Newport-based New Riff Distilling has taken home the crown of ‘World’s Best Bourbon’ at the 2026 World Whiskies Awards.
New Riff CEO Hannah Lowen and Master Distiller Brian Sprance were on hand at the ceremony, held on Feb. 12 in Louisville, to accept the award on behalf of the distillery.
Specifically, the distillery’s flagship ‘Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey’ was tapped as the award winner.
The World Whiskies Awards recognize top spirits through a blind tasting process conducted by an expert panel. Rather than awarding medals based on score thresholds, judges select a single winner in each category.
The recognition adds to a series of recent accolades for New Riff. In 2025, the distillery’s Balboa Rye was ranked fourth in the world by Whisky Advocate, and New Riff earned two double gold medals at the John Barleycorn Awards.