American Whiskey Brand Named World’s Most Admired For Third Straight Year
📝 usncan Note: American Whiskey Brand Named World’s Most Admired For Third Straight Year
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Michter’s Whiskey
Michter’s
In 2023, Kentucky-based Michter’s became the first-ever American brand to be named number one on the Drinks International list of The World’s Most Admired Whiskies. To many in the industry, that recognition marked a milestone in global spirits, signaling American whiskey’s status in a space historically reserved for top Scotch and Japanese producers.
It turns out that first-of-its-kind recognition was more than a blip on the radar. In 2025, for the third straight year, Michter’s was once again named World’s Most Admired Whiskey.
Chosen by a panel of 100 “independent global drinks buyers, journalists, bartenders and whisky experts from more than 20 countries,” the annual list asks experts to name 10 brands they most admire in descending order, based on the following criteria:
- Quality and consistency of whiskeys in the brand range
- Price-to-quality ratio across a brand’s portfolio
- Strength of the branding and marketing
Michter’s was joined by Maker’s Mark as the only American brands in this year’s Top 10. (The full list recognizes 50 brands.) The top 10 of the 2025 list is below:
- Michter’s
- The Yamazaki
- Hibiki
- Ardbeg
- Compass Box
- Maker’s Mark
- Bruichladdich
- The Macallan
- Hakushu
- Laphroaig
Michter’s traces its history back to 18th century Pennsylvania, where it was first known as Shenk’s Distillery, then later Bomberger’s. A 1950s rebrand saw the company change to Michter’s, though that original entity and its Pennsylvania distillery went bankrupt in 1989. In the late 1990s, Joe Magliocco purchased the trademark for around $250 and gradually began building new operations in Kentucky.
Initially, the new Michter’s sourced and bottled American whiskey from other distilleries; they eventually entered into contract distillation agreements. Starting in 2015, main production moved to a brand new facility in Shively, Kentucky, about 10 minutes south of Louisville.
Michter’s current lineup includes Kentucky straight bourbon, rye, sour mash, and American whiskeys. The Michter’s Legacy Series, released annually, includes Bomberger’s Bourbon, Shenk’s Homestead Sour Mash, and Bomberger’s PFG, the latter a brand new addition for 2025.
The brand also produces a “limited production” line of age-stated whiskeys, which are only released on years when Master Distiller Dan McKee and Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson deem them up to standard. These include 10 year bourbon and rye, along with a highly coveted 20 year bourbon. Michter’s has also released a handful of 25 year bourbon and rye products over the past two decades. Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash is the company’s highest-end product and includes whiskeys ranging from 12 to over 30 years old; it has been released four times since 2013, generally with just a couple hundred bottles each time.
Other limited and rotating releases include barrel strength bourbon and rye, as well as a line of toasted barrel finish whiskeys. Across its full lineup, Michter’s is known for having one of the industry’s lowest barrel entry proofs at just 103 proof. Lower entry proofs can significantly influence flavor, though from a financial perspective, they generally result in less alcohol produced per barrel and higher costs.
“It’s literally a dream to have Michter’s recognized as the World’s Most Admired Whiskey. There are so many outstanding distilleries around the world with so many talented people making excellent whiskey,” says Michter’s Executive Vice President Matt Magliocco. “It’s extremely humbling to be acknowledged by our peers across the industry when there are countless people doing such inspiring work and creating phenomenal products.”
In addition to its Shively distillery, the company also owns Michter’s Fort Nelson Distillery in downtown Louisville, which features a small-scale distillation setup, tours, and one of the area’s most popular cocktail bars. Additionally, Michter’s operates a 205 acre property in Springfield, Kentucky, which is currently developing estate-grown grain.
