Australian cocktail company, Curatif, has become the first producer to win a category in the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) three years in a row, awarded World’s Best RTD Producer for the third time in 2024.
The IWSC has been running since 1969, and the 2024 edition brought 100 international judges together to review over 7000 wine and 4000 spirit entries. Australian producers had over 245 spirits awarded – including 25 gold medals, as well as two Outstanding Golds. Over 900 wines and alternative drinks were awarded, receiving 19 and 7 gold medals respectively.
Australia had a very strong performance at this year's IWSC, receiving five trophies for wine and one for gin. Top performers included Campbells Wines, Coward & Black Vineyards, Dandelion Vineyards, Deep Woods Estate, Edenvale, and Naught Distilling.
Source: Curatif
Curatif received four gold medals for its canned cocktails, and came out on top of the RTD category for the third year running. In a category that has exploded in recent years, the company continues to innovate, driving a rapidly evolving portfolio of award-winning cocktails.
Curatif co-founder and managing director, Matt Sanger, said the company’s success has come down to a foundational ethos of fun.
“Cocktails are moments of frivolity and indulgence that tend to evolve and adapt. So as trends ebb and flow, we have the great indulgence of being able to ebb and flow with them,” said Sanger.
“We were proud as punch with one Producer Trophy back in 2022, and absolutely stoked to go back-to-back in 2023, but this – to be the first producer in any category in 55 years to win three-in-a-row, is amazing.
“I’m so proud of our team and their relentless pursuit in cocktail making. I’m on top of the world and could not be happier for our team.”
Next steps for the company have them looking to wider pastures, with Sanger saying it was time for the rest of the world to enjoy Curatif’s world-class cocktails.
“We’re in discussions with distributors in Japan, Korea, and China at the moment and while we are in London we are meeting with a few very well-known retailers to see how we can elevate the next English summer. A couple of Curatif tins on the Thames sounds like just the thing to me!”
