Southern NSW brewers and distillers went home from the 2025 RAS Distilled Drinks and Beer & Cider shows with a swag of medals. Photo: Clam Lo.
Southern NSW distillers and brewers raised a glass to success at the recent 2025 Royal Agricultural Society (RAS) Distilled Drinks and Beer & Cider shows, claiming top awards and showcasing the region’s growing reputation for craft innovation and excellence.
The region’s producers proved they’re at the forefront of Australia’s thriving beverage scene, impressing with aromatic gins, crisp ciders and small-batch spirits.
The Sydney Royal Beer & Cider Show saw a notable 10 per cent uptick in entries in 2025, with 224 beers and ciders vying for top honours as judging began in early September.
In total, judges awarded 80 gold, 69 silver and 36 bronze medals.
On the South Coast, Broulee Brewhouse scored gold for its Pale Ale and Choc Milk Porter, with bronze medals for its Hazy, IPA and Stout entries. Huskisson’s Flamin Galah scored silver for its Belgian Triple Blonde and Raspberry Coconut Stout and bronzes for its Earl Grey Lemon Sour, Pacific Ale and Pale Ale.
Wollongong’s Five Barrel Brewing also impressed, picking up silver for its Freefall Pale Ale, Little Nipper Hazy IPA and Night Cap Milk Stout, and a bronze for its Lunchtime Lager.
Batlow’s The Apple Thief won silver for its Kingston Black Traditional Cider and bronzes for its Braeburn Gala Cloudy, Pink Lady, Granny Smith, Red Moon Rosé and Apple and Lemon Myrtle ciders.
About 300 spirits representing exhibitors from across the nation were tasted by judges over 8-9 September as the 2025 Sydney Royal Distilled Spirits Show got underway.
With major awards presented this week, again Southern NSW distillers proved they can hold their own on the national stage.
The Canberra Distillery picked up bronze for its Contemporary Gin and Winter Gin, along with bronze for its Old George Reserve Whisky, gold for its Old George Reserve Rum, bronze for its Coffee Liqueur and silver for its 2023 Sloe Gin.
Fyshwick’s Ambrosia Distillery earned bronze for its Old Tom Gin, while its flavoured vodkas impressed, taking silver for a Toffee Vodka and bronze for coffee, passionfruit and lemon myrtle varieties.
Hillman Bros Distilling Co from Marchmont, near Yass, walked away with a gold medal for its Modern Australian Gin featuring lemon myrtle, wattleseed and macadamia, and two silvers for other contemporary gins, the Good Gin with Emu Apple and Elderflower and Signature Dry with Black Lime.
Braidwood’s Hold Fast Distillery added to the Southern Tablelands’ tally with silver for its Navy Strength Man O’ War and bronzes for its Dog’s Watch Gin, Sloe Gin and Yuzucello liqueur.
Millsheds Distillery of Bowral won gold for its Highlands Vodka and Elderflower Liqueur, silver for its Highlands Gin and Salted Caramel Gin, and bronze for both its Southern Dry Gin and Bramble Gin.
Joadja Distillery, also in the Southern Highlands, secured gold for its Single Malt Whisky (Ex Bourbon Cask) and Whisky Liqueur, as well as silver in two other single-malt whisky expressions and its Anise Liqueur, while also securing bronze for its Morena Vodka.
On the coast, Foxdog Distillery at Mogo picked up silver for its Navy Strength Gin and Samphire Gin, plus bronze for a mandarin gin. Pambula’s Nine Circles Distillery secured silvers for its Signature Gin and Australian Dry Gin, plus bronzes for its Coastal Gin and Single Malt Whisky.
Huskisson’s Flamin Galah also went home with a silver for its Ginger Beer Vodka and bronzes for its Lemonade Hard Soda and Strawberry Bubblegum Hard Soda.
Jervis Bay Distilling Co earned gold for its Negroni Spritz, silver for its Shiraz Barrel Aged Gin, Honey Vodka, Bay Aperitivo, Honey Mule and Amaretto Spritz, and bronzes for its Citrus and Rose Collins gins.
Wollongong’s own South Coast Distillery added to the Southern NSW tally, with silver for its Sublime Gin, SCD-002 Single Malt Whisky and SCD-002 Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky, plus bronze for its London Dry Gin and Breakwater Navy Gin.
The Riverina’s Corowa Distilling Co also grabbed bronze for its Bosque Verde Whisky.
The top picks – Never Never Distilling Co’s Triple Juniper Gin, which won Champion Traditional Gin; Bright Night Spirit’s Wild Tasmanian Gin, which took home Champion Contemporary Gin; and Four Pillars’ Navy Strength Gin, which was named Champion Other Gin.
Sydney Royal Chair of Judges Stuart Gregor said the whisky classes shone this year, particularly the single-malt whiskies.
“To me, this is proof that Australian whisky is on the cusp of a potential golden age,” he said,
Gin was celebrated for its impressive medal count, with 75 per cent of entries in the traditional class and 89 per cent of candidates in the contemporary class receiving a medal.
Mr Gregor said he believed Australia was making the world’s best gin.
“This show reinforced that view for me – the winners were terrific and show a lovely balance of traditional and Aussie botanicals,” he said.
He said his favourite surprise was the calibre of liqueurs entered.
“This is often a class that is overlooked and sometimes dominated by overly sweet ‘fake fruit’ flavours,” he said.
”This year, there were four or five liqueurs that could easily have won a trophy.”
