High Bank’s vodka awarded as World’s Best at international competition

Local craft distillery lands a total of 17 awards at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, including more accolades for its Whiskey War line of blended whiskey.

Residents don’t have to search hard these days to find world class booze.

Just head to the High Bank Distillery in Uptown, 28 S. State St., and you can find a truckload – including the 2025 World’s Best Vodka and runners-up in Best Blended Whiskey in America and World’s Best Ready to Drink spirit product.

Opened in 2018, High Bank operates its craft distillery in Grandview, and companion “elevated distillery pub” restaurants in Grandview, Westerville, and Gahanna.

High Bank’s Westerville location is in the historic former Westerville Post Office building in the heart of Uptown, across the street from Westerville City Hall. The building was constructed during the Great Depression with Works Progress Administration (WPA) funding.

Company leaders, including Co-Founder and Master Distiller Adam Hines of Westerville, are just back from a dominant performance at one of the top juried tasting contests for distilled spirits in the world – the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

The conclusion of the competition was the Top Shelf Awards banquet Nov. 9, honoring the Best of Class and Best in Show winners from across the world. More than 5,500 entries were submitted from distilleries big and small, across the globe.

“The 2025 Top Shelf Awards highlight the pinnacle of quality and artistry in the world of spirits and RTDs. These accolades not only celebrate remarkable producers but also guide consumers toward the most outstanding products in the market today,” The Tasting Alliance said in a released statement.

Most horses in the championship field

High Bank was the only distillery with four lines in the running for top recognition at the Top Shelf Banquet Nov. 9: Its vodka, blended whiskeys in two different categories, and Ready to Drink product.

Winning the top award for the vodka came as a pleasant surprise, Hines said.

“I would not have thought we would come home with the Best Vodka award,” Hines said.

Since opening in 2018, High Bank quickly has become renowned for its blended whiskeys, capturing the SFTA Best in Class award for its Whiskey Wars line three years in a row – 2021, 2022 and 2023. This year, the line finished as top runner-up in the category.

High Bank also released extended remarks from Hines about this year’s San Francisco competition:

“Winning Best in Class with Whiskey War three years in a row has been an incredible accomplishment for our team. But when we heard High Bank Vodka had been named Best Vodka in the World, we were genuinely shocked — and deeply honored,” he said.

“Considering the number of iconic, long-established vodka brands that enter this competition from around the globe, having our vodka rise to the top is truly humbling.

“We’ve spent years honing our craft in whiskey, and we’re proud of the national recognition Whiskey War continues to receive. Now, to see our vodka stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the best in the world reinforces that our commitment to quality extends across every spirit we make.

“We’re proud to represent Ohio on the world stage, grateful for the team that makes these wins possible, and more excited than ever for what’s ahead,” Hines said.

Buy it Uptown

All High Bank’s lines of spirits are on sale by the bottle in liquor stores across Ohio, in retail “shops” inside its restaurants, and online.

The recently honored World’s Best Vodka is now prominently featured in restaurant shop displays, where it is offered in 1.5L bottles available only in the shops. High Bank is one of 28 Uptown businesses where residents can use their UWI Gift Cards for purchases.

See the full list of winners in the 2025 San Francisco Spirits Awards here.

PHOTO (ABOVE) CAPTION:
Image courtesy of The Tasting Alliance, by Katelyn Tucker Photography. 
High Bank Distillery Co. executives celebrate their wins at the San Francisco Spirits Awards Top Shelf Gala Nov. 9. From left are: Adam Hines, Co-Founder; Paul Heintzman, Director of Sales; Jenna Fisher, Director of Marketing; Jeff Ireland, Co-Founder; and Tony Thomas, Creative Director.