Pictured: St Agnes Distillery
From a whisky created by a collaboration between a South Australian distillery, a Barossa winery and entrepreneur Mark Bouris, to one of the country’s most celebrated gins adding another major trophy to its cabinet, South Australian producers have shone at the 2026 Melbourne Royal Australian International Spirits Awards.
Held annually by Melbourne Royal, the awards are regarded as one of the Southern Hemisphere’s top spirits competitions, celebrating excellence, innovation and craftsmanship from producers across Australia and, for the first time, international distilleries.
“2026 marked an exciting new chapter for the competition, with international spirits producers officially joining the awards and the introduction of our new Gin & Tonic category recognising the enduring popularity of this classic serve,” shared Melbourne Royal Senior Manager of Food & Beverage Awards Kirrily Waldhorn.
Leading the South Australian success was St Agnes Distillery, which was named Champion Large Australian Distiller. They also took home the trophy for Best Brandy with its acclaimed St Agnes XO – 15YO.
“To be recognised with both Champion Brandy and Champion Large Distillery is an incredible honour,” said Richard Angove, Managing Director of St Agnes Distillery. “These awards reflect the passion and commitment of our distilling and maturation teams, who continue to build on the legacy established more than 100 years ago. St Agnes XO 15 Year Old is a brandy we are immensely proud of, and this recognition reinforces Australia’s place among the world’s great producers of aged spirits.”
One of McLaren Vale’s finest gin makers Never Never Distilling Co. also continued its impressive awards streak, with its Triple Juniper Gin crowned both Champion Australian Gin and Best London Dry Gin.
The Fleurieu Peninsula enjoyed a standout year, with Fleurieu Distillery’s Tapestry awarded Best Australian Single Malt Whisky, and its collaboration with Bird in Hand Winery and entrepreneur Mark Bouris, Bird blended malt whisky, claimed Best Blended Malt Whisky.
“To receive this level of recognition is incredibly humbling,” shared Fleurieu Distillery’s Founder & Distiller Angela Andrews. “As a small, family-owned business, every bottle that leaves our distillery has been brewed, distilled, matured and bottled by our small team here in Goolwa. Awards like these are a wonderful affirmation of years of patience, learning and an unwavering commitment to quality.”
South Australian producers also featured among the competition’s Consistency of Excellence Awards, recognising products that have maintained exceptional quality over multiple years. In this category, Prohibition Liquor Co. was honoured for its Hazelnut & Macadamia Liqueur.
“Receiving a Consistency of Excellence Award in distilling is incredibly meaningful to our team,” shared Bree Martin from the Prohibition team. “It’s recognition that the care, precision, and passion we put into every batch continues to deliver year after year. We strive for excellence in every bottle, so being recognised for consistently delivering that standard is incredibly rewarding. It reflects the dedication of our entire team, from recipe development and distillation through to each bottle that leaves the distillery. Knowing our spirits continue to perform at the highest level against not just Australia’s best, but on the World stage is something we’re extremely proud of.”
The results highlight the state’s growing influence across multiple spirit categories, from internationally recognised whiskies and award-winning gins to premium brandies and innovative liqueurs.
“The exceptional calibre of entries demonstrated the incredible quality, craftsmanship and innovation being achieved by distillers both in Australia and around the world,” said Kirrily. “Winning a Melbourne Royal trophy or medal remains a significant achievement, providing producers with an internationally recognised mark of excellence that resonates with both trade and consumers.”
With multiple champion trophies and category wins heading back to South Australia, the results confirm the state’s standing as one of Australia’s leading destinations for premium spirits.
2026 Melbourne Royal Australian International Spirits Awards Winners:
2026 Champion Trophy Winners:
Champion Large Australian Distiller — St Agnes Distillery, South Australia
Champion Medium Australian Distiller — Nil Desperandum Rum, Queensland
Champion Small Australian Distiller — Maidenii, Victoria
Champion International Distiller — Distillerie Bonne Mère, Guadeloupe, France
Champion Australian Nomad Distiller — Island Coast Spirits, Tasmania
Champion Victorian Distiller — Maidenii, Victoria
Champion Category Winners include:
Champion Australian Gin — Triple Juniper Gin, Never Never Distilling Co, South Australia
Champion Victorian Gin — Australian Dry Gin, Daylesford Spirit Distillery, Victoria
Consistency of Excellence Awards include:
Rye Malt Whisky — Archie Rose Distilling Co, New South Wales
All Seasons Gin Liqueur — Imbue Distillery, Victoria
Troppo Yuzu Gin — Northern Distilling, Northern Territory
Hazelnut & Macadamia Liqueur — Prohibition Liquor Co, South Australia
Best in Class Winners include:
Whisky
Best Australian Single Malt Whisky — Tapestry, Fleurieu Distillery, South Australia
Best Blended Malt Whisky — Bird, Bird in Hand & Fleurieu Distillery, South Australia
Best Grain Whisky — Rye Malt Whisk, Archie Rose Distilling Co, New South Wales
Gin
Best London Dry Gin — Triple Juniper Gin , Never Never Distilling Co, South Australia
Best New World / Contemporary Gin — Troppo Yuzu Gin , Northern Distilling, Northern Territory
Best Navy Gin — Man O’ War, Hold Fast Distillery, New South Wales
Best Fruit or Wine/Grape Gin — Strawberries & Cream Gin, Brogan’s Way Distillery, Victoria
Best Other Gin — Old Tom Gin, Ester Spirits, New South Wales
Best Gin & Tonic — Traditional Dry Gin, Bunker Distillery, New South Wales
Vodka
Best Unflavoured Vodka — Midnight Vodka, Saint Felix Distillery, Victoria
Best Flavoured Vodka — SUNCHASER Dirty Vodka, Oakburn Distillery, Victoria
Brandy, Rum & Cane Spirits
Best Brandy — St Agnes XO – 15YO, St Agnes Distillery, South Australia
Raymond B ‘Spike’ Dessert III Trophy for Best Rum — The Triple Six, Nil Desperandum Rum, Queensland
Best Cane Spirit — Virgin Cane Spirit, Burdekin Rum, Queensland
Tequila & Agave
Best Tequila or Agave Spirit — Teremana Tequila Añejo, Destilería Teremana De Agave, Jalisco, Mexico
Liqueurs, Bitters & Alternative Spirits
Best Liqueur — Caretaker’s Cottage Black Forest, Marionette, Victoria
Best Alternative Spirit — Absinthe Verte, Cedar Fox Distilling Co, Victoria
Best Bitter or Vermouth — Alternativo Aperitivo, Ester Spirits, New South Wales
Ready to Serve
Best Ready to Serve Cocktail — Pornstar Martini, Good George Distilling Co, Waikato, New Zealand
Best Ready to Serve Pre-Mix or Spritz — Cipriani White Peach Bellini, Cipriani Bellini, Italy
Design
Best Design — Single Cask, Timbertide, Western Australia
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