DRINKS // Australian spirits
That’s the spirit While Australian spirits occupy a relatively small portion of the market, they’re leagues ahead of global players. WORDS Madeline Woolway
BEING ASKED TO name an Australian spirit brand is an easy task for local
bartenders: Four Pillars, Archie Rose and Mr Black are just a few of the brands that have
It would also be remiss to forget one
of the nation’s most iconic exports — Bundaberg Rum.
Yet, when it comes to market share,
catapulted to the top shelf in recent years.
Australian spirits make up a surprisingly
a handful of urban distilleries — many
In terms of quality, though: “We massively
Most major cities are home to at least
of whom dispense more than one spirit, whether gin, vodka, whisk(e)y, rum or
something else altogether — and regional centres are welcoming new makers, too. 16 | Hospitality
small slice of the domestic spirit market. over deliver,” says Sebastian Reaburn, bartender-turned-master-distiller for Grainshaker vodka.
In his role as a judge for the Royal
Agricultural Society’s Australian Distilled Spirits Awards, Reaburn has noticed a
trend. “We joke that if you get a silver at the Australian Distilled Spirits Awards,
you’re probably going to get a gold at the San Francisco Spirits Awards, which are
considered one of the world’s leading spirit competitions,” he says. “I think we can
compare ourselves to our sporting teams on a global stage; we’re small in number, but high in quality.”
