Entries are now open for the Royal Queensland Distilled Spirit Awards with judging to take place in July.
Chief Judge and Archie Rose Master Distiller, Dave Withers, heads a panel of industry experts to assess entries across whisky, gin, vodka, rum/cane spirit and more.
“I understand the amount of work that producers put into each bottle of spirit, so to be entrusted with reviewing these spirits alongside my fellow judges is something I take seriously and am excited about,” Mr Withers said.
“I have judged similar categories before and they can be really inspirational.
“Distillers have so much creativity and this is a category that supports that freedom of expression.”
The 2025 competition has also introduced a new category, the Alternative Spirit class, which will accommodate spirits that don’t fit within traditional classifications, such as agave-based spirits, schnapps, absinthe, bitters, vermouth, and unaged whisky.
Royal Queensland Distilled Spirits Advisory Group member Sarah Andrew said the competition will set a high standard when it comes to judging.
“By bringing together both technical and stylistic judges from across the country, distillers can be reassured that judging covers all aspects of a spirit through to quality assessment,” she said.
“Where appropriate, detailed feedback is provided to enable distillers to address any particular area of production or simply keep producing their highly awarded spirit.”
Entries close 6 June 2025.
