Winners of the 2026 Melbourne Royal Australian International Spirits Awards (AISA) have been announced, recognising champion Australian distillers including St Agnes, Nil Desperandum Rum, and Maidenii. This year’s edition was formally open to international spirits producers for the first time, with France’s Distillerie Bonne Mère taking out the Champion International Distiller trophy.
Distilling industry experts from around the world convened at Melbourne Showgrounds from 7-9 July 2026 to judge a record breaking 1036 entries, submitted by 256 exhibitors from seven countries – up from 800 in 2025.
A total of 29 trophies were awarded, including 21 category trophies and eight champion trophies, with 136 gold, 488 silver and 312 bronze medals recognising excellence across the Australian and international distilling industry.
This year introduced the Champion Australian Small Distiller, Champion Australian Medium Distiller and Champion Australian Large Distiller trophies, providing greater recognition for distilleries of different sizes. This year also saw the introduction of a Gin & Tonic class, recognising the continued growth and innovation within the ready-to-drink spirits category.
Marking the first year the awards were formally open to international spirits producers, Distillerie Bonne Mère (Guadeloupe, France) was crowned Champion International Distiller whilst Cipriani White Peach Bellini from Italy claimed Best Ready to Serve Pre-Mix or Spritz.
Champion Large Australian Distiller was awarded to South Australia’s St Agnes Distillery, which also won Best Brandy for its St Agnes XO – 15YO, while Queensland’s Nil Desperandum Rum took out Champion Medium Australian Distiller, and Victorian producer Maidenii secured both Champion Small Australian Distiller and Champion Victorian Distiller. Tasmania’s Island Coast Spirits was recognised as Champion Australian Nomad Distiller.
Gin also took centre stage at the 2026 awards, with Bunker Distillery’s Traditional Dry Gin claiming the inaugural Best Gin & Tonic trophy, mixed with Strangelove Coastal Tonic.
Melbourne Royal food & beverage awards senior manager, Kirrily Waldhorn, said the calibre of entries, alongside the introduction of international submissions and new categories, highlighted the continued growth and evolution of the Australian International Spirits Awards.
“2026 marked an exciting new chapter for the competition, with international spirits producers officially joining the awards and the introduction of our new Gin & Tonic category recognising the enduring popularity of this classic serve,” said Waldhorn.
“The exceptional calibre of entries demonstrated the incredible quality, craftsmanship and innovation being achieved by distillers both in Australia and around the world. Winning a Melbourne Royal trophy or medal remains a significant achievement, providing producers with an internationally recognised mark of excellence that resonates with both trade and consumers.”
The full list of champion trophy winners from the 2026 Melbourne Royal Australian International Spirits Awards included:
- Champion Large Australian Distiller – St Agnes Distillery, South Australia
- Champion Medium Australian Distiller – Nil Desperandum Rum, Queensland
- Champion Small Australian Distiller – Maidenii, Victoria
- Champion International Distiller – Distillerie Bonne Mère, Guadeloupe, France
- Champion Australian Nomad Distiller – Island Coast Spirits, Tasmania
- Champion Victorian Distiller – Maidenii, Victoria
- Champion Australian Gin – Triple Juniper Gin, Never Never Distilling Co, South Australia
- Champion Victorian Gin – Australian Dry Gin, Daylesford Spirit Distillery, Victoria
For the full list of Best in Class winners and medal recipients, head to melbourneroyal.com.au/spirits.
