Spirit News
Australian Spirits Producers,
Fred Siggins, here! I'm incredibly excited to be heading up the spirits panel for this year's Drink Easy awards, and I can't wait to taste what you have all produced over the last year. Drink Easy is different from other competitions because we're not looking for faults, and we're not looking to stifle creativity by judging your spirits on the basis of arbitrary and outdated style guides. Do you make a peated rye gin? We want to try it. Does your "whisky" or "rum" not fall within traditional production rules? We don't care. The Australian spirits industry is made great by its creativity and innovation, and in this brave new world, we want to reward those spirits that stand on their own merits. Our only criteria: does it taste good, and does it do what the producer intended.
All spirits are tasted blind, and any judge with a personal interest in a product must abstain. Our judging process is collaborative and consensus-based rather than a simple tally of scores, and there will always be a "best" in every category. This year, we've also made our spirits categories more complex to reflect the diversity of Australian spirits. For example, peated single malt now has its own category, and the rum category is now "Rum and other cane spirits". Your products will also gain up-close and personal exposure to the best and brightest in the Australian spirits and hospitality industries, and to the drinking public through our media partners and strong social media presence. For these reasons and many others, I encourage you to enter everything you've got!
→ → → Categories
Gin (Navy, Classic Dry, Contemporary Style, Old Tom, Fruit Flavoured, Matured & Barrel Aged)
Vodka (Pure or Flavoured)
Whisky (New Make, Single Malt – Peated, Single Malt – Cask Strength, Other Grain and Experimental Whiskies)
Rum & Other Cane Spirits
Brandy (Grape Based or Fruit Based)
Liqueur
Alternate/Experimental Spirits
→ → → Key Dates
Submissions Open - NOW
Submissions Close- Friday, April 30th 2021
Bottle & Can Delivery - Mon, March 1st 2021 to Fri, Apr 30th 2021
Judging - Wed, May 12th 2021 to Fri, May 14th 2021
Awards Party - July / August 2021
→ → → How will your products compare to 2019 Drink Easy Spirits?
1: Sullivans Cove - XO Tasmanian Brandy Double Cask Batch DCB01 (TAS)
2: Hobart Whisky - Tasmanian Single Malt 19-002 French Oak Pinot Noir Finish (TAS)
3: Pinche - Agave Tequilana (NSW)
4: Never Never Distillery - Triple Juniper Gin (SA)
5: Needle & Pin Spirits - Grappa Tradizionale (SA)
6: Archie Rose - Rye Malt Whisky (NSW)
7: Reed & Co Distillery - Spirit Lab Gin & Juice (Mistelle) (VIC)
8: Sullivans Cove - XO Tasmanian Brandy Single Cask TDB0018 (TAS)
9: Marionette - Dry Cassis (VIC)
10: The Farmer's Wife Distillery - Autumn Dry Gin (NSW)
→ → → Judges
Our judging panel brings a range of experiences and expertise across the spirit industry.
Fred Siggins | Pith & Vinegar | VIC |
Kathleen Davies | Nip Of Courage | NSW |
Harriet Leigh | Archie Rose Distillery | NSW |
Brendan Carter | Ochre Nation | SA |
Ollie Margan | Maybe Mae | SA |
Tim Boast | Never Never Distilling Co | SA |
Sharon Romeo | Fino | SA |
For any questions, please contact Sophie at hello@drinkeasy.com.au
Get submitting!
Much love,
Fred & the Drink Easy team