

Published

1 day ago

December 22, 2025

Press Room

Good morning. Extremely lean and mean (well, merry, really) for the rest of this week as we head into our annual winter break.

We’ll hang things up for the year on Dec. 24 and pick things back up on Jan. 5.

Happy holidays. (Yippee-Ki-Yay.) —AN

Want to send thoughts or suggestions to Fortune Tech? Drop a line here.

What happened when Waymo robotaxis met a San Francisco blackout

A Waymo robotaxi unable to detect traffic lights after a major power outage in San Francisco, California on December 20, 2025.

Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu/Getty Images

An extraordinary experiment happened over the weekend in San Francisco.

What would a fleet of autonomous vehicles do when a widespread power outage knocked out traffic lights across one-third of the city?

We quickly found out—and the results were plastered all over social media.

On Saturday afternoon, Waymo vehicles throughout SF opted to stop where they were or pull over and throw on their hazard lights—“blocking intersections” and “compounding gridlock,” observed the San Francisco Standard—leading the Alphabet-owned robotaxi operator to suspend service throughout the city. (It resumed Sunday evening.)

In a statement, Waymo said that its vehicles are “designed to treat non-functional signals as four-way stops” but “the sheer scale of the outage led to instances where vehicles remained stationary longer than usual.”

As locals worked through the outage, a moderate debate about the robotaxi fleet continued online. Was it so wrong to expect Waymo’s vehicles to play it safe when infrastructure stopped working? After all, aren’t human drivers predictably chaotic when things go sideways? What exactly should robotaxis optimize for: traffic flow or citizen safety?

And: Just how safe is stopping if you prompt traffic to go around you?

Waymo resumed service Sunday evening, no doubt grappling with these questions (and what city officials might have to say about them). “We are already learning and improving from this event,” it said. —AN

More tech

—Pirates scrape Spotify. Activists Anna’s Archive release hundreds of terabytes of music and metadata via torrent files.

—Shield AI: Sitting at a global inflection point for fully autonomous warfighting.

—SoftBank cashes out to back OpenAI. The Japanese conglomerate is looking under every rock to fulfill its “all in” OpenAI funding promise.

—Chaos at CISA. A failed, unsanctioned polygraph by its acting director has the U.S. cybersecurity agency in disarray.

—PE firms acquire Clearwater Analytics for $8.4 billion. Permira and Warburg Pincus lead the investor group seeking to buy the fintech firm.

—Uber goes to London. A robotaxi trial in partnership with Baidu will begin in the first half of next year.

—Data center deals reach $61 billion worldwide in 2025, according to S&P Global.

—Chatbots’ uncanny valley. Making AI agents more human-like creates cognitive dissonance and trust issues, researchers say.

—Daylight between David Sacks and tech lobbyists. Tech reps say the AI czar’s push to use Trump’s executive order to suppress state AI regulation is the right idea, wrong execution.

Source link