Raising a Glass to Farmers: IL Corn Sponsors 2025 Heartland Whiskey Competition

Heartland Whiskey Team
April 10, 2025

The fifth biennial judging expands the Farmer-Distiller Awards Program


IL Corn helps to sustain the most prestigious craft whiskey competition in the country. The Heartland Whiskey Competition is a judged, biennial competition overseen by the American Craft Spirits Association. Corn association sponsorship creates a one-of-a-kind opportunity for small distilleries – most all family businesses – to compete with one another and earn medals that are essential to marketing their businesses.


The competition includes a program for Farmer-Distillers, distilleries whose owner(s) operates a working corn farm. Farmer-Distiller will be expanded to three awards in 2025. The Top Farmer-Distiller trophy will be awarded to the entry with the top average score over three qualifying spirits. This is arguably the most difficult award to win in the entire competition and the trophy will go to a farmer.


In addition, awards will be given for single Farmer-Distiller spirit : one for the top scoring farmer-distilled bourbon; and another for the top scoring farmer-distilled whiskey in all other non-bourbon categories (“Beyond Bourbon”). Along with the Top Farmer-Distiller award, these spirits will celebrate the finest craft whiskey made by America’s corn farmers.


Any craft whiskey made with corn in the U.S. can be entered to compete for medals in relevant whiskey categories. Entries made in states sponsored by the marketing arms of corn associations also compete for Best-of-State and entry period starts April 14. 


2025 Heartland Whiskey Competition winners will be announced late August/early September. Check out the winners from the last competition.


Morning Ag Clips is the official ag media sponsor of the 2025 Heartland Whiskey Competition.

The sun is setting behind the capitol building in washington d.c.
By Lyndi Allen July 3, 2025
Illinois corn farmers will be impacted by many provisions in the Budget Reconciliation Bill that passed in both chambers this week.
By Tara Desmond July 3, 2025
Mid-Year Highlights: IL Corn Top 10 Read Stories
A map of the world with arrows pointing to trade countries
By Lyndi Allen July 3, 2025
Trade plays a critical role in driving demand for U.S. corn—not only as grain or feed, but also as fuel.
Top Videos of 2025
By Tara Desmond July 2, 2025
Harvesting the Best: A Look at IL Corn’s Top 10 Videos of 2025
By Lindsay Croke June 30, 2025
When we think of Independence Day traditions, sweet corn on the cob is as iconic as fireworks and often even more central to the celebration. According to Instacart, purchases of sweet corn surge by 380% over the annual average heading into July 4th, outranking other grilling staples like baby back ribs and burgers. But corn's role in your Fourth of July celebration goes far beyond your plate. In Illinois alone, 8,300 acres of sweet corn are harvested annually, averaging 155 cwt per acre. That’s more than 128 million pounds of locally grown sweetness fueling summer cookouts across the state. And while sweet corn makes a big impression on the grill, most of Illinois’ corn crop isn’t sweet corn - it’s field corn. Less than 1% of the state’s crop is sweet corn, while the rest is used in products that are often invisible to consumers but vital to everyday life: fuel, packaging, fireworks, and even spirits.
The sun is setting behind the capitol building in washington d.c.
By Lyndi Allen June 27, 2025
From Springfield to D.C., lawmakers are listening, and Illinois corn farmers are leading the conversations.
Show More