RSS Feeds

Advanced search

You are in:

News

Australia's Icons of Whisky

The inaugural Australian Icons of Whisky Awards dinner, held at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Thursday 3rd of August, saw the nation’s top people, producers and retailers awarded for their contribution to whisky.

Following a process of local voting on industry nominees, finalists in sixteen categories were scrutinised by a judging panel from the Icons of Whisky team in London. 

Two awards – Highly Commended and Winner were presented in each group with the 16 Australian winners now automatically entered to compete to be named best in the world in March 2018 at the World Whisky Awards to be held in London.

In addition, a Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame award (presented in years only when warranted) to recognise outstanding contribution to the industry was presented to Gordon Broderick. Gordon has recently retired, but over the past decades he has worked to support and grow whisky in Australia – primarily through his role as Executive Director of the Distilled Spirits Industry Council of Australia. 

The Icons of Whisky Awards will from here become an annual event judged each year on the performance and achievements over the previous 12 months.

Finalists and winners:

Distillery Manager of the Year

New World Whisky Distillery

David Vitale

 

The McLaren Vale Distillery

Lachlan Rochfort

 

Great Southern Distillery

Cameron Syme

WINNER

Hellyers Road

Mark Littler

 

Whipper Snapper

Jimmy McKeown

 

Sullivans Cove

Patrick Maguire

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Visitor Attraction Manager of the Year

Redlands

Emma Alessandrini

 

Hellyers Road

Sharon Deane

WINNER

New World Whisky Distillery

Hannah Bambra

 

The McLaren Vale Distillery

John Rochfort

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Scotch Whisky Brand Ambassador of the Year

The Exchange / CCA

Dan Woolley

HIGHLY COMMENDED

William Grant & Sons

Richard Blanchard

 

Glenrothes / Berry Bros

Daniel Hutchins-Read

WINNER

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society

Matt Bailey

 

Pernod Ricard

Rachel Macdonald

 

Vintage House

Michael Riitano

 

Diageo

Simon McGoram

 

Spirits Platform

Mateo Fabbris

 

Spirits Platform

Justine Millsom

 

World Whisky Brand Ambassador of the Year

New World Whisky Distillery

Paul Slater

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Baranows Emporium

Joey Tai

WINNER

The Exchange / CCA

Bill Bewsher

 

Cebaco

Mauro Ribeiro

 

Le Baron Des Spirits

Jeremy Daunay

 

Irish Whiskey Brand Ambassador of the Year

Teeling Single Malt

Martin Lynch

 

Pernod Ricard

Kate Moran

WINNER

Rogue Wines

Vincent McGrath

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Wonderland

Scott Farrow

 

The Exchange / CCA

Brendan Rogers

 

American Whiskey Brand Ambassador of the Year

Vanguard

James France

 

The Exchange /Cca

Michael Thomas

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Brown-Forman

Grant Shearon

WINNER

Californian Dreamers

Mick Robinson

 

Artisain Hand Craft

Georgina Wright

 

Master Distiller / Master Blender of the Year

Lark Distillery

Craig Johnston

 

New World Whisky Distillery

Sam Slaney

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Baldwin Distillery

Anthony Baldwin

 

Bakery Hill Distillery

David Baker

 

Great Southern Distilling Company

Ben Kagi

WINNER

Sullivans Cove Distillery

Patrick Maguire

 

Belgrove Distillery

Peter Bignell

 

Whipper Snapper Distillery

Jimmy McKeown

 

Timboon Railway Shed Distillery

Josh Walker

 

Supermarket of the Year

Dan Murphys

WINNER

Vintage Cellars

HIGHLY COMMENDED

First Choice

 

Single Outlet Retailer of the Year

Casa De Vinos

WINNER

Nicks Wine Merchants

 

Carwyn Cellars

 

The Oak Barrel

HIGHLY COMMENDED

World Of Whisky

 

Leura Cellars

 

Liquor Master

 

Edinburgh Cellars

 

Purple Palate Maleny

 

Malt Traders

 

Online Retailer of the Year

Dan Murphys

 

Nicks Wine Merchants

WINNER

The Odd Whisky Coy

 

World Of Whisky

 

My Bottle Shop

 

Casa De Vinos

HIGHLY COMMENDED

The Whisky Company

 

The Oak Barrel

 

The Whisky Empire

 

Copper And Oak

 

Multiple Outlets Retailer of the Year

Camperdown Cellars

 

Chambers Cellars

 

Fassina SA Family Liquor Stores

 

Hurley Cellars

WINNER

Booze Brothers

 

Vintage Group

 

Tb's Liquor Stores

 

Taphouse Liquor Stores

 

Black Sheep Stores

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Quench Liquor Stores

 

Travel Retailer Of The Year

Heinemann (Sydney)

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Aelia (Adelaide)

WINNER

F1rst Tax & Duty Free (Melbourne)

 

Jr/Duty Free (Brisbane)

 

Jr/Duty Free (Perth)

 

Jr/Duty Free (Darwin)

 

Jr/Duty Free (Canberra)

 

Brand Innovator of the Year

Great Southern Distillery

 

Belgrove Distillery

 

Sullivans Cove

 

Lark Distillery

 

New World Whisky

HIGHLY COMMENDED

The McLaren Vale Distillery

WINNER

Craft Producer of the Year

Sullivans Cove Distillery

WINNER

Great Southern Distillery

 

Bakery Hill

 

Whipper Snapper Distillery

HIGHLY COMMENDED

New World Whisky

 

Mt Uncle

 

Belgrove Distillery

 

Hellyers Road

 

Distiller of the Year

Hellyers Road

 

Great Southern Distilling

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Lark Distillery

 

Sullivans Cove

 

Whipper Snapper Distillery

 

Bakery Hill

 

New World Whisky

WINNER

The McLaren Vale Distillery

 

Mt Uncle

 

Visitor Attraction of the Year

The McLaren Vale Distillery

 

Hellyers Road Distillery

WINNER

Archie Rose

 

Lark Bar

 

Timboon Distillery

 

Belgrove Distillery

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Great Southern Distilling Company

 

Whipper Snapper Distillery

 

Mt Uncle Distillery

 

 

 

 

3 August 2017 - Felicity Murray