Aussie gin and whisk(e)y win big at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition

Read time 4 Mins

Posted 27 Apr 2023

By
Lara Chan-Baker

It’s by far the biggest event in the spirits calendar – see which Australian bottles made the cut.

Cue the lights and roll the acceptance speech music, the most thrilling day of the year for spirits enthusiasts the world over is officially here! We’re talking about the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC) – the Oscars of alcohol, the BAFTAs of booze, the Grammys of good bloody drinks – the kind of event that can catapult never-heard-of brands into household-name status. Over the past couple of weeks, 65 expert judges from across the field gathered to blind taste nearly 6,000 entries from every corner of the globe and decide which would be deemed worthy of awards honour (side note: how do we get that job?).

At 11pm on Thursday, 27 April, the results were finally released – and Australia scored big time. Our exceptional producers picked up medals upon medals upon medals, in all four coveted categories: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Double Gold. Of course, that last one is the highest honour, and the only way for a spirit to claim it is if every single judge on the panel unanimously agrees. Just 500 of the many thousands of entries received Double Gold status, 28 of which were Australian. It’s hard to overstate what a huge deal that is.

Half of those Double Golds, a whopping 14, were for gin, which also picked up a further 21 Gold medals, not to mention a long list of Bronzes and Silvers. That’s a lot of maths, but here are some real numbers for you. Less than a decade ago, you could count on two hands how many locally produced gins were on the market. Now there’s over 300 gin distilleries (with more popping up every day), producing more than 800 craft gins. Aussies are giddy for gin, and the rest of the world has taken notice. A la Lizzo, we say it’s about damn time.

Likewise, the Australian craft whisk(e)y scene is still a wee baby, with only around 30 years of history in Australia. But we’ve grown up fast, and our flourishing whisk(e)y industry got its fair share of recognition in San Fran, too. From Australia’s 28 Double Golds, 10 were handed to whisk(e)y distillers, plus a further 14 in the Gold category.

Our Land Down Under also nabbed Double Golds for vodka and apera, among others, but it’s gin where we really showed up. So, below, see our highlights reel of the Double Gold-winning Australian gins that you absolutely need to get around.

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1. Ginny Pig Botanic

It might be Ginny Pig Botanic’s first win at the SFWSC, but it’s won plenty of other accolades in its short life. Husband-and-wife team Craig and Bec, both full-time nurses, launched Ginny Pig distillery in June 2020 in South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula. A clean and fresh gin with delightful tangs of pepperberry, rosemary and elderflower, this is truly a bottle to celebrate.

2. Archie Rose Bone Dry Gin

Sydney gin peddler Archie Rose is no stranger to awards – in fact, it’s the country’s most highly awarded distillery. They’ve picked up many a SFWSC medal, including multiple Golds for their Bone Dry Gin, an homage to classic gin and its signature botanical: juniper. It shows off juniper’s incredible power, alongside ingredients like Australian coriander seed, lemon-scented gum and Tahitian lime.

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3. Archie Rose Signature Dry Gin

Two Double Golds for Archie Rose? Hell yes – and well earned. The Signature Dry Gin is a glorious example of exactly how brilliant Australian spirits can be when in the right hands. Laden with complexity and character, you’ll find flavours of native sunrise lime and Geraldton waxflower mingling with Dorrigo pepperleaf. Delish on its own as well as with a dry tonic.

4. 23rd Street Distillery Signature Gin

Another regular feature in the SFWSC results, 23rd Street picked up yet another Double Gold for their Signature Gin this year. A favourite around our office, this gin features distinct notes of mandarin, plucked from the South Australian Riverland region that 23rd Street calls home. Brilliant in cocktails of all sorts, it’ll make a stellar addition to your ever-growing bar cart.

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5. 78 Degrees Classic Gin

Winning Silver in last year’s SFWSC wasn’t enough for 78 Degrees Classic Gin – they had to go and bring home a Double Gold. The distillery was founded by winemaker Sacha La Forgia, who after 13 years of producing wine in famed regions across the globe, embarked on a new passion in the Adelaide Hills. Unique in the gin world for using a base spirit distilled from grapes (most use a grain like wheat or barley), their Classic Gin is an Aussie icon for good reason.

6. 78 Degrees Sunset Gin

And there’s more. The beautiful blush pink colour of 78 Degrees Sunset Gin owes itself to the rosella (a type of hibiscus) that blesses this gin’s botanicals list, alongside other Australian powerhouses like strawberry gum and bush apple. Impressively, this is the second year in a row of Double Gold wins for Sunset Gin.

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7. Never Never Distilling Co. Triple Juniper Gin

Another South Australian success story with a slew of awards under its belt (including Gold in San Fran in 2021 and Double Gold in 2019), Never Never’s Triple Juniper Gin is a throwback to the heyday of London dry styles when gin was juniper-forward. During production of this beauty, juniper is added thrice along the way, and combined with other botanicals like licorice root, cinnamon and lemon peel. It’s bright and citrusy, and unforgettable in a Negroni.

Find the full results of the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition here, and stay tuned for the next batch of announcements coming on 18 June (Aussie time). At their gala event, the awards for Best in Class (the single finest example of each spirit type), Best in Show (the competition’s very highest honour), and Distillery of the Year (the distiller that earns the most points, measured by number and level of awards won) will be revealed. And if you’re curious about last year’s results, we’ve got a breakdown of the best spirits from the 2021 San Fran Spirits comp here.

Discover new ways to mix your gin with our comprehensive directory of cocktail recipes.