Two spirits made by Black Star Farms are winners of the Washington Cup, the top honor exclusively for American-made spirits and liqueurs. Black Star won for its Spirit of Cherry Brandy and its Spirit of Apple Brandy. Its Spirit of Pear Brandy was awarded a Silver Medal at the national competition.

The competition consists of three phases: a blind tasting by professional spirits judges, tasting by professional bartenders who create signature cocktails for the top scoring spirits, and a blind consumer tasting of the created cocktails.

"The distilled spirits business demands a steep learning curve, so an experienced hand like Black Star Farms stands outa among the many new and aspiring spirits makers," says Doug Frost, founder of the Washington Cup. "Black Star Farms' success with achieving two Washington Cups is nonetheless remarkable. Only six were given out among the nearly 130 spirits in the competition."