Recognition
Badges
Quiet recognition for what you learn. Every badge measures depth of palate, breadth of exploration, knowledge contributed, or consistency of practice — never the volume of liquid consumed. Six tiers each (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Obsidian) with thresholds calibrated to feel achievable at the bottom and genuinely scarce at the top.
Tasting & palate
Awarded for the depth of your tasting practice — reflections logged, flavor vocabulary built, categories explored. Each one tracks attention paid, not bottles emptied.
First Pour
Your very first published tasting. Welcome to the library — every Curator started here.
Thresholds
- Bronze1 tasting
Connoisseur
Logged tastings. Quality > quantity — only published tastings with at least one flavor note tagged count.
Thresholds
- Bronze10 tastings
- Silver50 tastings
- Gold100 tastings
- Platinum500 tastings
- Diamond1,500 tastings
- Obsidian5,000 tastings
Globe Trotter
Distinct countries of origin across your tasted spirits. Travel the bar — try something from somewhere new.
Thresholds
- Bronze5 countrys
- Silver10 countrys
- Gold20 countrys
- Platinum40 countrys
- Diamond60 countrys
- Obsidian80 countrys
Category Explorer
Distinct spirit categories you've tasted (whisky, rum, gin, mezcal, and so on).
Thresholds
- Bronze3 categorys
- Silver6 categorys
- Gold10 categorys
- Platinum15 categorys
- Diamond16 categorys
- Obsidian16 categorys
Flavor Wheel
Distinct flavor notes you've tagged across all your tastings. Build a vocabulary one note at a time.
Thresholds
- Bronze25 flavor notes
- Silver75 flavor notes
- Gold150 flavor notes
- Platinum300 flavor notes
- Diamond600 flavor notes
- Obsidian1,200 flavor notes
Palate Professor
Total flavor tags you've cast across all tastings. Volume — every chip you click compounds.
Thresholds
- Bronze50 flavor tags
- Silver200 flavor tags
- Gold500 flavor tags
- Platinum1,500 flavor tags
- Diamond4,000 flavor tags
- Obsidian10,000 flavor tags
Palate Pioneer
Distinct flavor categories you've tagged across your tastings. Earn this by stretching the palate radar in every direction — sweet, smoke, citrus, agave, earthy, every spoke.
Thresholds
- Bronze5 categorys
- Silver10 categorys
- Gold15 categorys
- Platinum20 categorys
- Diamond22 categorys
- Obsidian24 categorys
Subtype Scout
Distinct spirit subtypes you've tasted against — peated vs. sherried scotch, wheated vs. high-rye bourbon, blanco vs. añejo tequila, and so on. Bottles with no subtype tag don't count.
Thresholds
- Bronze2 subtypes
- Silver4 subtypes
- Gold7 subtypes
- Platinum10 subtypes
- Diamond14 subtypes
Regional Scholar
Distinct regions of origin tasted (Speyside, Kentucky, Jalisco, …). Beyond country — go deep into terroir.
Thresholds
- Bronze3 regions
- Silver8 regions
- Gold15 regions
- Platinum30 regions
- Diamond50 regions
- Obsidian80 regions
Proofmaster
High-proof tastings (≥100 proof). Cask-strength, hazmat, barrel-proof bourbons — the big ones.
Thresholds
- Bronze5 tastings
- Silver20 tastings
- Gold50 tastings
- Platinum150 tastings
- Diamond400 tastings
- Obsidian1,000 tastings
Oak Scholar
Tastings of well-aged spirits (≥12 years on the label). The slow-aged ones — patience meets palate.
Thresholds
- Bronze5 tastings
- Silver15 tastings
- Gold40 tastings
- Platinum100 tastings
- Diamond250 tastings
- Obsidian600 tastings
Whiskey Wanderer
Distinct whiskey-family categories tasted (bourbon, scotch, rye, Irish, Japanese, generic whiskey). Cover the world's whiskey traditions.
Thresholds
- Bronze2 traditions
- Silver3 traditions
- Gold4 traditions
- Platinum5 traditions
- Diamond6 traditions
- Obsidian6 traditions
Agave Adept
Tastings of agave-based spirits (tequila + mezcal). Walk the volcano — explore the agave family.
Thresholds
- Bronze3 tastings
- Silver10 tastings
- Gold25 tastings
- Platinum60 tastings
- Diamond150 tastings
- Obsidian400 tastings
Rum Raider
Rum tastings logged. Caribbean, Latin American, naval-strength — the spirit of the seven seas.
Thresholds
- Bronze3 tastings
- Silver10 tastings
- Gold25 tastings
- Platinum60 tastings
- Diamond150 tastings
- Obsidian400 tastings
Distillery Disciple
Tastings from one favorite distillery. Tier reflects depth of loyalty — your top distillery's tasting count.
Thresholds
- Bronze5 tastings
- Silver15 tastings
- Gold30 tastings
- Platinum75 tastings
- Diamond150 tastings
- Obsidian300 tastings
Engagement & contribution
Awarded for showing up consistently, contributing to the public catalog, and earning helpful votes from other tasters.
Streak
Consecutive days you've opened the app. Show up; the rest is up to you.
Thresholds
- Bronze1 day
- Silver7 days
- Gold28 days
- Platinum365 days
- Diamond1,095 days
- Obsidian1,825 days
Steady Scholar
Consecutive ISO-weeks with at least one tasting logged. Slower than the daily streak — rewards consistency, not frequency.
Thresholds
- Bronze4 weeks
- Silver12 weeks
- Gold26 weeks
- Platinum52 weeks
- Diamond104 weeks
- Obsidian260 weeks
Library Builder
Spirits you've added to the public library that an admin approved. Help the catalog grow.
Thresholds
- Bronze1 spirit
- Silver5 spirits
- Gold15 spirits
- Platinum50 spirits
- Diamond150 spirits
- Obsidian500 spirits
Archivist
Spirit data corrections you've submitted that an admin accepted. Keep the catalog honest — every fix matters.
Thresholds
- Bronze1 correction
- Silver5 corrections
- Gold15 corrections
- Platinum40 corrections
- Diamond100 corrections
- Obsidian250 corrections
Most Helpful
Helpful votes other users have given to your tastings. Recognition for notes that actually help people pick a pour.
Thresholds
- Bronze5 helpful votes
- Silver25 helpful votes
- Gold100 helpful votes
- Platinum500 helpful votes
- Diamond1,500 helpful votes
- Obsidian5,000 helpful votes
Comparator
Distinct pairs of bottles you've placed side-by-side via the bottle DNA comparison view. Refreshing the same compare doesn't count — only new pairings.
Thresholds
- Bronze1 comparison
- Silver5 comparisons
- Gold15 comparisons
- Platinum50 comparisons
- Diamond150 comparisons
- Obsidian500 comparisons
Programs & prestige
Awarded for verified credentials, producer loyalty, journalism contributions, live study group attendance, and engaging with the Chronicle.
Verified Sommelier
Verified spirits credential — issued by the admin team after reviewing your certification.
Thresholds
- Bronze1 certification
- Silver2 certifications
- Gold3 certifications
- Platinum4 certifications
Faculty Member
Verified influencer credential. Tier reflects audience reach — small / medium / large maps to Bronze / Silver / Gold.
Thresholds
- Bronze1 credential
- Silver2 credentials
- Gold3 credentials
Cellar Master
Distilleries you follow. The producers shaping your palate — and the ones whose new releases you'll see first.
Thresholds
- Bronze5 distillerys
- Silver15 distillerys
- Gold50 distillerys
- Platinum150 distillerys
- Diamond500 distillerys
- Obsidian1,500 distillerys
Journalist
Chronicle posts you've published. Voice on the record — the bylines that built the newsroom.
Thresholds
- Bronze5 posts
- Silver25 posts
- Gold100 posts
- Platinum500 posts
- Diamond1,000 posts
- Obsidian3,000 posts
Study Group Scholar
Live Study Group sessions you've joined. The seminar table, the shared pour, the conversation.
Thresholds
- Bronze1 session
- Silver5 sessions
- Gold25 sessions
- Platinum50 sessions
- Diamond75 sessions
- Obsidian100 sessions
Chronicle Curator
Authors and topics you follow on the Chronicle. Build a personalized newsroom — your home page reflects your interests.
Thresholds
- Bronze5 follows
- Silver15 follows
- Gold35 follows
- Platinum75 follows
- Diamond150 follows
- Obsidian300 follows
Chronicle Reader
Distinct Chronicle posts you've read. The byline, the dispatch, the deep cut — every piece you open counts once.
Thresholds
- Bronze5 posts
- Silver25 posts
- Gold75 posts
- Platinum200 posts
- Diamond500 posts
- Obsidian1,500 posts
Leaderboards & the Curator Cup
Badges measure your own depth. Leaderboards show where you stand alongside other learners. The Curator Cup recognizes a full year of growth.
Leaderboards
Eleven public boards, all measuring practice and contribution — never consumption. "Most Tastings" counts reflections written, not drinks taken; "tasting volume" under Faculty means published reviews and notes.
Grouped into tabs: Activity (Most Tastings reflected on, Most in last 30d, Longest Active Streak, Most Posts Read, Most Sessions Joined), Exploration (Most Countries, Most Categories), Contribution (Library Builders, Flavor Voters, Most Helpful), Faculty (verified writers and influencers by published volume), and Social (Friends, Most Producers Followed).
The italicized boards are the newest — they ride alongside the Chronicle, Study Groups, and producer-follow features.
The Curator Cup
A monthly snapshot is taken of every leaderboard. Top-10 monthly finishes accumulate progress points (25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1) and the year-end totals name the Curator of each category. A consistent #5 finish every month outweighs a one-month #1 spike — the points math rewards presence and steady growth.
Snapshots happen automatically on the 1st of each month; the standings are public, anonymizable per user via the leaderboard opt-out.
Want to start earning recognition for your spirits education? Sign up — it’s free.