In certain glossy magazine and high-end spirits competition circles, a vodka's photogenic front-page appeal is as important as what's inside the bottle in determining its award-winning value. But with the American Distilling Institute's annual Artisan American Spirits Awards, which were released last week, it's best not to judge those rather bland winner's circle photographs on the trade association's website. We mean that as a compliment.

This is the sort of awards list you scroll through when you want to find the most interesting artisan spirits for sipping, not just for bar shelf visual appeal – though if that's your thing, there's an “excellence in packaging” award here, too. But mostly you'll find moonshine and bourbon that hails from distilleries with names like Dark Corner or Ole Smoky, and rums that have been affectionately dubbed Three Sheets (from San Diego's Ballast Point, which took home several awards) and Cane and Abe (“Old Abe” was the name of a Civil War-era bald eagle mascot in Wisconsin).

The Man Booker Prize of moonshine, if you will. Get the list of this year's artisan American spirits winners after the jump.

As American as Moonshine; Credit: flickr user/CJSorg

As American as Moonshine; Credit: flickr user/CJSorg

American Distilling Institute's Sixth Annual Artisan American Spirits Awards

Bubble Cup Award — Distillery of the Year

Peach Street Distillers

Excellence in Packaging

Huber's Starlight Distillery – Brandy

WHISKEY

Clear Whiskey

Silver Medal

• Copper Fox Distillery – Wasmund's Rye Spirit

• Deerhammer Distilling Company – Whitewater Whiskey

• Tennessee Distilling Company – Collier and McKeel Charcoal Mellowed White Dog

• Dark Horse Distillery – Long Shot White Whiskey

Bronze Medal

• High West Distillery – High West Silver Whiskey – OMG Pure Rye

• Finger Lakes Distillery – White Pike Whiskey

Corn Whiskey

Gold Medal, Best of Category

• Limestone Branch Distillery – T.J. Pottinger Moon*Shine

Silver Medal

• Asheville Distilling Company – Troy & Sons Moonshine

• Colorado Gold Distillery – Colorado's Own Corn Whiskey

• Dark Corner Distillery – Moonshine Corn Whiskey

Bronze Medal

• Balcones Distillery – Balcones True Blueings County Distillery – Kings County Moonshine

• Ole Smoky Moonshine Distillery – Corn Whiskey

• Pinchgut Hollow Distillery – Corn Shine

Bourbon

Gold Medal, Best of Category

• Corsair Artisan Distillery – Grainiac 9 Grain Bourbon

Silver Medal

• Corsair Artisan Distillery – Nashville Bourbon

• Tuthilltown Spirits – Hudson Whiskey Four Grain Bourbon

Bronze Medal

• Kings County Distillery – Kings County Bourbon

• Tuthilltown Spirits – Hudson Baby Bourbon

Straight Bourbon

Silver Medal, Best of Category

• Colorado Gold Distillery – Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Silver Medal

• Ballast Point Spirits – Devil's Share Whiskey

Bronze Medal

• Peach Street Distillers – Colorado Straight Bourbon

Malt Whiskey

Gold Medal, Best of Category

• Golden Distillery – Samish Bay Single Malt Whiskey

Silver Medal

• Golden Distillery – Samish Bay Whiskey Reserve

• Rogue Ales & Spirits – Oregon Single Malt Whiskey

Bronze Medal

• Corsair Artisan Distillery – Pils American Malt Whiskey

• New Holland Artisan Spirits – Double Down Barley

• Rogue Ales & Spirits – Dead Guy Whiskey

Straight Malt Whiskey

Gold Medal, Best of Category

• Ballast Point Spirits – Devil's Share Whiskey

Silver Medal

• Edgefield Distillery – Hogshead Whiskey

• New Holland Artisan Spirits – Zeppelin Bend

Rye Whiskey

Silver Medal, Best of Category

• Breuckelen Distilling – 77 Whiskey

Silver Medal

• 1512 Spirits – Aged Rye Whiskey

• Corsair Artisan Distillery – 100% Rye

• Corsair Artisan Distillery – Ryemageddon

Non-Typical Whiskey

Gold Medal, Best of Category

• Balcones Distillery – '1' Texas Single Malt

Gold Medal

• 1512 Spirits – Signature Poitin

Silver Medal

• Corsair Artisan Distillery – Oatmeal Stout Whiskey

• Corsair Artisan Distillery – PreProhibition American Malt Whiskey

• Florida Farm Distillers – Palm Ridge Reserve

• Koval Distillery – Lion's Pride, 47th Ward Whiskey

• Old Sugar Distillery – Queen Jennie Sorghum Whiskey

• Glacier Distilling Company – Wheatfish Whiskey

Bronze Medal

• Corsair Artisan Distillery – Quinoa & Barley Whiskey

• Corsair Artisan Distillery – Triticale & Barley Whiskey

• Koval Distillery – Lion's Pride Millet Whiskey

• Middle West Spirits – OYO Whiskey

Smoked Whiskey

Silver Medal, Best of Category

• Balcones Distillery – Brimstone

Silver Medal

• Corsair Artisan Distillery – Oak Smoked Wheat Whiskey

• Corsair Artisan Distillery – Cherrywood Smoke

Bronze Medal

• Corsair Artisan Distillery – Triple Smoke

• Square One Brewery & Distillery – JJ Neukomm Malt whiskey

Hopped Whiskey

Gold Medal, Best of Category

• Corsair Artisan Distillery – Citra Whiskey

Silver Medal

• Spirits of St. Louis – Hopskey

Bronze Medal

• Corsair Artisan Distillery – Elderflower Bohemian Whiskey

Flavored Whiskey

Bronze Medal

• Corsair Artisan Distillery – Old Punk

Artisan Merchant Bottled Whiskey

Gold Medal, Best of Category

• Smooth Ambler Spirits Co – Old Scout Bourbon Whiskey

Gold Medal

• Bull Run Distillery – Temperance Trader Bourbon

Bronze Medal

• Great Lakes Distillery, LLC – Kinnickinnic Whiskey

Turn the page for brandy and rum winners.[

BRANDY

Eaux de Vie

Silver Medal, Best of Category

• Clear Creek Distillery – Eau de Vie of Blue Plum (Slivovitz)

Bronze Medal

• Westford Hill Distillers, LLC – Kirsch Eau de Vie

• Peach Street Distillers – Jack and Jenny Peach Eau de Vie

Aged Fruit Brandies

Gold Medal, Best of Category

• Peach Street Distillers – Peach Brandy

Silver Medal

• Peach Street Distillers – Pear Brandy

Bronze Medal

• Harvest Spirits LLC – Rare Pear Brandy

Apple Brandy

Gold Medal, Best of Category

• Westford Hill Distillers, LLC – New World Aged Apple Brandy

Silver Medal

• Clear Creek Distillery – 8 year. Eau de Vie de Pomme (apple)

• Colorado Gold Distillery – Colorado Gold Brandy

Bronze Medal

• Carolina Distillery LLC – Carriage House Apple Brandy

• Huber's Starlight Distillery – Apple Brandy

• Huber's Starlight Distillery – Apple Jack

Grappa

Gold Medal, Best of Category

• Clear Creek Distillery – Grappa Muscat

Gold Medal

• Clear Creek Distillery – Grappa Nebbiolo

Bronze Medal

• Flag Hill Distillery – Graham's Grappa

Brandy from Grapes

Gold Medal, Best of Category

• Jaxon Keys Winery & Distillery – Jepson Old Stock Brandy

Silver Medal

• Jaxon Keys Winery & Distillery – Jepson Signature Reserve Brandy

• Dakota Spirits Distillery – Bickering Brothers Neutral Brandy

Fruit Infusion

Gold Medal, Best of Category

• Sidetrack Distillery – Raspberry Liqueur

Gold Medal

• Clear Creek Distillery – Liqueur of Oregon Cranberries

Silver Medal

• Huber's Starlight Distillery – Black Raspberry Infusion

• Huber's Starlight Distillery – Raspberry Infusion

• Clear Creek Distillery – Eau de Vie of Douglas Fir

• Bloomery Plantation Distillery – Cello Cremma Lemma

Bronze Medal

• Clear Creek Distillery – Liqueur of Oregon Cassis (Creme de Cassis)

• Harvest Spirits LLC – Core Black Raspberry

• Apollo Fine Spirits – Queen Esther Sweet Fire Liqueur

RUM

Clear Rum

Silver Medal, Best of Category

• Ballast Point Spirits – Three Sheets White Rum

Silver Medal

• New Deal Distillery – Distiller's Workshop Rum

Bronze Medal

• Dancing Pines Distillery, LLC. – Dancing Pines Rum

• Bull Run Distillery – Pacific Rum • Turkey Shore Distilleries – Old Ipswich White Cap Rum

Amber Rum

Gold Medal, Best of Category

• Turkey Shore Distilleries – Old Ipswich Tavern Style Rum

Silver Medal

• Desert Diamond Distillery – Gold Miner Spirits Barrel Reserve Rum

• Ryan and Wood Distillery – Folly Cove Rum

Bronze Medal

• Dancing Pines Distillery, LLC. — Cask Barrel Aged Rum

• Rogue Ales & Spirits – Dark Rum

• New Deal Distillery – Distiller's Workshop Rum, Amber

• Old Sugar Distillery – Cane and Abe Freshwater Rum

Overproof Rum

Silver Medal, Best of Category

• Barrel House Distilling Co. – Oak Rum

Silver Medal

• Privateer Rum – Privateer True American Rum

Flavored Rum

Silver Medal, Best of Category

• Dogfish Head – Brown Honey Rum

Silver Medal

• Duncan's Idea Mill, LLC – Dunc's Mill – Elderflower

Spiced Rum

Silver Medal, Best of Category

• Dancing Pines Distillery, LLC. – Spice Flavored Rum

Artisan Merchant Bottled Rum

Silver Medal

• New Holland Artisan Spirits – Huron Rum

Bronze Medal

• Firefly Distillery – Sea Island, Java

• Firefly Distillery – Sea Island, Spice

• Spirit of Texas – Pecan Street Rum

Follow Squid Ink at @LAWeeklyFood and check out our Facebook page. Find more from the author @eathistory + eathistory.com.

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.