Starward's big San Francisco win

Following the haul of medals that it brought home from the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC) in April, Starward has become the first Australian distillery ever to be awarded the global title of Most Awarded Distillery of the Year in the competition’s 22 year history.

The Melbourne distillery stood out from close to 5,000 of the world's most renowned spirits businesses including whisky, gin, and tequila distillers from countries such as Scotland, Japan, USA and UK.

The Most Awarded Distillery of the Year title follows Starward's win of 12 Double Gold and 3 Gold medals in San Francisco: the largest win of perfectly scored gold medals by any distillery across the entire 2022 competition.

Held by the Tasting Alliance, the SFWSC evaluates spirits of all types including whiskies, from well over 4,000 thousand distilleries, from all over the world, to ultimately name one as 'Most Awarded Distillery of the Year. This title is only awarded to distilleries who have consistently produced the finest quality spirits.

"To become the first Australian whisky to be named the Most Awarded Distillery of the Year at the world's most competitive spirits competition is a dream come true," said David Vitale, Starward Founder.

"Fifteen years ago we had an idea to bring an approachable and delicious Melbourne whisky to life and to receive this recognition confirms what we've always known, that Australia is home to some of the finest whisky and spirits in the world. This achievement would not be possible without the passion, commitment and shared dream of our team. With this win, we are excited to take Starward to new horizons both here and abroad."

The win is a particularly sweet one for Starward with the US a huge priority export market.

Simon Marton, CEO of Starward told Drinks Trade in April: “Here at Starward, we’re always interested in propelling the opportunity for Australian craft spirits around the world by showcasing our whiskies. At the moment, we’re focused on growing Starward in Australia and the USA."

The brand was named Official Whisky Partner of The MICHELIN Guide in North America in Fall 2021, further cementing its ethos of being a delicious and versatile whisky, crafted to pair well with food.

Starward currently has four expressions available in the United States: Nova Single Malt Whisky, Two-Fold Double Grain Whisky, Solera Single Malt Whisky and Octave Barrels.