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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 7 May 2026
King Island Gidley Pinot Noir Gin Awarded Gold at the 2026 Gin Guide Awards in London
King Island Distillery to showcase its globally awarded gin at Vinexpo Asia and Be Spirits Hong Kong, 26–28 May 2026
KING ISLAND, AUSTRALIA – 7 May 2026 — King Island Distillery Bass Strait is proud to announce that its Gidley Pinot Noir Gin has been awarded a Gold Medal at the 2026 Gin Guide Awards in London — recognised as the world’s largest independent gin awards. The accolade places the King Island–made gin among the most highly regarded gins judged anywhere in the world this year.
The London result follows independent recognition awarded late last year by the team at Halliday Wine Companion and Halliday Spirits in Australia, who scored Gidley Pinot Noir Gin a Gold rating equal to the highest-rated Australian gins they have ever reviewed. The combination of Australia’s most respected spirits reviewers and one of the world’s most respected independent gin awards confirms the calibre of what is being produced on King Island.
“To see Gidley Pinot Noir Gin recognised on the global stage in London is enormously reassuring,” said Vaughan O’Connor, Managing Director of King Island Distillery Bass Strait. “Our mission has always been to create genuinely world-class spirits from King Island. To have that vision validated by both Australia’s leading reviewers and the Gin Guide Awards in London is a milestone moment for the distillery and for the island.”
Showcasing the gin at Be Spirits Hong Kong
King Island Distillery will exhibit Gidley Pinot Noir Gin alongside its broader portfolio at Vinexpo Asia and Be Spirits Hong Kong 2026, held from 26 to 28 May 2026 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The Gold Medal recognition arrives at a pivotal moment as the distillery presents its award-winning Australian island spirits to importers, distributors, premium retailers, hospitality groups and luxury venues from across Asia.
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. Trade visitors are warmly invited to taste Gidley Pinot Noir Gin and the wider King Island range at the distillery’s stand.
A gin shaped by one of the world’s most pristine environments
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. Every bottle the distillery produces carries a little of that island with it.
From day one, Gidley Pinot Noir Gin was never designed to be ordinary. It was built to deliver richness, texture, elegance and individuality, and to stand confidently alongside the best gins in the world. The Gold Medal at the 2026 Gin Guide Awards reinforces that ambition.
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: authentic, rare, beautifully made and deeply connected to place.
The distillery’s first single malt whisky releases are scheduled for 2027.
About King Island Distillery Bass Strait
King Island Distillery Bass Strait is an Australian island spirits producer located on King Island, in Bass Strait between Tasmania and mainland Australia. Born from one of the world’s most remote and pristine island environments — home to the world’s scientifically tested purest air and rainwater — the distillery creates ultra-premium spirits with distinctive provenance, internationally awarded quality and a powerful Australian island identity.
Trade and Media Enquiries
Vaughan O’Connor
Managing Director
King Island Distillery Bass Strait
M: +61 419 355 234
E: vaughan@kingislanddistillery.com.au
W: www.kingislanddistillery.com.au
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