Four Pillars Gin was established in 2013 in the Yarra Valley on the outskirts of Melbourne and has
become one of the world’s benchmark distilleries, Australia’s No.1 craft spirit and a leading light
in the Australian gin revolution.
The Yarra Valley-based distillery Four Pillars Gin has just been presented with the industry’s greatest accolade, the 2019 International Gin Producer of the Year at the 50th Annual International Wine and Spirits Competition in London.
At the event widely considered the Oscars of the international drinks industry, Co-founder and
Distiller Cameron Mackenzie received the award at 10.00pm, 28 November 2019 (UK Time) at the
black-tie gala at The Guildhall in front of 600 leaders of the global drinks community.
“To win this award, on the eve of our sixth birthday is really, truly, bloody incredible,” Mackenzie
said. “When we started making test batches of gin back in 2012 we never in our maddest, wildest dreams
thought this could happen so quickly. To say that I am in a state of disbelief would be vastly
understating the true state of my disbelief.
“The previous two winners of this award are Hernö from Sweden in 2017 and Kyoto Distillery in
Japan last year so we couldn’t be in better company. They are two of the greatest distilleries and
two of our best mates in the world of gin.”
The IWSC Award for International Gin Producer of the Year is recognition of Four Pillars Gin’s
leading role in the world of gin up to and including 2019, creating some of the most awarded gins
on the planet, and leading the way for craft spirits producers around the world through its
commitment to collaboration, creativity, design and world-class experiences, all anchored by its
home in Healesville, Yarra Valley.
The IWSC is the world’s largest and most prestigious international competition for spirits with more than 3000 entries from all corners of the globe& Four Pillars is the first Australian distillery to win the award.
The award for International Gin Producer of the Year caps off a pretty epic 2019 for Four Pillars,
who, among a bagful of accolades both local and international, became the first ever local distillery
to be awarded Australia’s Liquor Brand of the Year at the Australian Liquor Industry Awards.
The team at Four Pillars makes a range of gins headlined by its original Rare Dry Gin, the unique Spiced NegroniGin, the cult favourite Bloody Shiraz Gin, and the world’s most awarded Navy Strength Gin. They also produce a range of barrel-aged gins, including the much sought-after Australian Christmas Gin, and limited release collaborative gins made with distillers, bartenders and friends.
Four Pillars was founded by Cameron Mackenzie alongside drinks industry veteran Stuart Gregor
and creative brand strategist Matt Jones in 2013 and the business took on Lion (a subsidiary of
Kirin) as a 50% shareholder in April 2019. The three founders remain at the helm of the business
and Four Pillars is today distributed in more than 30 markets across the world.
