Marionette claims top honour among diverse field of Australian spirit winners

The best of the Australian spirits industry has been honoured this evening as the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW announced the winners of its Sydney Royal Distilled Spirits Show at a special awards presentation.

Thirteen major awards were handed out, with Melbourne-based Marionette claiming the Show’s highest honour, Best Distilled Spirit in Show, with its Berry Liqueur. The French-style spirit had already secured the Champion Liqueur title earlier in the evening, marking back-to-back liqueur wins for Marionette after its Caretaker’s Cottage Black Forest won in 2025.

In just its third year, the Sydney Royal Distilled Spirits Show is attracting some of the highest quality spirits from around the country, with an impressive 94% of this year’s 299 entries awarded a medal, up from 89% last year. However, according to Chair of Judges Stuart Gregor, the most exciting feature of this year’s competition was the remarkable diversity on display.

“This year we saw a wonderful balance of traditional styles and cutting-edge products, which really highlights the current diversity of Australia’s spirits industry”, said Gregor.

“We’re not just producing exceptional gin, vodka and whisky; Australian distillers are increasingly demonstrating their expertise across a growing range of premium niche categories.

“Producers are continuing to push the boundaries, creating products that are more distinctive and ambitious than ever before. Some of this year’s trophy winners are styles that would rarely have been seen in Australian competitions four or five years ago.”

The alternative spirits category was a standout example of this year’s growing diversity, with producers embracing unique styles and traditions from around the world. Champion Alternative Spirit was awarded to  DNA Distillery’s Pear Rakija, a Balkan fruit brandy inspired by a family recipe passed down through generations. A regular entrant since the Show's inaugural year, DNA Distillery has continually refined the spirit and built on its success each year, culminating in this year's champion title.

The influence of international spirits was also evident in the recipient of this year’s Chair of Judges Annual Prize. Ragazzi e Succo Aperitivo’s took home the award for its Ragazzi e Succo Amaro, a bittersweet Italian-style liqueur traditionally served as a digestif after a meal.

“It was a delicious example of a spirit we don't often see in Australia. Its authenticity and faithful representation of the Italian style really stood out. It would hold its own against any amaro coming out of Italy”, Gregor said.

Diversity was evident not only in the range of products entered, but also in the producers behind them, with major awards shared across a broad cross-section of the industry.

“We saw success from both established industry stalwarts and smaller craft distillers, including producers relatively new to the market. It sends an important message that you don't have to be a large distiller of mainstream spirits to win major awards, and I hope it encourages more small producers to enter competitions like this.”

The success of smaller producers was reflected across several major awards, including Sydney-based Lexelle Pty Ltd, which claimed Champion Vodka for its Alkira Handmade Vodka. Champion Contemporary Gin went to Lily Fields Distilling Co, a boutique distillery founded in 2022 that has quickly built a reputation for quality gin and proudly welcomes visitors to its cellar door at the local Leichhardt Bowlo.

At the other end of the spectrum, some of South Australia’s established industry leaders were also among the major winners, led by St Agnes, which was awarded the JJ McWilliam Memorial Perpetual Trophy for Best Brandy for the third consecutive year. Never Never Distilling successfully defended its Traditional Gin crown and added Champion Other Gin to its accolades, while Fleurieu Distillery completed a clean sweep of the whisky categories, claiming Champion Single Malt Whisky, as well as Champion Grain or Blend Whisky for the second year running, in a collaboration with Black Gate Distillery.

Other winners included Rusty Barrel Spirits, whose Spiced Rum took home the Champion Cane Spirit or Rum award, while Best NSW Spirit was awarded to Ester Spirits X Young Henry’s Single Malt. Created from spirit distilled by Young Henrys more than a decade ago and later rediscovered, the collaboration also marked the first whisky release for Ester Spirits.

To view the full list of the medal winners, please visit Distilled Spirits or experience the award-winning products firsthand at the 2026 Grape, Grain & Graze Festival on September 19 at Sydney Showground, with tickets from $128.25.

The festival offers unlimited tastings of all gold and silver medal-winning wines from the 2026 Sydney Royal Wine Show, alongside the opportunity to sample champion exhibits from the 2026 Sydney Royal Distilled Spirits and Sydney Royal Beer and Cider Shows.

The 2026 Sydney Royal Distilled Spirits Awards were announced in conjunction with the 2026 Sydney Royal Beer and Cider Awards.

To explore this year’s top beers and cider or buy tickets to the 2026 Grape, Grain & Graze Festival, visit www.rasnsw.com.au.

Award and Judging images available here: https://rasnsw.canto.com/v/2026DistilledandBeerAwards