An Aussie gin has won World’s Best Classic Gin at the World Gin Awards in London.

Never Never Distilling Co’s Southern Strength Gin has beaten some of the world’s biggest brands, including Tanqueray 10, to the top spot. 

Judges said the South Australian gin featured: “Some pine leaves and resin, with a hint of thyme and a whisper of cinnamon and tree bark. Juniper and citrus are in a nice supporting role. Nice complexity, but the balance impresses most.”

It’s the first time an Australian gin has scooped the top prize, a huge accolade for a distillery that only launched in 2017. 

One of the co-founders of the distillery, Sean Baxter, told The Gin Queen: “It was a little emotional for me seeing our gin alongside Tanqueray 10. It’s even in the San Francisco Spirits Awards Hall of Fame, because it won so many times. Being the Aussie representative in that category was pretty special.

‘Southern Strength gin was created with the bartender in mind. It has a higher ABV and works so well in cocktails. I hope this award will bring more consumers to try Southern Strength, and maybe retailers and bars who might only pick one of our three gins to sell.’

Managing director George Georgiadis added in a press release: “This is a huge accolade for our young distillery. It’s a much-coveted award and firmly puts Australia and South Australian gin on the world map, in a similar guise to what the World’s Best Whisky award did for Sullivan’s Cove and Tasmanian whisky.”

Other gins named Australia’s best in the country awards category were:

Best Contemporary Style Gin – Manly Spirits Co. Coastal Citrus

Best Compound Gin – Heart & Soul Original

Best London Dry Gin – Manly Spirits Co. Australian Dry Gin 

Best Matured Gin – Forty Spotted Gin Winter

Best Navy Gin – Never Never Distilling Co Juniper Freak Gin