Australia's Best Dry Gin Is Made In New Zealand. Yes, Really...

Thursday 5 September 

New Zealand’s newest gin maker, Bluff Distillery is riding high off the back of winning the trophy for ‘Best in Class Classic Dry Gin’ at the Australian Gin Awards 2024.

Revealed last night in Sydney, the southern-most contender swept up the category which attracted over 400 entries across seven categories.

Co-Founder and Distiller of Bluff Distillery, Chris Fraser, says it’s such an honour to be recognised on the international stage for a gin that represents the ruggedly beautiful spirit of Bluff.

“It’s great validation for us as a team. Just as everything else in Bluff – the gin is what it says on the tin, we wanted to make a gin that respected the classic London Dry recipes created hundreds of years ago,” adds Fraser.

“There’s been exponential growth in gin brands in the past few years with all sorts of non-traditional botanicals and infusions. A bit like Bluff, we decided to stay authentic to the heritage of Gin so it’s great to see our strategy – to stay true to who we are – has been recognised by the judges.”

The Award is a particularly stunning achievement, given the brand with its distinctive glass buoy bottle only launched in March 2024, selling out the first batch within five days.

“There’s something remarkable about winning a trophy in Australia for a classic London Dry Gin distilled in Bluff 19,000kms from the UK,” adds David Nash, Co-Founder and Brand Director.

“You wouldn’t know it, but we decided on the gin before we decided on the bottle. As a team we knew we were onto something special with what Chris had distilled, so we needed to house it in something that could proudly sit on the top shelf,” adds Nash.

Bluff’s blue-green glass bottle features design cues from Bluff’s rich seafaring history and has received design nods from the industry.

The winning drop is Bluff Distillery’s expression of a classical London Dry Gin but pays homage to Bluffys and the town’s – clean, bold and unapologetically authentic.

Bluff is in exclusive company in the Awards’ history, becoming only the second New Zealand Gin to pick up a trophy in the well-established Australian market.

Bluff Distillery have no intention to rest on the laurels of this win, with plans to increase production by 100-150% in the coming year.

“Taking Bluff’s story to the world and bringing the world to Bluff is incredibly exciting,” says Co-founder Blair Wolfgram.

“The Australian awards and a few other international shows are the perfect stage to measure where we are at in terms of quality and to attract some global distribution and retail partners who want to come on the journey,” adds Wolfgram.

Bluff Distillery London Dry Gin is available nationwide where all good spirits are sold, and online at bluffdistillery.com.

About Bluff Distillery Company:

Bluff Distillery Company is a new gin distillery located in Bluff, New Zealand. Inspired by the town's rich maritime history and the indomitable spirit of its people, Bluff Distillery Company crafts gin that is clean, bold, and authentically Bluff. Each bottle is a tribute to the town's heritage, shaped in the likeness of a vintage glass buoy.

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