Diageo, Norwalk, Conn., recently honored its top spirits, wine and beer distributors at a party on the USS Intrepid in New York City’s Hudson River. Diageo is the largest spirits company in the United States, and the Golden Bar Awards recognized the company’s leading distribution partners by brand as well as those who excel in the areas of corporate citizenship and control states distribution. The company also included a Lifetime Achievement Award for Juan Francisco Beckmann Vidal, president of Jose Cuervo & Co. BI

Winners included:

Distributor of the Year
Spirits National Wine & Spirits of Indiana
Wine Alliance Beverage Distributing Co. of Arizona
Beer Summit Distributing of Colorado

Spirits Excellence Award
Smirnoff Glazer's of Ohio
Jose Cuervo National Distributing Co. of Georgia
Captain Morgan Major Brands of Missouri
Crown Royal Alliance Beverage Distributing Co. of Arizona
Baileys Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada
Johnnie Walker Coastal Wine & Spirits of Florida

Spirits Excellence Award
Tanqueray Alaska Distributors of Oregon
Control State Excellence Award
Spirits Alabama Sales Co.

Wines Excellence Award
Beaulieu Vineyard Alliance Beverage Distributing Co. of Arizona
Sterling Vineyards
Alliance Beverage Distributing Co. of Arizona
Chalone Pacific Wine & Spirits of California
Edna Valley Vineyard Pacific Wine & Spirits of California

Beer Excellence Award
Guinness Ohio Valley Wine & Beer Co.
Harp/Smithwick’s FP Winner Ltd. of Maryland
Red Stripe Houston Distributing Co.
FMBs J&L Ventures of Georgia

Golden Bar Consistency Award
Spirits  Glazer’s of Iowa
Wine Phillips Wine & Spirits of Minnesota
Beer Alliance Beverage Distributing Co. of Arizona

Innovation Launch Award
Spirits Coastal Wine & Spirits of Florida
Wine Pinnacle Distributing Company of Colorado

Corporate Citizenship Award
Wine Herman Merinoff, The Charmer Sunbelt & Spirits Group
Beer Andrews Distributing of North Texas