Melbourne just crowned the best spirits in the country, and the winners' list reads like a who's who of Australian distilling - with a couple of genuine celebrity surprises thrown in. The 2026 Australian International Spirits Awards (AISA), presented by Melbourne Royal, brought together more than a thousand entries from Australia and, for the first time in the competition's history, international producers, all vying for the title of the nation's benchmark spirits event. And we were invited along to enjoy a stellar evening of celebrating "the best of spirits".
With a new immersive, roaming format at the Victoria Pavilion, Melbourne Showgrounds, the night ditched the traditional sit-down ceremony in favour of guests wandering between tasting stations, sampling Gold and Trophy-winning spirits, and meeting the makers behind them. I went along to see who took home the silverware - and the results are a genuinely great snapshot of where Australian gin, whisky, rum and tequila are heading in 2026.
A New Format for Melbourne's Biggest Spirits Night
For years, the Australian International Spirits Awards has run as a fairly conventional presentation evening. This year, Melbourne Royal tore that up and replaced it with something closer to a festival: guests moved freely through the Victoria Pavilion, tasting Trophy and Gold-medal spirits paired with matching canapés, while distillers worked the room to talk through their entries. It's the kind of format that suits Melbourne's drinking culture perfectly — if you love the way this city treats rooftop bars and laneway cocktail dens as social occasions rather than just places to drink, this roaming awards format was always going to land well.
Melbourne Royal's Senior Manager of Food & Beverage Awards, Kirrily Waldhorn, pointed to the international entries and the new Gin & Tonic category as evidence of how far the competition has grown. Newly appointed Co-Head Judges Sebastian Reaburn and Holly Klintworth ran the judging process this year, and both spoke about the depth and creativity on display — Reaburn noting the precision and technical excellence across entries, and Klintworth highlighting the diversity of producers, from emerging distilleries to established household names.
The Headline Winners
Two names dominated the pre-event chatter, and both delivered on the night. Bird, the blended malt whisky created by businessman Mark Bouris in collaboration with South Australia's Fleurieu Distillery and Bird in Hand Winery, took out Best Blended Malt Whisky. It's a genuinely interesting drop — a whisky project born out of a winery partnership rather than a traditional distillery, and the trophy win suggests the judges rated the finished product on its own merits rather than the name attached to it.
The other headline-grabber came from Hollywood. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's Teremana Añejo Tequila, produced by Destilería Teremana De Agave in Jalisco, Mexico, was awarded Best Tequila or Agave Spirit — complete with a life-size cardboard cutout of Johnson standing in for the man himself on the night. It's a fun moment, but also a legitimate result: agave spirits are one of the fastest-growing categories on back bars around Melbourne right now, and a win of this calibre puts Teremana firmly on the radar for anyone building a home bar or a cocktail list.
Champion Trophy Winners
Beyond the celebrity headlines, the real story of 2026 belongs to the distillers who've been quietly building reputations for years. St Agnes Distillery in South Australia was named Champion Large Australian Distiller, backing it up with Best Brandy for its St Agnes XO – 15YO — a strong result in the Renmark distillery's 101st year of operation.
Queensland's Nil Desperandum Rum claimed Champion Medium Australian Distiller, continuing a run of form that's made it one of the country's most decorated rum producers, while the night's most emotional story belonged to Victorian producer Maidenii, which took out both Champion Small Australian Distiller and Champion Victorian Distiller — just months after the Victorian producer suffered significant losses in the January 2026 bushfires. Tasmania's Island Coast Spirits was recognised as Champion Australian Nomad Distiller, and in the competition's first year formally open to international entrants, French Guadeloupe's Distillerie Bonne Mère was crowned Champion International Distiller.
Gin Takes Centre Stage
If you've spent any time exploring Melbourne's wine and drinks scene, you'll know gin has quietly become one of the city's favourite spirits over the last decade. This year's awards leaned into that with the introduction of a brand-new Best Gin & Tonic category — a practical, real-world assessment of how a gin actually performs mixed with tonic rather than judged neat. The inaugural trophy went to Bunker Distillery's Traditional Dry Gin (NSW), paired with Strangelove Coastal Tonic.
Across the rest of the gin categories, Never Never Distilling Co.'s Triple Juniper Gin (SA) took out Best London Dry Gin and also claimed Champion Australian Gin overall. Northern Distilling's Troppo Yuzu Gin (NT) won Best New World/Contemporary Gin, Hold Fast Distillery's Man O' War (NSW) claimed Best Navy Gin, Brogan's Way Distillery's Strawberries & Cream Gin (VIC) took Best Fruit or Wine/Grape Gin, and Ester Spirits' Old Tom Gin (NSW) picked up Best Other Gin. Closer to home, Daylesford Spirit Distillery's Australian Dry Gin was named Champion Victorian Gin.
Whisky, Vodka, Rum and the Rest of the Field
South Australia's Fleurieu Distillery dominated the single malt whisky category, taking Best Australian Single Malt Whisky for its Tapestry release, while Sydney's Archie Rose Distilling Co. claimed Best Grain Whisky for its Rye Malt Whisky — a result that also earned it a Consistency of Excellence Award for sustained quality over multiple years.
Melbourne's own Saint Felix Distillery was awarded Best Unflavoured Vodka for its Midnight Vodka, and fellow Victorians Marionette took home Best Liqueur for the Caretaker's Cottage Black Forest — a name plenty of Melbourne cocktail drinkers will already recognise from the city's laneway bar scene. Western Australia's Timbertide picked up Best Design for its Single Cask release, proof that presentation still counts for plenty in a crowded market. Elsewhere, Burdekin Rum's Virgin Cane Spirit won Best Cane Spirit, Cedar Fox Distilling Co.'s Absinthe Verte claimed Best Alternative Spirit, and Good George Distilling Co. from New Zealand's Waikato region took Best Ready to Serve Cocktail for its Pornstar Martini. Italy's Cipriani rounded out the international wins, with its White Peach Bellini named Best Ready to Serve Pre-Mix or Spritz.
What It Means for Melbourne's Drinks Scene
Awards results like these tend to filter through to bar menus surprisingly quickly. Expect to see Bird whisky and Teremana Añejo popping up on back bars across the city over the coming months, and don't be surprised if Bunker Distillery's Traditional Dry Gin starts appearing as the house pour in a few of Melbourne's better restaurants with a view and rooftop venues, where a well-mixed gin and tonic is often the first order of the night. If you're after a proper deep dive into where to actually drink these winning spirits once they land on menus, my guides to Melbourne's best bars and rooftop venues are a good place to start planning a night out.
For anyone in the trade — or just genuinely curious about tasting the winners for yourself — Melbourne Royal is following the awards presentation with an Exhibitor & Trade Tasting on Tuesday 28 July at the Melbourne Showgrounds, bringing together more than a thousand Australian and international spirits alongside masterclasses led by Co-Head Judges Sebastian Reaburn and Holly Klintworth. It's the kind of event that rewards a bit of planning if you want to taste widely rather than just queue at the busiest tables.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Australian International Spirits Awards?
It's Melbourne Royal's benchmark national spirits competition, judging entries across more than 20 categories spanning whisky, gin, vodka, rum, tequila, liqueurs and ready-to-serve cocktails. 2026 was the first year the awards formally opened to international producers.
Who won Best Whisky at the 2026 awards?
Mark Bouris' Bird, a blended malt whisky made with Fleurieu Distillery and Bird in Hand Winery, won Best Blended Malt Whisky. Fleurieu Distillery's Tapestry took Best Australian Single Malt, and Archie Rose's Rye Malt Whisky won Best Grain Whisky.
Did Dwayne Johnson's tequila actually win an award?
Yes. Teremana Añejo Tequila, produced by Destilería Teremana De Agave in Jalisco, Mexico, was awarded Best Tequila or Agave Spirit at the 2026 Australian International Spirits Awards.
What was the Champion Victorian Distiller for 2026?
Maidenii was named both Champion Small Australian Distiller and Champion Victorian Distiller, a particularly notable result given the producer's major losses in the January 2026 bushfires.
Where and when were the 2026 awards held?
The awards presentation was held on Monday 27 July 2026 at the Victoria Pavilion, Melbourne Showgrounds, in a new immersive, roaming tasting format rather than a traditional sit-down ceremony.
Can the public try the winning spirits?
The presentation evening itself is an industry and invited-guest event, but many of the winning spirits are available through bottle shops and on bar menus around Melbourne shortly after results are announced. The Exhibitor & Trade Tasting on 28 July at Melbourne Showgrounds is aimed at trade attendees.
Planning a night around this year's winners? Have a look through my guides to Melbourne's best rooftop bars, the city's best bars overall, and Melbourne's best wine bars for where to actually drink well this month.