South Australian distilleries took out eight of the 11 major Tasting Australia Spirit awards, with one particular Adelaide distiller winning in five major categories.

South Australian distillers stood tall at the seventh annual Tasting Australia Spirit Awards held at The Gallery last night. 

Out of the 11 major awards, eight of the winners were from South Australian distillers, including Fleurieu Distillery, St Agnes Distillery and Imperial Measures Distilling.

“Our state is renowned as a destination where eating and drinking well comes naturally – one where local distillers keep raising the bar,” Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison said. 

“It is exciting to see our state secure eight of the 11 major awards this year and we are proud to see the Tasting Australia Spirit Awards continuing to celebrate the industry and champion its growth.” 

We photographed Imperial Measures Distilling for a very exciting project in our next print magazine. Keep your eyes peeled for what’s to come. This picture: Ben Kelly.

Imperial Measures Distilling, in particular, had a very successful night. 

The Thebarton-based distiller took out five of the 11 major awards – including Best Distiller for its Ounce Gin ‘Bold’ and Ounce Whisky, Best Gin for Ounce Gin ‘Bold’, the Innovation Award, Premier’s Spirit Award and Best Vermouth/Bitters/Other Award for the herbal Auvert Liqueur. 

“We have always been a big supporter of the Tasting Australia Spirit Awards, it is a great initiative that supports our industry,” Imperial Measures Distilling founder, David Danby says. 

“We entered the very first awards back in 2019 and we’ve done reasonably well over the years including winning Best Gin in the inaugural Spirit Awards. But this year was really special – it was wonderful to see not only gold medals for our entries but also trophies across our various spirit categories including liqueur, whiskey and gin.”

Founded in 2014 by David, Imperial Measures Distilling moved into its Thebarton home in 2018 and uses traditional processes to create innovative spirits by pushing boundaries. 

Bill Lark and David Danby at the Tasting Spirit Awards 2024. This picture: supplied.

Owner of Maybe Mae, Ollie Margan, led the 11-person judging panel which sampled 215 entries, including 21 debuts. 

“Each year we are so impressed by the products put forward – spirits that honour their origins while also standing proud in any international collection,” he said.

“Judges awarded 197 medals, including 40 gold, welcoming back seven trophy award-winners from last year and noting growth in the number of liqueurs submitted.”

Check out the Tasting Australia website for the full list of award winners and medalists. 

Connect with Tasting Australia and Imperial Measures Distilling on Instagram for more.

The award winners. This picture: supplied.