NZ Spirits Awards

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NZ Spirits Awards

NZ Spirits Awards - Celebrating Excellence in Spirits Presented by Spirits New Zealand Inc.

and Distilled Spirits Aotearoa (NZ) Inc., the New Zealand Spirits Awards are a celebration of spirits in New Zealand. The organisers’ aim is to acknowledge and reward the very best in local and international spirits commercially available in New Zealand and through this promote the brands and categories to consumers and trade. The New Zealand Spirits Awards will be judged within seven categories.

Each category will be recognised with gold, silver, bronze and double-gold medals as appropriate. Trophies will be awarded for both Best in Category as well as Best in New Zealand product in Category. We are excited that the New Zealand Innovation Award is back by popular demand, and will be judged on the entrants’ overall use of New Zealand ingredients, processes, packaging and/or product design. This is a unique award and is all about the essence of New Zealand and creativity in a New Zealand context. Throughout the judging process, we aim to emphasize integrity and impartiality. Our blind tasting process undertaken by our peer-recognized national judges, guarantees that every entry is judged fairly and given equal consideration.

11/06/2026

Counting down the days! 🕒

Entries for the 2026 New Zealand Spirits Awards are open, but the deadline will be here before you know it.

Whether you’re crafting an incredible boutique gin, a standout whisky, or a unique liqueur, this is your chance to get your products in front of our expert panel during judging this July.

Don't miss out on getting the recognition your team deserves. Head over to our website and get your entries sorted today! 🍸🏆

https://www.spiritsawardsnz.nz/

05/06/2026

Lock in your spot for the biggest night in the NZ spirits calendar. 🥃

Tickets for the 2026 Awards Dinner are now live!

📅 Friday 14th August
📍 The Maritime Room, Auckland

Hit the link in below to grab yours before they sell out. 🔗
https://avenues.eventsair.com/nz-spirits-awards-2026/nzsa2026-trophy1/Site/Register

28/05/2026

Meet the Class of 2026! 🥂

The Head Judges for the 2026 NZ Spirits Awards have been locked in. We’re thrilled to have this incredible lineup of experts joining us to taste the best Aotearoa has to offer:

🥃 Michael Fraser Milne
🍸 Joanne Hort
🥃 Nick Widley
🍸 Marcel Thompson
🥃 Tash McGill
🍸 Gina Nicholls

With entries now open, it’s time to see how your spirits stack up against the best in the business.

Entry Deadline: 16 June

Link in below to register. 🔗
https://www.spiritsawardsnz.nz/

21/05/2026

🚨 4 WEEKS TO GO! HAVE YOU ENTERED YET? 🚨

The countdown is officially on for the 2026 New Zealand Spirits Awards! You have exactly four weeks to get your entries locked in before the deadline, giving our judges time to prepare for the expert blind-tasting panels this July.

Whether you’re gunning for Bronze, Silver, Gold, or the ultimate Category Trophy, your journey to being named the best in the business starts here.

Don't let the deadline slip past - distillers and distributors, get those entries locked in!

🗓️ Entries Close: 16 June 2026🔗
https://www.spiritsawardsnz.nz/

12/05/2026

🥃 WINNER SPOTLIGHT: Doc Whiskey 🥇✨

A massive congratulations to the team at South Street Imports! 👏👏 Their Doc Whiskey earnt a Gold Medal at the 2025 NZ Spirits Awards! 🏆🔥

Born from a desire to showcase bourbon in its purest form, Doc Whiskey is a "never cut, never filtered" experience. With a mash bill of 51% corn and 45% wheat, this single-barrel, cask-strength bourbon is aged for over three years to bring a touch of history to every bottle. 🌽🌾

The journey started with a mission to bring high-quality sipping bourbon to New Zealand:

"South Street Imports was founded by Daniel Brennan and Sean Colgan, who shared a frustration: New Zealand's bourbon scene was dominated by RTD cans, with limited options worth sipping slowly. Working with American expat Zach Gustafson, they tracked down distiller Wilbert Best to produce authentic, characterful spirits that bridge the gap between US craft and the NZ shelf." 🇺🇸🇳🇿

The Perfect Pour: 🧊 Doc Whiskey is best enjoyed neat or with a couple of rocks to let that unique cask strength shine. It also makes an absolutely legendary Old Fashioned! 🍊🥃

Cheers to Daniel, Sean, Zach, and the crew for raising the bar for bourbon in New Zealand! 🥂✨🎉

04/05/2026

🥃 From Award Winner to $1M Success Story! 🚀

When Remarkable Cream took home the Liquorland Innovation Award at the 2025 NZ Spirits Awards, we knew they were onto something special. But the real magic happened when that innovation hit the shelves.

By partnering exclusively with Liquorland last holiday season, Remarkable Cream Egg Nog didn't just launch - it exploded.

📈 The Impact by the Numbers:
$1M+ in sales in just two months.
25,000+ bottles sold nationwide.
100% Distribution: Stocked in every single Liquorland store across the country.

🤝 The Power of Partnership
This wasn't just a win for a great product; it was a masterclass in collaboration. By aligning a bold vision with a unified marketing plan and a strong retail platform, Remarkable Cream and Liquorland created the ultimate seasonal "must-have."

🏆 Your Brand Could Be Next
An award win is more than just a trophy - it’s a proven catalyst for massive commercial success. We can’t wait to see which of this year's entries will be the next to break records.

Entries open now.
https://www.spiritsawardsnz.nz/

29/04/2026

Huge congrats to Good Spirits for taking home a Gold Medal at the 2025 NZ Spirits Awards! Their Espresso Martini is officially top-tier.

This isn't just another pre-mix—it’s bottled by the experts who’ve spent seven years behind the bar. As the team says:

“After 7 years running my cocktail catering business, I am so thrilled to expand beyond the bar with our new ready to drink bottled cocktail range. We have taken the same care and precision we bring to every event and poured it into each bottle so you can enjoy something exceptional wherever you are.”

They’ve worked with food scientists and local distillers to nail that bar-quality vibe without the gear.

The trick? Give it a good hard shake for that iconic silky foam, pour over ice, and you’re set.

Cheers to the Good Spirits crew on a massive win! 🥂

16/04/2026

"For anyone wondering whether to enter in 2026... do it" 📣

We love hearing from our winners, especially when they’ve hit the ground running like Prophecy Distilling. After just 4 months of operating, they took home the Emerging Product Award 2025.

In their words:
"Winning the Emerging Product Award at the New Zealand Spirits Awards 2025 was a huge milestone for us.

We’d only been operating for 4 months, so the marketing mentorship prize we received came at the perfect time. Steph at Cue challenged our thinking, helped refine our many ideas (the good and the not-so-good), and built our confidence in the direction we’re heading. That support has made a world of difference.

Beyond the strategy sessions, the Awards enabled us to connect with fellow distillers and industry heads - swapping stories, getting the inside scoop, and drinking some bloody good cocktails.

For anyone wondering whether to enter in 2026 - do it! Massive thanks to the NZ Spirits Awards for championing emerging producers and backing the future of NZ spirits." 🍸✨

We’re proud to back the future of NZ spirits. Will we see you there in 2026?

14/04/2026

Elevate Your Craft: The 2026 NZ Spirits Awards are Calling!

The distillation season is in full swing, and our intake of entries is already proving that New Zealand’s spirits industry is in a league of its own. We’ve been captivated by the technical precision and innovative profiles arriving at our doors, but the field isn't complete without YOU.

Consider this your official invitation to move your liquid from the bond store to the podium. Whether you’re perfecting a botanical-forward Gin, a complex Single Malt, or a contemporary Pre-Batched Masterpiece, it’s time to see how your expression stacks up against the nation’s finest.

Why Join the Ranks?

Technical Benchmarking: Receive rigorous, blind-tasting evaluations from a panel of esteemed industry experts.

The Gold Standard: Secure the right to adorn your bottles with the industry's most coveted medals.

The Ultimate Accolade: Contend for the prestigious Category Trophies, the pinnacle of distilling excellence in Aotearoa.

📅 The Countdown
Registration Deadline: 16 June 2026 ⏳
Last Call for Samples: 23 June 2026
Medal Classification Reveal: 30 July 2026
The Gala Awards Dinner: 14 August 2026 (The Maritime Room, Auckland)

The "spirit" of competition has never tasted so good. Ensure your brand is part of the conversation when we crown the champions of 2026!

10/04/2026

Liberty Distilling began just five years ago as a hobby at the brewery - a space for playing with recipes and having a bit of fun. After friends, family, and staff confirmed their creations were "actually really nice," they officially launched. To walk away from their first NZ Spirits Awards with medals for all three entries, including a couple of Golds, is an incredible achievement

Here are the gold medalists from last year:

Manhattan Rose 🌹
The Spirit: Sweet and moreish, this gin is rested on whole berries to give it its vibrant red color and indulgent flavor.

The Perfect Serve: Serve over ice with lemonade for a vibrant spritz. For an added pop of color, rim the glass with powdered strawberry or raspberry. 🍓✨

Tribeca Lime 🍋‍🟩
The Spirit: Made with whole fresh limes, this is a zesty and bright gin- perfect for summer days in the sun.

The Perfect Serve: Keep it classic and delicious: enjoy over ice with one part gin to two parts Fever-Tree tonic water. Garnish with a fresh wheel of lime. ☀️🍸

Address

Wellington

Website

https://www.spiritsawardsnz.nz/

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