Top Note Timeline: Awards & Acclaim

Within weeks of launching our first of three sparkling mixers, Top Note’s Indian Tonic Water won a SoFi Platinum Award for Best New Mixer. The equivalent of winning an Oscar in the food & beverage industry, the award put a stamp of approval on our Indian Tonic as America's new craft mixer of choice. Illinois liquor store chain Binny’s Beverage Depot agreed, naming the Indian Tonic the “best tonic in its class by a landslide.”

In 2018, Top Note’s Indian Tonic Water lived up to its legacy, earning 87 points and a Silver Medal from the Beverage Testing Institute. Ginger Beer also joined in on the winnings, earning 92 points and a Gold Medal for its showing in the competition.

By the time our three original mixers had established themselves as forces within the industry, we'd released our Classic Tonic Water to critical acclaim. Following in the footsteps of Ginger Beer, Classic Tonic earned 92 points and a Gold Medal from the Beverage Testing Institute in addition to 91 points and a Gold Medal from Sunset Magazine’s Annual International Competition.

In 2020, we released our Club Soda No. 1, which quickly rose to prominence as the "best club soda outside of Japan" by leading Japanese whisky makers. Beam Suntory commented that the “craftsmanship and thoughtful detail that went into Top Note’s development resulted in a highly sparkling club soda that uplifts our whiskies, elevates the whisky experience and mirrors the quality found at craft cocktail bars in Japan.” Classic Tonic Water and Ginger Beer also continued to shine, catching the eyes of two different editors of the popular website Liquor.com. Jonah Flicker named Top Note Classic Tonic Water the year’s “Best Craft Tonic Water” and Sarah Freeman dubbed Top Note Ginger Beer the year’s “Most Unique Ginger Beer,” commending the mixer’s use of date sugar as a mild sweetener as well as its exceptionally dark color.

2021 ushered in Top Note’s first round of international recognition, with our Bitter Lemon Tonic Water and Ginger Beer each earning Gold Medals and Indian Tonic Water earning Silver in the Annual Spirits Business Awards.

2022 we earned another year of Best Craft Tonic by Liquor.com for our Classic Tonic Water, and kept our heads in the game of new product development with our Cascara Cola and Lemon Lime soda being released to bars.

2023 we entered the Beverage Tasting Institute's Mixer competition and took 92 points for our Grapefruit Soda. But we mostly loved what they wrote about our grapefruit; "Light hazy gold color. Aromas of orange peels and pith, grapefruit, and salt and black pepper with a full body and a long grapefruit, sandalwood and white pear, and lemon curd finish." We couldn't say it better! We also earned yet another year of Best Craft Tonic for our Classic Tonic Water by Liquor.com as well.