Australia’s Four Pillars Olive Leaf Gin has won big at the the 2024 American Distilling Institute (ADI) International Spirits Competition.

The gin took out Best of Category, International Signature Botanical Gin and a Double Gold Medal.

The ADI is the largest small-batch, independently owned craft distillery association in the world and the ADI International Spirits Competition, launched in 2007, attracts 1000 spirits across the globe judged over three days by 50 judges.

The first savoury gin in the Four Pillars portfolio and five years in the making, it was inspired by co-founder and Head Distiller, Cameron Mackenzie’s trip to Madrid’s Santamania distillery and soon afterwards to Australia’s own Riverland where thousands of acres are planted to olive trees.

Olive Leaf Gin is made from botanicals including juniper, coriander seed, rosemary, bay leaf, lemon myrtle, macadamias, lemon and grapefruit with olive leaf and extra virgin olive oil from Victoria’s Cobram Estate.

Mackenzie said: “I’ve always loved a savoury-style gin so making Olive Leaf was a no-brainer. The fact that a gin Martini is my desert island drink pretty much sealed the deal.”

The ADI wins come after Four Pillars announced the appointment of three international leads across the business; Head of Asia, Karan Tuli; Head of EMEA, Ellie Nash; and Head of the Americas, Jen Bailey as it sets its sights on key global markets including the US.

Four Pillars wasn’t the only Aussie on the podium, Burdekin Rum took out the International Sugar Cane Spirit trophy for International Pot Still Rum, while Tempest Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky Finished in Port Casks Aged 20 Years won Best of Category for International Single Malt Whiskey.

Craft gin on the rise in the US

Four Pillars Olive Leaf Gin is on an upwards trajectory in the US as gin Martinis continue to be the drink of choice in venues.

The super-premium gin category, where Four Pillars is priced, is exhibiting strong growth in the US, surging by 16% in 2023 as reported by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.

IWSR reports that craft gin is increasingly appealing to American palates – from 2020 to 2025, craft gin is forecasted to register a CAGR of +23%, compared to +2% CAGR for total gin in the US over the same period.

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