New Orleans-based Sidewalk Facet Spirits has closed out the yr with a number of nationwide spirits competitors awards for its Hardhide Whiskey model. The corporate’s Hardhide model is a Southern-crafted 86-proof flavored whiskey portfolio that features Ponchatoula Strawberry Whiskey and Chilton County Peach Whiskey.
Ponchatoula Strawberry Whiskey received a platinum award on the 2025 SIP Awards; acquired a gold medal on the 2025 Miami World Spirits Competitors and 2025 TAG World Spirit Awards; earned silver medals on the 2025 USA Spirits Rankings and the 2025 New Orleans Spirits Competitors; and received a bronze medal on the 2025 Beverage Testing Institute.
The Hardhide Chilton County Peach Whiskey received gold medals on the SIP Awards, Beverage Testing Institute, USA Spirits Rankings, and the Fifty Finest Flavored Whiskey Competitors, whereas incomes silver medals on the Miami World Spirit Awards, TAG World Spirit Awards, and the New Orleans Spirits Competitors.
“The 2025 awards season has been a watershed second for Hardhide Whiskey and a validation of our core perception that authenticity and craftsmanship are the center and soul of a very nice spirit,” mentioned John Eason, CEO of Sidewalk Facet Spirits.
Made with a mix of aged wheat whiskey and lightweight American whiskey, Hardhide is infused with actual fruit sourced instantly from associate farms in Louisiana and Alabama. The model is a tribute to the area’s wealthy agricultural traditions and its vibrant tradition, mentioned Eason.
“We share these honors with our devoted companions – the farmers in Ponchatoula and Chilton County who present us with unbelievable fruit, and the workforce at Sugarfield Distillery who assist us convey our imaginative and prescient to life,” mentioned Eason. “This can be a celebration of Louisiana’s wealthy agricultural heritage and its rising prominence within the American craft spirits motion.”
Eason helped launch Sidewalk Facet Spirits in 2020 as a spirits incubator firm. The inaugural model, Gambino’s King Cake Rum Cream has achieved $2 million in gross sales and is a product from native corporations Gambino’s Bakery and Cocktail & Sons, and Wisconsin-based Midwest Customized Bottling. The businesses created a mix of aged Caribbean rum, Wisconsin cream, Louisiana sugarcane, and New Orleans’ personal Cocktail & Sons King Cake cocktail syrup.
In 2022, Sidewalk Facet Spirits launched the Hardhide Ponchatoula Strawberry Whiskey model, adopted by the introduction of Hardhide Chilton County Peach. In 2025, Eason entered right into a partnership with Gonzales Distillery Sugarfield Spirits to symbolize their line of merchandise.
