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Check the latest news and advocacy work from the Australian Spirits Industry.

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  • 12 Nov 2023 8:44 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    You need written permission from the ATO to provide your products in any container more than 2 litres, unless it is under bond.

    The obligation is on you, the producer.

    Several members have made enquiries in relation to the supply of spirits in 20 litre containers. Many members are not aware that you need ATO specific written permission to enter spirits or other excisable beverages (OEBs) into the Australian domestic market (that is, leaving your bond) in a container with a capacity of more than 2 litres.

    For example, a licensed distiller may want to sell spirit packaged in a 20-litre plastic container directly to pubs and clubs, where it will be used to prepare mixed alcohol beverages (such as cocktails) for consumption on the premises. The distiller cannot sell the spirit to those pubs and clubs without first obtaining written permission from the ATO to enter the spirit packaged in the bulk container into the Australian domestic market.

    To apply for permission, submit your request to the ATO in writing and provide:

    • details of the product
    • the container size
    • the intended market (for example, pubs and clubs).

    The ATO cannot give permission to enter spirits or OEBs that are packaged in a container with a capacity of more than 2 litres where they are to be repackaged into any other container for retail sale.

    Spirits or OEBs packaged in a container with a capacity of more than two litres can be supplied underbond and repackaging for retail sale may be undertaken at excise licensed premises, prior to the goods being entered into the Australian domestic market.

    You can contact the ATO for more information.


  • 12 Nov 2023 8:37 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Queensland

    Members should be aware that the Container Deposit Scheme has been extended to include spirit bottles that are sold in, or to be consumed, in Queensland. This was previously only applied to RTDs. This came into effect 1 November 2023.

    If you are a QLD producer, this affects you.

    If you sell your product into QLD, this affects you.

    Many thanks go to the QDA who has been lobbying the State Government for administrative amendments to this scheme. They have been in constant communication with the Minister’s office, the Office of Circular Economy and COEX as the scheme administrator in Queensland.

    Some of the key elements of the scheme are:

    • Your product for sale requires a barcode. You are not required to put a barcode on any existing stock, and you have 12 months to arrange for stock produced after 1 November 2023 to be labelled with barcodes.
    • Your product must have a marking or labelling that state the refund amount, how it can be claimed at a container refund point in a participating state, and it must be of a colour and size that is clear and legible for the container. The QLD legislation does not specify a particular size or colour. You should be aware of this for future label requirements. The QDA was successful in negotiating a transitional period before this is labelling is mandatory. A grace period will be in place for the display of a refund mark on glass wine and spirit bottles until 1 January 2027.
    • If you produce less than 100,000 bottles per year, you will only have to report and pay annually.
    • Packaging that carries the eligible bottles does not need to be barcoded.
    • If you are already registered with COEX as a Beverage Manufacturer (BM) no changes are required to your existing registration / Container Recovery Agreement (CRA), you just need to start registering the new applicable products under existing CRA.
    • If you are not registered as a BM with COEX, you can find out more about First Sale here: First Sale Guide.
    • Existing manufacturers can start registering pure spirit products online now via the Business Partner Portal.
    • If products are sold into Queensland, the products need to be registered with COEX and the beverage manufacturer needs to report on sales.
    • If you sell pure spirit bottles into Queensland, even just online, you will need to register with Container Exchange through their beverage manufacturer registration portal to operate legally in Queensland.

    More information can be found here.


    Victoria

    The new container deposit scheme, VicReturn, commenced on 1 November 2023. While “a glass bottle or glass container designed to hold only pure spirituous liquor or wine” has been exempt from the scheme at this point, those selling cans or glass RTDs are still caught by the scheme.

    Full details of the scheme, including how to register (which is compulsory if you are supplying eligible containers) is available at https://vicreturn.com.au/first-suppliers/.

    Those affected (RTD or bottled cocktails) will need to enter into a Supply Agreement with VicReturn, and you will be invoiced for the costs on a monthly basis. If you are supplying less than 300,000 containers per annum, you can opt into a quarterly invoicing arrangement. These costs vary depending on the type of container, but will add between 11.0 and 11.5 cents per container (plus GST) to your business costs.


    Other States

    Other states are in various stages of community consultation.


  • 27 Oct 2023 12:14 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Australian distillers dominated the spirits categories at the 28th Australian Liquor Industry Awards (ALIA) in Sydney.

    First held in 1994, the ALIAs is hosted by leading drinks industry publications TheShout, Australian Hotelier, BARS&clubs and National Liquor News.

    The expert panel of 50 industry judges voted up Cape Byron Distillery and Four Pillars for major awards that were contested by brewers, winemakers and global spirits brands.

    Cape Byron claimed Best New Product for its Cape Byron The Original Australian Single Malt Whisky, while Four Pillars was named Best Liquor Brand.

    Archie Rose Distilling Co was runner up for both of these major awards, also claiming the prize for Best Australian Distillery.

    Local distillers further claimed four out of a possible seven off-premise awards for spirits, in addition to several other commendations.

    Australian Distillers Association CEO Paul McLeay said it was an unprecedented showing for local spirits at the drinks industry’s benchmark awards.

    “It was a proud night for our distillers, whose awards stretched across the full gamut of light and dark spirits, liqueurs, RTDs and innovation,” he said.

    “This demonstrates the continued market penetration of Australian spirits, which are clearly resonating with trade and consumers alike.

    “On behalf of the ADA, I congratulate all the successful distillers.”


    Australian spirits honoured at ALIA 2023:

    BEST LIGHT SPIRIT

    Winner Never Never Triple Juniper Gin

    Highly Commended Archie Rose Straight Dry Gin

    BEST LUXURY DARK SPIRIT

    Winner Archie Rose Single Malt

    Highly Commended Lark Classic Cask Single Malt Australian Whisky

    BEST LUXURY LIGHT SPIRIT

    Winner Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin

    Highly Commended Archie Rose Signature Dry Gin, Hickson Road Harbour Strength Gin

    BEST LIQUEUR

    Winner Aperol

    Winner Sheep Dog

    Highly Commended Mr Black

    BEST DARK RTD/RTS

    Winner Starward (New) Old Fashioned

    Highly Commended Jack Daniels Double Jack

    BEST LIGHT RTD/RTS

    Winner -196

    Highly Commended Brookvale Union

    BEST AUSTRALIAN DISTILLERY

    Winner Archie Rose Distilling Co.

    Highly Commended Four Pillars

    BEST NEW PRODUCT

    Winner Cape Byron The Original Australian Single Malt Whisky

    Highly Commended Archie Rose Fundamentals

    BEST LIQUOR BRAND

    Winner Four Pillars

    Highly Commended Archie Rose Distilling Co.

    BEST ON-PREMISE SPIRIT

    Winner 1800 Tequila

    Highly Commended Never Never Triple Juniper Gin


  • 23 Oct 2023 10:10 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Australian spirits producers Four Pillars Gin, Grainshaker Vodka and Curatif Cocktails are celebrating a record-breaking night at the International Wine & Spirits Competition in London.

    Victoria’s Four Pillars led the honours, winning the International Gin Producer Trophy for a record third time after its back-to-back wins in 2019 and 2020.

    Fellow Victorians Grainshaker Vodka – produced by Top Shelf International in Campbellfield – claimed the Vodka Producer Trophy.

    And canned cocktails company Curatif picked up the RTD Producer Trophy for a second time, having won the inaugural gong for this category in 2022.

    Australian Distillers Association chief executive Paul McLeay said it was another landmark moment for this exciting industry.

    “The Producer Trophies are the most prestigious accolades in the IWSC, which is the world's largest and most influential spirits awards with more than 4,000 entries from distilleries across the globe in 2023,” he said.

    “Our spirits manufacturers have once again proven that their products can compete with the very best and triumph on the world stage.

    “These results further highlight the export potential for Australian spirits, were they not hampered by the world’s third highest spirits tax, which hit an outrageous $100.05 per litre of pure alcohol on 1 August.”

    Four Pillars was awarded 10 medals for its gins in the 2023 Awards, including two gold medals with 98 points for Bloody Underhill Vineyard Shiraz Gin and Single Barrel S36 Gin.

    “Back in 2013, we set out with the ambition to make world-class gin, so to win this award three times is simply mind-blowing,” said Four Pillars co-founder and distiller Cameron McKenzie.

    “It’s a massive thrill for our team back at home and for the Australian spirits industry overall, and even sweeter that Four Pillars celebrates ten years of making gin this December,” he said.

    Meanwhile, Grainshaker Vodka outperformed more than 200 other vodka brands to win the Vodka Producer Trophy, highlighting the quality of its spirits made from Australian wheat, corn and rye.

    The IWSC judges declared Grainshaker a leader in the “grain-to-glass” movement, awarding its Wheat Vodka a gold medal with 98 points.

    “This is a massive win not just for Grainshaker but the Australian spirits industry,” said Top Shelf CEO Trent Fraser.

    “Vodka is one of the most competitive spirit categories, and we’ve shown we can compete on the international stage with the likes of Russia, Poland, France and the USA when tasted blind by the expert judges at IWSC.”

    Australian Distillers Association president Holly Klintworth said she is immensely proud of the industry’s achievements at these prestigious awards.

    “There are now more than 600 distilleries spread across Australia and they are producing some of the world’s finest spirits,” she said.

    “If Australian drinkers ever needed another reason to drink local, this is it.”

    “Victoria has proven once again it is the spirits capital of Australia,” said David Irwin, President of Spirits Victoria Association.

    “These awards are yet another example of how Victoria is producing world-beating spirits.”


  • 11 Oct 2023 4:26 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    October marks Mental Health Month, shining a light on the importance of good mental health and encouraging help-seeking. This year's theme is 'we all have a role to play' which serves as a reminder that whether you're an employee, manager, or employer you can help contribute to a happy and healthy workplace.

    While awareness days and months are valuable for highlighting key issues and themes, we encourage you to champion mental health in your workplace all year round.

    Training is an effective way that you can build better mental health at work. To learn more about Black Dog's range of skill-building mental health training programs, you can download their workplace brochure or schedule a time to talk with one of their Workplace Engagement Managers about training options.

    ACCESS FREE MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING.

    Black Dog Institute has received further funding from the NSW Government to continue to deliver Mental Health at Work training programs. Proudly delivering the programs since 2019, over 38,000 individuals have completed the free training, resulting in a 35% increase in knowledge about workplace mental health issues.

    Tailored for employees, managers, and leaders, these programs provide individuals with practical skills to protect mental health, respond to mental ill-health, and promote wellbeing in the workplace.

    Training is free to privately owned NSW businesses with less than 200 employees and not-for-profit organisations of any size.

    Learn more and book training

    ACCESS THE ADA MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES


  • 27 Sep 2023 3:03 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    A big thanks to our guest speakers Gordon Chalmers, Rick Prosser and Sam Slaney, and all members who were able to join the webinar on the day.

    The recording of the webinar is now available - use the link below to access.

    You can also access Gordon's presentation below with some helpful tips.

    View the September PD Webinar

    Gordon Chalmer's Presentation

    Passcode: V@0B#5b?

    A reminder, too, that Australian Distillers has a Safety Toolkit on their website, complied by leading industry experts, Beca. This should be compulsory reading for all members. Log into the Members section on the Australian Distillers website to access this vital safety information.

    Additional safety resources exist in the member portal and the Safety & Sustainability group have more events and content planned for the year ahead to help members (of all sized businesses) with safety in their distillery.


  • 11 Sep 2023 11:57 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    The Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland is pleased to announce the Royal Queensland Awards' inaugural Distilled Spirits Competition in 2024.

    We invite potential judges to express their interest in participating on the 8th and 9th of July 2024. The RNA is looking for judges with official qualifications and/or extensive judging experience at all levels, including Head Judges, Panel Chairs, Judges, and Associate Judges.

    The RNA will cover travel, accommodation, and relevant food expenses for the two days of judging at the Brisbane Showgrounds. If you're interested, please click the link below. For any questions, please contact Liam O'Donnell.

    JUDGE EOI FORM

  • 11 Sep 2023 10:34 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Registration for the American Distilling Institute's 2024 International Spirits Competition is open and the American Distilling Institute have provided Australian Distillers members with the following discount code.

    When members of the Australian Distillers Association enter their spirits and use the discount code 2024ADA they will save $100/spirit off the non-member rate. And, any spirit entered by February 2, 2024 will automatically save an extra $50/spirit from the early-bird discount.

    ADI ISC Benefits include:

    • Written feedback from our judges for all entries.
    • Free entry into ADI's Excellence in Packaging Competition.
    • Special discounts for gold medal winners with our e-commerce partner TIPXY.
    • All Trophy winners can meet with our three retail partners, Binny's Beverage Depot, K&L Wine Merchants, and Total Wine & More.
    • International trophy winners that do not have US importation can meet with our three import partners, Preiss Imports, MHW, and Aiko Importers.

    In addition, please note that any spirits not yet imported into the US will need to complete a free FDA Prior Notice and a free COLA Waiver application. Lastly, spirits registration closes March 1, 2024.

    Members can find all the details about the competition below or can contact Eric Zandona, Competition Director, ADI directly.

    COMPETITION DETAILS


  • 9 Sep 2023 2:06 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    You are invited to join the Distillers South Australia annual conference for updates on tourism, sustainability, OH&S and more. This is a must-attend event for all your latest industry updates, networking and to hear from an outstanding line-up of presenters. Program to be released soon.

    All Distillers South Australia members receive one complimentary ticket to attend the Conference, however you must register to secure your ticket so get in quick as space is limited. Additional tickets are available for $89 per ticket.

    If you are a paid member of Distillers South Australia for FY23/24, please register for Spirit Fest through the link in the invite email or through the Distillers South Australia Members Page

    This event is supported by the Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia.


  • 9 Sep 2023 1:59 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Affinity Labs are leading a gin benchmark study, assessing chemical and aroma/flavour profile data of the world's leading gins benchmarked against Australian and South Australian gins. If you would like to participate in this exciting study, all that is required is 2 x bottles of your gin. Expressions of interest to participate must be received by 15 September, and distillers must contact Affinity Labs direct to express interest to participate at:

    Email: customerservice@affinitylabs.com.au

    Tel: 8313 0444

    Click on the PDF below to read more about this initiative.

    GIN BENCHMARKING STUDY





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