Whisky Magazine’s World Whiskies Awards has revealed its 2026 Rest of the World winners, shining a spotlight on several Australian distilleries making their mark on the growing international whisky community.
The Rest of the World category spans more than 40 whisky-producing nations, including Australia, recognising distillers working outside the traditional powerhouses of the USA, Scotland and Ireland.
Australia had over 100 awarded entries in 2025, receiving 21 Gold medals across more than 30 distilleries. Tasmania led the charge, with eight of the nine country and category awards going to distilleries in the state, and Greenbanks Tasmania Whisky Co taking home three of those.
World Whiskies Awards director, Anita Ujszaszi, said 2026 has been a remarkable year for whisky, with an exciting wave of new expressions alongside the continued strength and support of established brands, even in what remains a very challenging global market.
“We are deeply grateful to our judges for their dedication over the past six months, and to our international team whose commitment makes this programme possible,” said Ujszaszi.
“Congratulations to all of our winners – every award should serve as an inspiration to the entire whisky community.”
Australian country category winners for 2026 included;
- Best Australian Blended Malt: Archie Rose Distilling Co. Australian Malt Whisky
- Best Australian Grain: Hellyers Road Anniversary Collection 2005 Grain Whisky 20 Years Old Single Cask 5180.11
- Best Australian New Make & Young Spirit: Greenbanks Tasmanian Whisky Co Wheat – Rye – Malt New Make
- Best Australian Pot Still: Transportation Whiskey Snug
- Best Australian Rye: Greenbanks Tasmanian Whisky Co Quadruple Cask Rye
- Best Australian Single Cask Single Rye: Greenbanks Tasmanian Whisky Co., Rye Cask 027
- Best Australian Single Malt: Callington Mill Distillery Amphora
- Best Australian Single Cask Single Malt: Sullivans Cove French Oak White Wine Old & Rare TD0112
- Best Australian Small Batch Single Malt: Overeem Whisky Pedro Ximenez Cask Matured
The Rest of the World Icons of Whisky 2026 were also celebrated, with Lark Distilling Co. master distiller, Chris Thomson, being named Master Distiller/Blender of the Year. He will now progress as a finalist for the Global Icon of Whisky Award, to be announced at the Whisky Magazine Awards Gala Dinner in London on 25 March.
“It’s incredibly exciting to see our uniquely Tasmanian whiskies so positively received on the world stage,” Thomson said.
“This recognition comes at a pivotal moment for Lark as we prepare to launch new whiskies globally. It’s also the first time these expressions have been entered into competition, making the acknowledgement even more meaningful.”
Sullivans Cove Distillery also shone out in this segment, after a strong performance in the 2025 awards. This year, distillery manager Heather Tillott was named Innovation Manager of the Year, and the company took home the Campaign Innovator, Sales Team, and Warehouse Manager awards.
