We all like to know that the spirits we are drinking are the best out there. So we often turn to the results of spirit competitions as our guide. If the brand we are drinking has won an award, we often feel reassured that we've made the right choice or alternatively, we can discover new brands that we may not have seen before.

As the public becomes more influenced by the spirit award results, transparency is becoming much more important. People, not only want to know whose opinions they are taking, but also how the awards are worked out. 

One spirit competition, the LA Spirits Awards is looking to make everything more visible from their judging through to their entry process. 

To find out more, we talked to LA Spirits Awards Director Nicolette Teo about judging, winning and everything in between.