A bourbon infused with Madagascar vanilla beat out five other up-and-coming beverages to win the 2026 Brand Battle Tournament at a major industry convention in Las Vegas. The competition, held at Caesars Forum during Access LIVE, marked its tenth anniversary with what organizers called one of the toughest fields yet.
Edmond's Honor Vanilla Madagascar Bourbon took home the crown after a four-minute presentation that combined product quality with a compelling backstory. The brand produces premium bourbon mixed with Madagascar vanilla, creating what makers describe as a rich and balanced drink that works for any occasion.
The Story Behind the Name
What separated this bourbon from the pack wasn't just what's in the bottle. Tracie Franklin, who holds the title of Liquid Curator for Edmond's Honor, told the audience about Edmond Albius, a 12-year-old enslaved boy who figured out how to hand-pollinate vanilla orchids. That discovery made vanilla production possible on a commercial scale, yet most people have never heard his name.
"What's incredible about this win is that it's in honor of Edmond Albius," Franklin said after the contest. "His name is forgotten to history, yet vanilla is the number one flavor in the world. So being able to know that with this win, it's going to empower us to share this story and this legacy with the world."
Steven Brown, who works as Senior Vice President of Commercial Sales & Finance at Pronghorn and co-presented with Franklin, made it clear this was a team effort. "Tracie did an amazing job of putting this liquid in a bottle," he said. "This is not just for me and Tracie — we were just the ones on stage."
A Packed Field of Competitors
The 2026 competition brought together six brands representing different corners of the beverage world. Each got their shot at the Main Stage in front of a packed audience and a panel of industry judges.
Oishii Spritz, presented by Buzzy Sklar, introduced what they call the first all-natural, zero-sugar sake-based canned cocktail. Jordan Anderson pitched Dulce Oro, a honey-infused tequila meant for sipping rather than shooting. Mack Hueber presented aryloom, a THC beverage made on a fifth-generation apple orchard.
Geoff Ice brought Ice & Co Southern Hard Tea to the stage, featuring spiked fruit teas brewed in Tennessee with an emphasis on Southern storytelling. Madison Barker and Anthony Zraly rounded out the field with Culch Vodka, which connects premium vodka with environmental purpose through support for the Billion Oyster Project.
Each brand had exactly four minutes to make their case while judges sampled the product and looked over fact sheets. A brief question-and-answer session followed each pitch. Final scores combined the judges' ratings with votes from people in the audience.
Who Decided the Winner
The judging panel drew from different parts of the beverage industry's three-tier distribution system. Clark Calvert from Lipman Brothers served alongside Megan Iaccino from Great Lakes Wine & Spirits and Michael Page from Breakthru Beverage Group. Lacey Sadoff, the fourth-generation president of Badger Liquor, joined Dan Mucciolo from Reyes Beverage Group and Gary Gruver, who handles global operations for beverage and restaurant brands at Marriott International.
Gruver shared his thoughts after watching all the presentations. "It was a great competition, with big diversity of products and presenters. We saw some old classics reimagined and some exciting new flavors brought to the market."
He pointed to specific reasons why Edmond's Honor stood out. "We were especially impressed by the approachability of the product, the concentration of the flavor, and not coming across as too sweet. Also, the energy of that crew was infectious. They were well prepared and their passion really came through."
More Than Just a Trophy
Brand Battle has been giving emerging brands a platform for a decade now. The tournament offers more than bragging rights. Winners typically see increased attention from distributors and retailers, which can translate to wider availability and stronger sales.
Francis Creighton, who serves as President and CEO of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America, emphasized what the competition means for the industry. "Brand Battle is more than a competition — it's a launchpad," he said. "And in this milestone year, we saw perhaps the most powerful example yet of what happens when quality product, purpose and passion come together."
The contest has become a centerpiece of Access LIVE, which WSWA bills as the largest U.S. gathering bringing together all parts of the beverage alcohol business. The event traces its roots back to 1943 and includes everything from buy-sell meetings to educational panels to networking opportunities for executives.
What Sets This Year Apart
Reaching the ten-year mark gave the 2026 Brand Battle added significance. The competition has evolved since its first edition, with more brands competing and higher stakes for everyone involved.
The format requires brands to distill complex business strategies and product details into a tight, engaging pitch. Presenters need to connect with both the judges and the audience while their product speaks for itself in the tasting portion. The voting system ensures that industry insiders and a broader audience both have a say in the outcome.
For Edmond's Honor, the combination worked. The product delivered on taste, with judges noting the balanced vanilla flavor that enhances rather than overwhelms the bourbon. The presentation brought energy and preparation. And the story behind the name added depth that went beyond typical marketing.
Looking at the Broader Picture
The success of vanilla-infused bourbon at a major industry competition reflects some larger trends. Consumers have shown increasing interest in spirits with added flavors, especially when those flavors come from natural sources rather than artificial additives. Madagascar vanilla carries a premium reputation, suggesting quality before anyone takes a sip.
At the same time, beverage brands increasingly lean on storytelling to differentiate themselves in a crowded market. Every bottle of bourbon or vodka or tequila needs more than good taste. It needs a reason for customers to choose it over dozens of other options on the shelf.
Edmond's Honor built its story around recognition for someone whose contribution to the food and beverage world has been overlooked for nearly two centuries. That approach resonates at a time when consumers pay attention to the values and missions of the brands they support.
The other brands in the competition showed similar thinking. Whether supporting oyster restoration, celebrating regional heritage, or creating new product categories, each entry went beyond simply asking people to drink what they make.
What Comes Next
Winning Brand Battle doesn't guarantee success, but it provides advantages that emerging brands struggle to get on their own. Media coverage from the win reaches potential customers and business partners. The validation from industry judges carries weight with distributors making decisions about which brands to carry. The connections made at Access LIVE can open doors that might otherwise stay closed.
For Edmond's Honor, Franklin made clear that the team sees this as an opportunity to amplify their message. Getting the word out about Edmond Albius and his contribution to vanilla production matters as much as selling bottles. The bourbon becomes a vehicle for telling that story to more people.
Brown's comment about the team effort hints at the infrastructure behind successful brands. The people on stage represent just part of what goes into bringing a product to market. Behind them are production teams, marketing staff, financial backers, and distributors who all play roles in whether a brand succeeds or fails.
Access LIVE itself demonstrates how the beverage industry operates. The three-tier system that separates producers, distributors, and retailers creates complexity, but it also creates opportunities for events that bring everyone together. Brand Battle gives emerging brands access to all three tiers at once, compressed into a single presentation and tasting.
The Competition's Legacy
Ten years of Brand Battle have produced winners who went on to expand distribution and build recognition. The competition serves as a testing ground where brands learn what resonates with industry professionals and consumers. Even brands that don't win often benefit from the experience and exposure.
The diversity of products in 2026's field shows how much the beverage landscape has changed. Sake-based canned cocktails, THC beverages, and honey-infused tequila would have seemed unlikely a decade ago. Today they compete on the same stage as bourbon and vodka, reflecting evolving consumer tastes and regulatory changes that open up new possibilities.
That evolution makes the judging more challenging but also more interesting. Comparing a bourbon to a hard tea to a hemp beverage means evaluating products on different criteria. Judges need to assess quality within each category while also considering market potential, branding strength, and presentation quality.
Gruver's observation about seeing "old classics reimagined and some exciting new flavors brought to the market" captures this balance. The beverage industry respects tradition while constantly looking for what's next. Brand Battle celebrates both impulses, giving established categories and experimental newcomers equal opportunity to impress.
For attendees at Access LIVE, Brand Battle provides entertainment and education. Watching brands pitch teaches lessons about what works and what doesn't in communicating value. Tasting the products helps distributors and retailers spot trends before they hit the mainstream. The voting creates engagement that turns spectators into participants.
The packed audience for this year's Main Stage presentation showed the event's drawing power. In an industry where relationships and networking matter enormously, Brand Battle creates a shared experience that people remember and talk about.
Final Thoughts
Edmond's Honor Vanilla Madagascar Bourbon earned its win through a combination of product quality, smart branding, and effective presentation. The judges appreciated the taste. The audience responded to the energy. The story behind the name added meaning that goes beyond bourbon.
Whether that translates to long-term success depends on execution in the marketplace. But winning Brand Battle gives the brand momentum and credibility that money can't buy. For an emerging brand trying to break through, that matters more than the trophy itself.
The competition's tenth anniversary reinforces its role in the industry calendar. As long as new brands keep launching and established players keep innovating, there will be demand for platforms that showcase what's coming next. Brand Battle fills that role, connecting emerging brands with the people who can help them grow.
For everyone who tasted that vanilla bourbon in Las Vegas, the question now is whether they'll see it on shelves in their markets. That's where the real competition begins.
