Craft & Cork Crown Recognition
An earned distinction, first awarded in 2027.
Crown Recognition will identify specific beers and wines selected through independent evaluation. The first Crowns will be awarded at the inaugural Craft & Cork Festival in Chicago.
Craft & Cork GuideCrown Recognition
What a Crown will mean
One product
It belongs to the product that earns it.
A Crown names a specific beer, or a specific wine and its vintage. It does not extend to the producer’s other products or to the venue that pours it.
One year
It names the year it was awarded.
The year in the Crown is the award year. A wine’s vintage is listed separately, and recognition never transfers to a new vintage.
One standard
It cannot be bought.
Sponsorship, advertising and paid activations are separate from selection. Every Crown is one equal distinction, with no tiers and no ranking.
Illustration only
Two different facts
The award year is not the vintage.
2025 is the vintage: the year the grapes were harvested. It is part of the wine’s identity, so a 2026 bottling of the same wine is a different wine.
How products will be selected
Recognized for a reason.
Proposed program controls. Full standards, eligibility and panel qualifications will be published before entries open.
Step 1 of 5
- 01
Eligible products are entered
Producers from the defined region enter specific products: a beer by name and style, a wine by name, variety and vintage. Entering is optional and never required for Festival participation.
Control: published eligibility - 02
Identity is concealed
Each entry receives a code. Judges taste without seeing the product, the label or the producer.
Control: blind coding - 03
Beer and wine are judged separately
Qualified panels evaluate each category on its own terms. A lager is never compared with a Chardonnay on one universal scale.
Control: category-specific panels and recusal - 04
A documented rubric guides the decision
Panels assess each product against its style or intent, then decide which products warrant seeking out.
Technical qualityBalanceExpression of style or intentCharacterReason to seek it outControl: written rubric, independent chair - 05
The decision is recorded and announced
Signed selection records are kept. Recipients are revealed at the Festival and published in the Guide with the product identity, award year and a short selection note.
Control: verifiable public record
The road to the first Crowns
No Crowns have been awarded yet.
Guide selections today are editorial recommendations. The first Crowns arrive with the inaugural Festival in 2027.
First
Standards published
Eligibility, rubric, panel qualifications and recusal rules, in full.
Then
Entries open
Producers in the defined region enter specific products, if they choose to.
Before the Festival
Blind judging
Category panels taste coded entries. Decisions are recorded and kept confidential.
2027 · Chicago
The first Crowns
Revealed live at the inaugural Craft & Cork Festival.
After
Published in the Guide
Each recipient listed with product, producer, award year and selection notes.
For venues and producers
Recognition in the real world.
How the Crown will appear once products are recognized. Shown here as illustrations.
Craft & Cork Guide
Crown Recognition
Window decal · illustration
Menu legend · illustration
A window decal will mean a recognized product is offered there, not that the venue won. Menus place the Crown beside the specific product, with a short legend and the award year. Producers receive a product-specific badge and usage sheet.
Questions
What people ask about the Crown.
Have any Crowns been awarded yet?
No. The first Crowns will be awarded at the inaugural Craft & Cork Festival in 2027. Guide selections today are editorial recommendations, labeled “Recommended to explore.”
Does every Guide listing get a Crown?
No. The Guide covers a broad selection of beers and wines worth exploring. Crown-recognized products will be labeled with their award year.
Can a sponsor buy a Crown?
No. Sponsorship and paid activations are separate from recognition decisions, and entry fees, if charged, cover administration only.
Is the year on the Crown the wine vintage?
No. It is the award year. A recognized wine’s vintage or non-vintage designation is listed separately.
Are there gold, silver or bronze Crowns?
No. One Crown is one equal distinction. There are no tiers, rankings or numerical scores in public recognition.
How can a producer enter?
Entry details will be published with the standards. Entering will be optional and separate from Festival participation. Producer information