History

Established in 2015 and developed in close consultation with industry experts, the Melbourne Royal Australian International Spirits Awards are Australia’s first and largest spirits competition highlighting innovation and excellence in distilling. The awards have provided distilleries of all sizes, from small to large-scale commercial production, with an essential benchmarking opportunity.

Now in its 12th year, the 2026 Awards have opened their doors to the world with several exciting changes that have been introduced to ensure the competition evolves with the dynamic spirits industry. With new categories, expanded international participation, and updates to existing classes, the 2026 Awards promise to be more diverse and innovative than ever before.