Trophy winners at NZ Spirits Awards 2026
A gin made with Ohakune-grown carrots and a vodka featuring a Japanese fungus were among the big winners at this year’s annual New Zealand Spirits Awards.
Results were announced Friday night in Auckland, with the 65 Gold medal winners vying for the major trophies awarded in each category, alongside major awards for Innovation, Design & Packaging, Emerging Product, Best Cocktail Bar, and Bartender of the Year.
The 8th annual NZ Spirits Awards were hosted by industry bodies Spirits New Zealand (SNZ) and Distilled Spirits Aotearoa (DSA) and this year’s event drew nearly 400 entries.
Ruapehu Distillery, which launched less than a year ago, won the NZ Emerging Product Award, and the Fever Tree Best NZ Gin & Tonic Award, for its Straight Up Carrot gin, which is made with carrots grown in the region’s famed volcanic soil.
Another newcomer, Wellington’s Woodward Street Distilling Company, took the Innovation Award for its ChiChi Vodka, which features a blend of traditional grain flavours and whole coconut, enhanced by a Japanese koji fungus.
Notable spirits category Trophy wins on the night included Reefton Distilling Co. with the World Whisky Trophy for its Moonlight Creek West Coast Mānuka Smoked Single Malt New Zealand Whisky.
Third Island Navy Strength Gin from Rakiura, Stewart Island won the Trophy for Navy Strength Gin, while its southern neighbour Bluff Distillery took the Trophy for Classic Gin for its Bluff London Dry.
Two internationals rounded out the Gin category – the biggest of the event – with Tanqueray No. 10 named Best Contemporary Gin, and Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin with Italian Fig & Laurel winning Best Signature Botanical Gin.
Scapegrace Vodka scored the Trophy for Best Neutral Vodka, while Juno’s Vesta Coffee Vodka won the Flavoured Trophy.
Christchurch’s 4 Bars Distillery won the Packaging & Design Award for the clever aviation-inspired design of its Gin Clear Day bottle.
Melanie Walker of The Distillery in Whanganui was named New Zealand Bartender of the Year and the Best New Zealand Cocktail Bar title went to Dee’s Place in Wellington.
New Zealand Spirits Awards 2026 Trophy Winners
GIN
Best Overall in Category - Gin Navy Strength
Third Island Gin - Navy Strength (Rakiura Distilling Co., NZ)
Best Overall in Category - Gin Contemporary
Tanqueray - No Ten (UK)
Best Overall in Category - Gin Classic
Bluff Distillery - London Dry Gin (NZ)
Best Overall in Category - Gin Signature Botanical
Drumshanbo - Gunpowder Irish Gin with Italian Fig & Laurel (Ireland)
Fever Tree New Zealand Gin & Tonic Award
Ruapehu Distillery - Straight Up Carrot Gin (NZ)
WHISKY
Best Overall in Category - Whisky Scotch/Irish
Talisker - 10 Year Old (Isle of Skye, Scotland)
Best Overall in Category - Whisky North American
Maker's Mark 46 (Kentucky, USA)
Best Overall in Category - Whisky World
Reefton Distilling Co. - Moonlight Creek Single Malt New Zealand Whisky West Coast Manuka Smoked (NZ)
VODKA
Best Overall in Category - Vodka Neutral
Scapegrace – Vodka (Central Otago, NZ)
Best Overall in Category - Vodka Flavoured
Juno - Vesta Coffee Vodka (Taranaki, NZ)
RUM
Best Overall in Category - Rum
Flor de Cana - 12 Year Old Rum (Nicaragua)
AGAVE
Best Overall in Category - Agave
Teremana Añejo (Jalisco, Mexico)
LIQUEURS
Best Overall in Category - Liqueurs
Topors Own - Salted Caramel (Wellington, NZ)
APERITIF/DIGESTIF & OTHER SPIRITS
Best Overall in Category - Aperitif/Digestif & Other Spirits
Mr Mug - Ode To Sauv Vermouth (Akld, NZ)
New Zealand Pre-Batched Cocktail Award
Cambridge Distillery - Velaro Espresso Martini (Cambridge, NZ)
Cpack New Zealand Packaging & Design Award
4 BARS Distillery (Chch, NZ)
Cue Marketing New Zealand Emerging Product Award
Ruapehu Distillery - Straight Up Carrot Gin (Ohakune, NZ)
Liquorland New Zealand Innovation Award
Woodward Street Distilling Company - Chi Chi Vodka (Wellington, NZ)
Best New Zealand Cocktail Bar
Dee’s Place (Wellington)
New Zealand Bartender of the Year
Melanie Walker (The Distillery, Whanganui)
