A major showing at Virginia’s premier spirits competition has positioned KO Distilling at the center of the Commonwealth’s rapidly growing whiskey scene.
Manassas, VA (May 14, 2026) — KO Distilling has earned Best in Show at the 2026 First Landing Cup, with its Bare Knuckle Cask Strength Straight Rye Whiskey receiving the highest overall score among every spirit entered into this year’s competition.
The Manassas-based distillery also secured four Gold Medals overall — more than any other Virginia distillery — spanning rye whiskey, bourbon, wheat whiskey, and gin categories.
Organized by the Virginia Distillers Association and the Virginia Spirits Board, the First Landing Cup celebrates Virginia-made spirits that exemplify craftsmanship, innovation, and quality. Named after the 1607 landing at Cape Henry — often considered the birthplace of American distilling — the competition featured more than 100 blind-judged entries evaluated by nationally recognized spirits experts.
For KO Distilling, the headline win came through Bare Knuckle Cask Strength Straight Rye Whiskey, which captured Best in Class for whiskey before ultimately earning the 2026 First Landing Cup as the competition’s top overall spirit.
Unlike many competitions where a single release breaks through independently, KO’s results reflected broad portfolio strength across multiple categories.
The Award Winners
Bare Knuckle Cask Strength Straight Rye Whiskey
- Best in Show — Winner, 2026 First Landing Cup
- Best in Class (Whiskey)
- Best in Category (Rye Whiskey)
- Gold Medal
- 120–125 Proof
- MSRP: $49.99
Battle Standard 142 Gin (Navy Strength)
- Best in Class (Contemporary Gin)
- “Raccoon’s Pick” for highest quality-to-value ratio
- Gold Medal
- 114 Proof
- MSRP: $34.99
KO Distiller’s Reserve Bottled-in-Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Best in Category (Bourbon)
- Gold Medal
- 100 Proof
- MSRP: $69.99
Bare Knuckle Cask Strength Straight Wheat Whiskey
- Best in Category (Wheat Whiskey)
- Gold Medal
- 120–125 Proof
- MSRP: $49.99
According to the company, all four Gold Medal-winning releases will be featured in a Virginia-made spirits promotion launching at select Virginia ABC stores beginning in June.
Bill Karlson, co-founder of KO Distilling, framed the awards as recognition of the distillery’s long-term focus on Virginia-driven production and craftsmanship.
“Since we opened our doors 11 years ago, we have focused on producing quality artisan spirits that express the terroir of Virginia and showcase the skills of our team. We are honored by these accolades and look forward to raising a glass of the best that Virginia has to offer with our team and our customers.”
— Bill Karlson
Why This Matters
Virginia whiskey has quietly become one of the more interesting regional American whiskey movements over the last decade.
The state’s distilling scene has expanded rapidly, but recognition at a statewide blind competition still carries weight because it reflects performance against peers rather than brand reputation alone.
KO’s results stand out not simply because the distillery won Best in Show, but because of the breadth of categories represented.
Winning across rye whiskey, bourbon, wheat whiskey, and gin suggests a level of production consistency that is difficult to achieve for smaller independent distilleries, particularly in blind judging environments where branding and packaging disappear entirely.
The rye whiskey victory may carry the most significance.
Cask strength rye has increasingly become one of the most competitive categories among enthusiasts, with consumers gravitating toward higher-proof releases that retain grain character and texture without excessive finishing or manipulation. KO’s Bare Knuckle Rye succeeding at that level signals continued momentum for Virginia-made rye whiskey specifically, not just Virginia craft spirits generally.
There is also broader commercial significance for the state itself.
The First Landing Cup was created in part to elevate Virginia spirits nationally, and strong results from distilleries like KO help reinforce the idea that Virginia is developing beyond an emerging craft scene into a legitimate regional whiskey identity.
The Distillery
Founded by longtime friends and United States Merchant Marine Academy classmates Bill Karlson (“K”) and John O’Mara (“O”), KO Distilling produces a range of small-batch spirits including gin, white whiskey, bourbon, rye whiskey, and wheat whiskey.
The distillery operates from its production facility in Manassas, Virginia, where it focuses on grain-forward spirits intended to reflect Virginia terroir while maintaining approachable pricing and cask strength offerings for enthusiasts.
KO products are currently available online and through retailers across Virginia, Washington D.C., Maryland, and Delaware, as well as select U.S. Coast Guard Exchange stores.
More information is available through KO Distilling.
The Bottom Line
For KO Distilling, this wasn’t a one-bottle breakthrough.
It was a full-portfolio statement.
Winning Best in Show will naturally drive the headlines, but earning four Gold Medals across multiple categories may ultimately say more about where the distillery stands today.
Virginia whiskey has spent years trying to prove it deserves a seat at the broader American whiskey conversation.
Results like this make that argument easier to take seriously.
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