With a population of just 3,043 people, Hahndorf, South Australia, is Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement. Like most humble Aussie towns, it’s also home to a number of artisan producers, and now, an award-winning family-owned distillery is added to that list. Founded in 2016 by Matt, Trudy and Steve Dickson, Ambleside Distillers cemented themselves on the world stage as they took home the award for ‘Best in Show’ from Australia at the London Spirits Competition 2022 for its Big Dry Gin, scoring 93 points.
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The brand was awarded a further three medals for other spirits in its portfolio, an immense achievement for a family-owned distillery against stiff competition from around 2,500 spirit brands from over 80 countries entering the show.
“We’re still on cloud nine to have had the news about winning Best in Show from Australia at what is such a respected international competition. We take pride in the crafting of our spirits, and how our packaging and brand philosophy will appeal to consumers so it’s hugely rewarding to have this recognised by a panel of experts,” said Matt Dickson, Ambleside Distillers.
So what does it taste like? With carefully selected botanicals that speak to the ‘garden up’ nature of the distillery, expect balanced but big, bold flavours from the Big Dry Gin, think jalapeño, lime leaf, sage, rosemary and thyme. The gin features intense and robust botanicals that are complemented by bold juniper notes to create a warm mouth feel.
It’s not the first time the selection has been recognised on the global stage either, taking home numerous accolades in recent years, including Gold at the 2020 San Francisco World Spirit Awards and Gold at the 2021 SPI awards.
“Last year we launched our expanded distillery space, and we’ve recently unveiled new branding, so to win big at an international award is further testament to the team’s hard work and shows we’re punching well above our weight on the global stage as a family-owned Adelaide Hills business,” said Dickson.
You can pick up a bottle from any of the links below, with a retail price of around $80 AUD it’s perfect for the long weekend ahead.
Buy it here (Dan Murphy’s) Buy it here (Ambleside) Buy it here (Booze Bud)
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