[photo credit: Knox & Dobson]
The Tasting Alliance, which runs the competition, released its 2026 Platinum list in June, and the Knox & Dobson cocktail appears on it, Forbes reported. The competition’s own site says the 2026 judging has concluded and that results went live June 9.
Forbes reported that a Platinum Medal requires consistent quality over time and is the result of a multi-year judging progression. Platinum recognition follows three consecutive years of Double Gold for the same cocktail, the company said in its announcement.
Part of that record is on the public register from the brand’s earlier announcements. The Improved Whiskey Cocktail took Double Gold for a second consecutive year in 2025, a year after it captured Best in Class in 2024, according to a news release the company issued in June 2025.
“Winning Double Gold once is an honor. Doing it again and again is something we never take for granted,” Rob Levy, a co-founder of the company, said in the announcement. “Platinum is especially meaningful because it reflects consistency. We set out to create a cocktail that could stand alongside one made by a great bartender, and to have that standard recognized year after year is incredibly gratifying.”
The cocktail is built on straight aged rye whiskey, Maraska Maraschino Liqueur and Angostura bitters, with a profile the company describes as spice, oak, citrus and cherry.
Knox & Dobson was founded in 2022 by Rob and Leslie Levy and Peter Lloyd Jones, according to the company’s 2025 news release, which describes the brand as California-based and rooted in classic cocktail tradition. The brand grew out of the founders’ experience in Pasadena’s hospitality and cocktail community, the company said.
The company also said its 2026 results extend beyond San Francisco, with Double Gold and Best in Class recognition at the Asia World Spirits Competition. That competition is run by the same organization, The Tasting Alliance, and its 2026 results are posted.
“For us, this isn’t really about putting another sticker on a bottle,” Levy said. “It’s about proving that a ready-to-drink cocktail can be judged on the same fundamentals that matter in a great bar: quality, balance, flavor and craftsmanship.”
The Tasting Alliance says Top Shelf 2026, its premier in-person event, takes place in fall 2026.
