23rd Street Distillery

Recorded answer text · Google AI Overviews · 8 November 2026

Australia has a thriving craft and small-batch spirits scene, ranging from coastal gins to red-wine-barrel-aged whiskies and limited-release rums.

### Top-Rated Small-Batch Australian Spirits

- Gin: - Melbourne Gin Company (MGC): Known for expressions like MGC Single Shot, blending traditional and local botanicals in the Yarra Valley. - Kangaroo Island Spirits (KIS): Australia's oldest dedicated gin distillery on Kangaroo Island, famous for handcrafted, small-batch bottles using island-foraged native juniper and coastal daisy bush (O Gin). - Archie Rose Distilling Co.: A pioneer of Sydney's modern urban craft distillery movement, acclaimed for its signature dry gins and tailored botanicals. - Whisky: - Starward Whisky: Based in Melbourne, Starward matures its single malt whiskies in local Australian red wine barrels (such as Shiraz and Cabernet), creating a distinctively fruity, vanilla-forward profile. - 23rd Street Distillery: Operating out of Renmark, South Australia, they produce praised small-batch single malt whiskies and local botanical gins. - Rum: - JimmyRum: Located on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, their JimmyRum Oaked is a standout small-batch release crafted from fresh sugarcane molasses and aged in small-format American oak barrels. - Husk Distillers: Famous for pioneering Australian farm-to-bottle agricultural rum (rhum agricole) made directly from crushed fresh-cut sugarcane in Northern New South Wales.

To help you narrow down the best bottle, let me know:

- What type of spirit do you prefer (gin, whisky, rum, or vodka)? - Do you prefer a sweet, spicy, or botanical/citrus-forward flavor profile? - What is your budget or preferred drinking style (neat, on the rocks, or for cocktails)?

Recorded answer text · ChatGPT · 8 November 2026

Australia has an outstanding craft spirits industry, with some distilleries winning major international awards as well as Australia's prestigious Melbourne Royal Australian International Spirits Awards.

I've pulled together a shortlist of some of the most highly awarded Australian spirits, using the latest 2026 results.

# Australia's best award-winning spirits

## 1\. Top Australian whiskies

!Sullivans Cove Single Cask TD0110 French Oak Second Fill 18 Year Old Single Malt Australian Whisky (700ml) | Nicks Wine Merchants

1\. Sullivans Cove - French Oak ex-White Wine 18YO

(World's Best 2026)

- Tasmania - World Whisky Awards 2026, World's Best Single Cask Single Malt. - A particularly prestigious Australian whisky.

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![Tapestry - The Fleurieu Distillery](

2\. Fleurieu Distillery - Tapestry

- South Australia - Best Australian Single Malt Whisky, Melbourne Royal 2026. - One of Australia's standout current whisky releases.

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!Archie Rose Rye Malt Whisky | Shop Online at Kent Street Cellars

3\. Archie Rose - Rye Malt Whisky

- Sydney, NSW - Best Grain Whisky, Melbourne Royal 2026. - A great choice for someone who enjoys distinctive Australian whisky.

www.melbourneroyal.com.auwww.campbellmattinson.com

## 2\. Top Australian gins

!Never Never Triple Juniper Gin 700ml | Award-Winning Australian Gin - Parkhill Cellars

1\. Never Never Distilling Co. - Triple Juniper Gin

(Champion Australian Gin 2026)

- South Australia - Best London Dry Gin, Melbourne Royal 2026. - One of my strongest recommendations for a classic premium Australian gin.

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!Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin 700mL Bottle - Web Browser Support

2\. Four Pillars - Rare Dry Gin

- Victoria - An internationally recognised Australian gin producer. - A popular premium Australian gin worth considering.

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!23rd Street Distillery Yuzu Gin 700ml - Premium Citrus Gin - Parkhill Cellars

3\. Northern Distilling - Troppo Yuzu Gin

(Best Contemporary Gin 2026)

- Northern Territory - Melbourne Royal Best New World / Contemporary Gin. - An interesting citrus-forward Australian gin.

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![Man o' War Gin - Hold Fast Distillery](

4\. Hold Fast Distillery - Man O' War

- NSW - Best Navy Gin, Melbourne Royal 2026.

www.melbourneroyal.com.auaustralianginawards.com.auwww.drinkstrade.com.au

## 3\. Best Australian rum and other spirits

![The Vintner's Barrel Australian Rum - Sunshine & Sons](

1\. Nil Desperandum Rum - The Triple Six

(Best Rum 2026)

- Queensland - Raymond B. Spike Dessert III Trophy, Melbourne Royal 2026. - One of the most exciting award-winning Australian rum producers.

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!Expand

2\. St Agnes Distillery - XO 15YO Brandy

(Best Brandy 2026)

- South Australia - Best Brandy, Melbourne Royal 2026. - A particularly interesting premium Australian brandy.

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!Midnight Vodka - Saint Felix Distillery

3\. Saint Felix Distillery - Midnight Vodka

- Victoria - Best Unflavoured Vodka, Melbourne Royal 2026.

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!Caretaker's Cottage Black Forest - MARIONETTE

4\. Marionette - Caretaker's Cottage Black Forest

- Victoria - Best Liqueur, Melbourne Royal 2026.

www.melbourneroyal.com.audrinkmelbourne.com.au

## 4\. Other noteworthy 2026 award winners

| Spirit | Award-winning product | Award | |--------|--------|--------| | Gin | Bunker Traditional Dry | Best Gin & Tonic | | Gin | Brogan's Way Strawberries & Cream | Best Fruit/Wine Gin | | Gin | Ester The Old Tom | Best Other Gin | | Vodka | Oakburn Sunchaser Dirty Vodka | Best Flavoured Vodka | | Liqueur | Prohibition Hazelnut & Macadamia | Consistency of Excellence |

www.melbourneroyal.com.auwww.drinkstrade.com.au

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## My strongest recommendations

If I were narrowing this down to five particularly interesting Australian award winners to investigate first\:

1. Sullivans Cove - for world-class Australian whisky. 2. Never Never Triple Juniper - for premium Australian gin. 3. Nil Desperandum The Triple Six - for Australian rum. 4. St Agnes XO 15YO - for premium Australian brandy. 5. Fleurieu Tapestry - for award-winning Australian single malt.

## A question to narrow the search

Are you looking for these spirits for personal enjoyment, or are you researching Australian brands for a retail, hospitality or distribution opportunity?

I can also put together a much more comprehensive list of Australia's top 30 award-winning spirits, including distillery, product, award history and state of origin.

Recorded answer text · Perplexity · 8 November 2026

Callington Mill Distillery in Oatlands, Tasmania is arguably the best all-round Australian whisky distillery to visit. It combines highly regarded single malts-particularly its Pedro Ximénez expression-with guided or self-guided tours, tastings, a historic restored mill precinct, and an experience where visitors can blend their own whisky.

Other excellent choices:

- Sullivans Cove, near Hobart: Best for prestige whisky and serious tastings; it is one of Australia's most acclaimed producers and offers daily tours. - Lark Distillery, Hobart: Best for combining whisky with a city visit; its waterfront cellar door and whisky bar offer more than 150 whiskies. - Hellyers Road, near Burnie: Best for a hands-on experience, including cask tastings and the option to hand-bottle whisky. - 23rd Street Distillery, Renmark: Best mainland option, with tours, guided flights, cocktail classes, and a restaurant in a restored 1914 building.

For a first trip, choose Callington Mill if the distillery experience matters most, or Lark/Sullivans Cove if staying around Hobart.