The results of the 2025 International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC) have highlighted an Australian spirits industry that is in very good health, producing wide ranging and high quality spirits.
Overall Australia secured 178 medals, including 19 Gold and six Gold Outstanding medal and over 90 Silver medals. What is particularly exciting for the Australian spirits industry is that the medal winning spirits were across 49 different categories, cementing Australia’s position as one of the world’s best spirit-producing countries.
The results reflect both the maturity of established distilleries and the innovation emerging from new entrants across the country. The tally represents a rise in top-tier awards, with four more Gold Outstanding medal than in 2024, despite a smaller overall medal count.
Once again, gin proved to be Australia’s strongest category, with the Contemporary Gin class, now one of the IWSC’s largest and most hotly contested, saw four of the five Gold Outstanding medals awarded to Australian distillers.
Among the standout performers were:
- Four Pillars Navy Strength Gin – winner of the Contemporary Gin Trophy, adding to the brand’s growing list of international honours.
- 30 Knots Spirits’ Sea Spray Gin, Australian Distilling Co.’s Navy Gin, Nine Circles Distillery’s Signature Gin, and Turner Stillhouse’s Three Cuts Distiller’s Release Gin – all recipients of Gold Outstanding medals.
Four Australian gins also featured among the eight global finalists for the IWSC’s World’s Best Gin title, each scoring at least 98 points from judges, highlighting Australia’s continued leadership in the category.
The shift in Australia’s medal profile, with fewer total awards but more of the highest calibre, suggests a clear upward trajectory in quality. In 2024, local distillers secured 245 medals including 25 Golds and two Gold Oustandings; this year’s results reflect fewer entries but a higher concentration of elite scores.
Beyond gin, Australian spirits performed strongly in rum and world whisky categories, emphasizing the level of diversification within the domestic spirits industry. Notably, several emerging regional producers, including Tasmania’s Turner Stillhouse, which claimed its first Gold Outstanding are joining established names like Four Pillars, Archie Rose, and Lark Distilling in winning global recognition. This year was also saw a strong performance from Callington Mill, with 14 medals being the most awarded to any Australian distillery.
Industry observers say the results affirm that Australia is no longer a niche player but a serious contender across multiple spirit styles.
“The IWSC results show how far the Australian industry has come in a short time,” one judge said. “We’re seeing a balance of creativity, technical precision, and identity that’s defining a new standard internationally.”
As global interest in premium and distinctive craft spirits continues to grow, Australia’s performance at the IWSC 2025 positions its distillers as key players on the world stage. The results not only showcase exceptional talent but also reflect a maturing industry confident in its style, quality, and ability to compete with the best.
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