The 2025 International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) has announced the eight finalists for World’s Best Gin, with four Australian spirits (and three Australian Distillers Members) up for the top award.

The IWSC is one of the world’s oldest and most respected competitions, often referred to as the “Olympics of the drinks industry”. It sets the global benchmark for quality across wine, spirits and other drink categories, evaluating over 12,000 entries annually from more than 90 countries.

The eight finalists in the World’s Best Gin category were all awarded the IWSC’s Gold Outstanding medal. To earn a Gold Outstanding medal a gin must score at least 98 out of 100 points. While this year’s competition saw 264 gins receive medals, only eight achieved the Gold Outstanding distinction.

The Aussie gins that won Gold Outstanding medals were Australian Distilling Co.’s Navy Gin, Nine Circles Distillery’s Signature Gin, 30 Knots Spirits Sea Spray Gin and Turner Stillhouse’s Three Cuts Distiller’s Release Gin.

“We are thrilled to be included among the world’s best gins and proud to be recognised as Australia’s most awarded distillery,” said Australian Distilling Co. Founder Michael Hickinbotham.

“This acknowledges the way we we craft our uniquely Australian gins and is a testament to our focus on producing the very best spirits.

“We are fortunate to have the skills and expertise of our master distiller, Professor Graham Jones, who has taught generations of South Australian winemakers and distillers at the University of Adelaide for almost 35 years.

“The competitions we enter provide endorsement at the highest level and give us confidence that judges and consumers appreciate and enjoy our spirits.”

The final selection for World’s Best Gin will be revealed at the IWSC gala later this year in London.

First published in Drinks Digest June 2025.