New Zealand cleans up at best spirit awards
New Zealand distilleries beat more than 550 from around the world to win a haul of trophies.
Local distilleries have beaten international competitors to claim most of the top gongs at the New Zealand Spirit Awards this year.
NZ distilleries beat over 550 international entrants to win nine of the 13 trophies, proving NZ is holding its ground on the global stage.
“It’s very exciting to see our independent distilleries pitted against global brands, and doing so well," said head judge David Hawk.
The Waiheke Island Distillery making some of the best whisky in the world.
Waiheke Island Distillery
Judges were so struck by West Coast’s Reefton Distilling Co and Auckland’s Remarkable Cream, they ended up giving the NZ Innovation Award to both – a first in the history of the awards.
“Ultimately, two were awarded because of a split decision – they couldn’t separate the quality of innovation between the two.”
Remarkable Cream, which also took home Best Overall in Liqueurs for its Brazilian Dark Roast Coffee, is said to be the second creamery in the world to have produced a Keto cream liqueur with 1 percent sugar in it. It's the first time the young company have entered the competition.
A category oft dominated by Japan, UK, US and Australia, the World Whisky Award, also went to a NZ distillery - Waiheke Moss' Waiheke Whisky.
The honours that went abroad were for Jura in Scotland and Knob Creek in Kentucky, USA in two whisky categories, Chichicapa in Mexico for agave and Tesseron in France for brandy.
Among the new awards introduced this year were NZ Bartender of the Year, won by Charles Gillet from The Last Word, Christchurch; NZ Best Cocktail Bar, awarded to Panacea in Auckland; NZ Best Pre-Batched Cocktail, awarded to Good George Distilling Co. in Hamilton; and NZ Best Gin & Tonic, awarded to Kākāpō Distillery in Arrowtown.
Winners
- Best in gin navy strength: Ladybird Navy Gin, Sandymount Distillery, Dunedin
- Best in gin classic (Juniper Forward): Original Gin, Broken Heart Spirits, Queenstown
- Best in gin flavoured and aged: Awildian Gin - Testamentum Series Tangelo, Coromandel Distilling Company, Coromandel
- Best in gin contemporary: Extra Fine Gin, Juno, New Plymouth
- Best in whisky Scotch/Irish: 12-year-old, Jura, Craighead, Scotland
- Best in whisky North American: 9-year-old, Knob Creek, Kentucky, USA
- Best in world whisky: Waiheke Moss, Waiheke Whisky, Waiheke Island
- Best in vodka neutral: Vesta Extra Fine Vodka, Juno, New Plymouth
- Best in vodka flavoured: Aquifer Yuzu Vodka, National Distilling Company, Napier
- Best in rum: Solera Aged, Last Light Rum, Te Atatū Peninsula
- Best in agave: Del Mageuy Mezcal, Chichicapa, San Balthazar Chichicapa, Oaxaca, Mexico
- Best in brandy: Composition Cognac, Tesseron, Châteauneuf-sur-Char ente, France
- Best in liqueurs: Brazilian Dark Roast Coffee, Remarkable Cream, Auckland / Tāmaki Makaurau
- Liquorland New Zealand Innovation Award: Remarkable Cream (Keto Piña Colada Cream Liqueur), Auckland / Tāmaki Makaurau and Reefton Distilling Co., Reefton, West Coast
- Cue Marketing New Zealand Emerging Product Award: Prophecy Distilling Company Ltd, Alexandra, Central Otago
- Cpack New Zealand Packaging & Design Award: Reefton Distilling Co., Reefton, West Coast
- Cocktail Bar of the Year Award: Panacea, Auckland / Tāmaki Makaurau
- Bartender of the Year Award: Charles Gillett, The Last Word, Christchurch / Ōtautahi, Canterbury
- Pre-Batched Cocktail Award: Pornstar Martini - Good George Distilling Co, Hamilton / Kirikiriroa, Waikato
- Fevertree New Zealand Gin & Tonic Award: Kawakawa and Pink Peppercorn Gin - Kākāpō Distillery, Whangaparāoa
