Wine Country Network opens entries for 6th annual Canned Challenge Plus

Wine Country Network is taking entries through Oct. 9 for its 6th annual Canned Challenge Plus, a competition focused on ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages and adjacent categories. Winners will be announced Oct. 26, ahead of the holiday buying season, with product scores, tasting notes and marketing assets included for participants.

Why it matters: - The competition targets the fast-growing ready-to-drink beverage segment, including alcoholic and non-alcoholic formats. - Winners get third-party judging, score sheets and marketing assets that can help with retail, distribution and consumer visibility. - The timing is designed to put winning products in front of buyers and consumers before the holiday season.

What happened: - Wine Country Network, Inc. opened entries for the 6th annual Canned Challenge Plus through Oct. 9, 2026. - The competition is for ready-to-drink adult beverages and is billed as the world's first professionally judged competition dedicated to the category. - Winners will be announced Oct. 26, 2026. - More information is available on the competition website.

The details: - The competition uses double-blind judging. - Judges include mixologists, bartenders, sommeliers, buyers and beverage trade professionals. - All packaging types are accepted, including cans, bottles, Tetra Pak, pouches and boxes. - The event includes a dedicated Packaging & Design Contest judged by art directors, designers and retailers. - Nine categories are open: Premixed/RTD Cocktails, Hard Seltzer, Spiked Spritzers, Non-Alcoholic Mixers, Non-Alcoholic Cocktails, CBD/THC/Hemp Infused, Sake, Hard Cider, Hard Kombucha and Packaging Design. - Entrants can submit a single product or a series of up to eight SKUs for one entry fee. - The entry fee is $295. - Samples are due Oct. 12, 2026. - The competition takes place Oct. 17-18, 2026. - High-resolution photos from past competitions are available here. - Entries can be submitted online.

Between the lines: - Wine Country Network is positioning the event as more category-specific than traditional wine or spirits competitions. - Christopher J. Davies, Wine Country Network CEO and co-founder, said the company wants to identify the best products in each category and has kept fees lower than many spirits competitions. - The winner package is built around visibility, with scores, tasting notes, digital medal graphics, magazine coverage, press release distribution and a listing in the company's RTD Trailblazer list. - That list is emailed to 9,500 concert venues, arenas, amphitheaters and stadiums.

What's next: - Companies have until Oct. 9 to enter and until Oct. 12 to submit samples. - Judges will evaluate products on Oct. 17-18. - Wine Country Network will publish the winners on Oct. 26, giving brands a chance to market results before holiday purchasing ramps up.

The bottom line: - Wine Country Network is using Canned Challenge Plus to give RTD brands a specialized judging platform and a marketing boost at a key sales window.

More context: - Wine Country Network organizes several beverage competitions, including the Denver International Spirits Competition, Drink Pink International Rosé Wine Competition, Global Whisky Challenge, North American Bourbon and Whiskey Competition, Denver International Wine Competition and Tequila Mezcal Challenge. - The company was founded in 2002 in New York and is now based in Broomfield, Colorado. - Wine Country International Magazine became fully digital in 2013 and is available through Issuu, with print editions available on demand. - Christopher J. Davies is available for interviews by phone or on Zoom, and the release provides a contact number for editors. - The release also links to the company's social media pages on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.