King Island Distillery Bass Strait has received three significant honours at the 2026 Gin Guide Awards, one the world’s largest independent gin awards programs.
The distillery’s Gidley Pinot Noir Gin has been awarded a Gold Medal, named Best in Australia 2026 as the highest-scoring Australian entry, and been awarded a Silver Cocktail Award in the Negroni category of the Gin Guide Cocktail Awards.
Being named a Silver Cocktail Award winner means that Negronis made with Gidley Pinot Noir Gin were among the highest-scoring Negronis in the category during blind tastings judged by some of the world’s most revered Negroni experts.
“To have Gidley Pinot Noir Gin recognised this way — Gold, Best in Australia, and a Silver Cocktail Award for the
Negroni — is a remarkable run of independent validation,” said Vaughan O’Connor, Managing Director of King
Island Distillery Bass Strait.
“The cocktail recognition is particularly meaningful because it is judged blind by working experts, and the Negroni is one of the most demanding tests of any gin. To finish among the highest-scoring Negronis in the world tells us we’ve built something that doesn’t just review well — it performs in the glass.”
Alongside the cocktail recognition, Gidley Pinot Noir Gin also received the Best in Australia 2026 title — meaning it achieved the highest score of all Australian entries in this year’s awards — and a Gold Medal for overall quality. The Best in Australia title is a category-leading distinction judged independently in London.
The London results build on independent recognition awarded late last year by Halliday Wine Companion and Halliday Spirits in Australia, which scored Gidley Pinot Noir Gin a Gold rating equal to the highest-rated Australian gins they have ever reviewed.
King Island sits in Bass Strait, between Tasmania and mainland Australia — a remote island shaped by roaring
oceans, Antarctic weather systems and what is scientifically recognised as the cleanest air and rainwater in the
world.
King Island is already internationally known for exceptional produce — cheese, beef and seafood — and Cape
Wickham, one of the world’s acclaimed golf destinations. Gidley Pinot Noir Gin extends that island standard into
ultra-premium spirits.
The distillery’s first single malt whisky releases are scheduled for 2027.
Full results are published on The Gin Guide website.
Australian distillers attend Be Spirits
The triple London recognition arrives at a pivotal moment as the distillery attends Be Spirits.
Be Spirits is the dedicated platform within Vinexpo Asia for spirits, beer, cider, sake, mixology and innovation —
designed to connect premium spirits brands with influential buyers across Greater China, North Asia and the
wider Asian market.
Held from 26-28 May 2026 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, it’s the first time Australia will have a dedicated pavilion showcasing more than 30 distilleries.