World’s Best Whiskey: Colorado’s Root Shoot Whiskey Named Spirit of the Year at London Spirits Competition
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Loveland, Colo., April 23, 2026 – Root Shoot Spirits’ American Single Malt Whiskey (50% ABV) was named Spirit of the Year, Whisky of the Year, and American Single Malt Whiskey of the Year at the international London Spirits Competition! Incredibly, the same Colorado-crafted spirit also just took home Double Gold at the American Craft Spirits Awards (ACSA).
The world’s best whiskey, Root Shoot Whiskey, is bottled-in-bond and aged 4 years in American White oak barrels. Root Shoot Whiskey is made from 100% Colorado-grown grain, representing a uniquely hyper-local supply chain journey of only about 30 miles from field to bottle.
The international London Spirits Competition evaluates spirits on the factors that matter most to consumers, including quality, value and packaging aesthetics. Several thousand entries from around the world are submitted to the prestigious competition each year. Root Shoot Spirits’ American Single Malt Whiskey stood out as Spirit of the Year, USA, as well as earning the title of American Single Malt Whiskey of the Year for both 2025 and 2026! Judges gave it a stellar overall score of 97.
The whiskey also won Double Gold at the American Craft Spirits Awards (ACSA), where a group of expert judges evaluate hundreds of entries and award distinctive spirits with a mission to elevate and advocate for craft spirits makers. Double Golds were only awarded to 10 whiskies.
Root Shoot Whiskey is distilled just a few miles from where the raw materials were sown, grown and malted on Olander Farms, Root Shoot Malting’s 5th generation family farm. The result is a true celebration of the craft, workmanship and spirit of Colorado agriculture in every sip.
“You can’t recognize Root Shoot Whiskey without also acknowledging the power of Colorado agriculture—from the high altitude, to the soil, to the people working the land,” says Root Shoot Farmer and Founder Todd Olander. “This is a special place that produces special malts and whiskies. I can’t think of better news to receive on Earth Day.”
The Root Shoot Whiskey experience starts with aromas of cobbler and honey granola. Upon first sip, clean flavors of alpine florals breeze across the palate, and the sip finishes with an alpenglow of rich pastry, faint cocoa dust and long, lingering bright-yet-spicy flavors.
Root Shoot Whiskey was crafted from Root Shoot Malting’s award-winning malt, including the heavily awarded Munich 10 Malt (which earned a gold medal in 2023, 2024 and 2026 and silver in 2025 at the Craft Maltsters Guild Malt Cup), CaraRuby malt (gold 2026 and silver in 2025), and Distillers Malt (gold 2025 and silver 2026).
Brewers and distillers interested in using Root Shoot’s award-winning malts in their own creations can visit rootshootmalting.com.
Find Root Shoot’s award-winning American Single Malt Whiskey on shelves across the colorful state of Colorado using the Whiskey Finder at rootshootspirits.com.
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ABOUT ROOT SHOOT
Root Shoot Malting is a fifth-generation family farm and a first-generation craft malthouse producing responsibly-raised, caringly-crafted, high-quality malts. We believe farmers are stewards of the land and that responsible agriculture can support a better food and beverage industry. Located on the Olander family farm in Loveland, Colo., Root Shoot produces malts made from barley, wheat, rye, and corn and is working to protect farmland through its conservation easement with Colorado Open Lands. Find our craft malts online at rootshootmalting.com.
Root Shoot Spirits brings Root Shoot Malting’s craft malt from grain to glass. Sown, grown, and malted in Colorado, all ingredients for Root Shoot Spirits are sourced from the 5th generation family run Olander Farms and malted by the sustainability-minded craft maltsters at Root Shoot Malting. Root Shoot Whiskey launched August 2023 and is available throughout Colorado. Follow along at rootshootspirits.com.
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