Saint Juniper and Callington Mill Distillery have been the big winners in the gin and whisky categories at the London Spirits Competition.
The competition, now in its eighth year, attracted international entries from Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Americas.
Saint Juniper was awarded Australian Spirit of the Year and 98 points for its Mediterranean Gin.
Callington Mill won Single Malt Whisky of the Year and 97 points for its Pedro Ximenez and was also awarded Gold for its Invicta whisky at 96 points and 95 points for its Fusion.
Saint Juniper Director, Paul Walton, told The Shout receiving a near-perfect score on an international level was such an amazing award to receive this early into the distillery’s journey.
“I first found out that we had performed well last week when the competition posted a teaser on Instagram and tagged us suggesting we were one of the top performers in the competition,” he said.
“Naturally, my wife was the first person I shared the news with before spreading the word amongst family and friends.”
Judges noted the Mediterranean Gin had delivered a clean and short finish with good value and a refreshing botanical presence.
“The gin uses a lot of fresh rosemary and whole olives, which really makes the gin stand apart,” Walton said.
“A lot of the refinement in the recipe has not just been around the quantity of these botanicals used but also experimenting with what type of olives work best or what species of rosemary works best.”
Callington Mill GM, Rizk Mawass, told The Shout the awards affirm the vision the distillery has held since the beginning.
“[We want to] craft a new era of Tasmanian whisky that proudly competes with the world’s finest,” Mawass said.
“This isn’t just a win for Callington Mill, it’s a milestone for Tasmania itself, solidifying its place as a whisky region of global significance.
“This Pedro Ximénez release is the purest expression of our reverence for oak and was fully matured in first-fill PX casks sourced directly from Jerez, Spain—each one carefully hand-selected to ensure quality, authenticity, and optimal influence on the spirit.”
A number of other Australian producers were also awarded Gold Medals for their releases, including Coles Liquor for its Pure Origin Tasmanian Vodka, New Norfolk Distillery for its Drone Riot Fermented Cane Spirit Rum, Western Tiers for its gin and Western Lakes Single Malt Whisky Port Cask and Aldi for The Infusionist Apple and Rhubarb Gin Liqueur.
Additionally other Gold Medals went to Kilderkin Distillery for its Larrikin’s Grin Old Tom Gin, Two Cats Distillery for The Distiller’s Cat, Limoncello Australia for Ambra Limoncello, Diviner’s Distillery for House Gin Verdant, Western Queensland Spirit for Outback Gin and Tan Lines Distilling for its Coffee Vodka.
W.L. Weller Antique 107 by Sazerac took top honours as the 2025 Spirit of the Year for its Kentucky Bourbon.
Other major award winners by category include:
Gin of the Year: Ramsbury Gin, UK
Vodka of the Year: Xaoma Gold, Kazakhstan
Rum of the Year: Havana Club Gran Reserva 15 Años, Cuba
Liqueur of the Year: Kaiho Ruby Organic Blackcurrant Liqueur, Finland
Tequila of the Year: Gran Orendain Reposado, Mexico
Single Malt Whisky of the Year: Callington Mill’s Pedro Ximenez, Australia
Flavoured Spirit of the Year: Tanqueray Bossa Nova, UK
Best Spirit by Package: Chateau Koya Brandy XO 15 Years Old, China
Best Spirit by Value: K-vant, Tanzania