Bainbridge, Ohio -In the USA Spirits Ratings competition, which took place in San Francisco in July 2025, Paps Hilltop Distillery’s Copperas Mountain Corn Liquor won a Gold Medal and was voted American Moonshine of the Year, which is the ultimate seal of approval within the spirits industry.

To receive this award, Copperas Mountain Corn Liquor had to score highly in three different categories – Quality, Value, and Packaging – in a blind-tasting competition overseen by a panel of high-profile judges. To receive a Gold medal in the competition, a spirit needed to score at least 90 points as part of a total weighted score.

According to Sid Patel, CEO and Founder of event organizers Beverage Trade Network, “This innovative scoring system has been instrumental in identifying world-class spirits.

The judging panel consisted of spirits industry experts with extensive commercial buying expertise. 

“We are extremely pleased that Copperas Mountain Corn Liquor performed so well at the USA Spirits Ratings event,” said Christopher Lewis of Paps Hilltop Distillery. “Our goal is to handcraft a good product using Ohio-grown grains. We are a small family-owned distillery in Bainbridge with big dreams. Winning a Gold medal and being voted “American Moonshine of the Year” shows that we are heading in the right direction.”

In addition, Pap's Knockemstiff Moonshine earned a silver medal in the competition. In 2024, Pap's took home two silver medals. 

Paps Hilltop Distillery is located at 117 East Main Street, Bainbridge, Ohio. They are open to the public on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.