Distillers from across Australia are being encouraged to enter Sydney Royal’s inaugural distilled spirits competition, with entries now open.
The competition is run by the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW (RAS) and chaired by drinks industry veteran, Stu Gregor, who said the new competition is a great opportunity for producers to benchmark their spirits under the judging panel.
“As the popularity of distilled spirits in Australia continues to grow, so does the importance of producers benchmarking products with others in the industry”, Gregor said.
“This competition will not only allow us to identify the best producers in the industry at this point in time, but also to share valuable feedback with exhibitors to assist in the continued improvement and refinement of their product, and hence, the industry as a whole”.
The Sydney Royal Distilled Spirits show will offer a wide range of classes for producers to enter, including Brandy, Cane Spirit, Gin, Liqueur, Rum, Vodka, Whiskey, Alternative Distilled Spirits, Non-Alcoholic and stand-alone Ready to Drink (RTD) classes, with 15 Champion Trophies up for grabs including Champion Non-Alcoholic Spirit and Champion Ready to Drink.
“It is important to acknowledge the increasingly popular choice of Australians to consume spirits in the ready-to-drink format of pre-mixed bottles or cans, and the Sydney Royal will be amongst the first Shows in the world to taste and assess this burgeoning category of modern-style drinks, alongside more traditional, full-bodied spirits”, Gregor said.
As an organisation focused on championing Australian agriculture, the new competition will aim to highlight products made with at least 85 percent Australian-grown ingredients. This requirement is currently implemented across all Sydney Royal wine, beer & cider, dairy produce, and fine food competitions.
Entries for the competition are now open and will close on Wednesday, 22 May, judging will take place in early September and you can find out more at the RAS NSW website.