Cameron Mackenzie, Head Distiller and Co-Founder of Four Pillars, has become the seventh inductee to the Australian Distillers Hall of Fame, joining fellow Co-Founder Stuart McGregor who was inducted in March of last year.
Mackenzie was also recently inducted into Gin Magazine’s Gin Hall of Fame, becoming the second Australian ever to do so.
“Being the seventh inductee to the AD Hall of Fame is truly an honour,” said Mackenzie.
“Of course, Stuart had to beat me in as inductee number six last year, but this really is a testament to how far Four Pillars and Australia’s craft distilling industry has come over the last ten years.”
The Australian Distillers Hall of Fame was first launched at the Australian Distillers Annual Conference in 2022. Since then, it has inducted seven of the most important figures in Australian distilling including Cameron Syme, Patrick Maguire, and Raymond Spike.
Mackenzie’s induction, which took place at the Australian Distillers Annual Conference in Brisbane on 30 April, follows on from more than a decade of Four Pillars gin production during which it has risen to become Australia’s highest selling local gin brand responsible for around 40% of all Australian gin produced.
“When we first started out, there were a handful of people making gin in Australia and we were just a few blokes in the back of a winery with a single copper still,” said Mackenzie.
“Now, I’m standing in a room alongside hundreds of innovators and leaders in the craft industry… it’s an incredible decade to celebrate.”
Four Pillars has since been making a name for itself on the global stage, and has received significant global accolades such as IWSC’s Gin Producer of the Year in 2019, 2020 and 2023. Its gins are now sold in 36 markets globally. Now that is 100% owned by Lion and a part of its new Four Corners spirits arm, it is currently eyeing further expansion via a new international team.
Four Pillars also recently released a barrel aged gin in collaboration with Lark Whisky, a company whose founders Bill and Lyn Lark also form part of the seven Australian Distillers Hall of Fame.
