If the recent global whisky awards season have been anything to go by, Australia is punching well above its weight despite being a relative newcomer to the industry.
The latest Australian craft whisky to wow the world was Victoria-based distiller Starward, which won distillery of the year at June's 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Starward was the first Australian distillery to take the top honour in the event's 22-year history, beating almost 5,000 of the world's most-renowned spirits.
Australian Distillers Association boss Paul McLeay said Australian craft whisky distillers should be proud of how far the industry had come.
"It's the first time an Australian spirit producer has won this category which means that they were the best in show for the whole of the most prestigious spirits competition in the world," Mr McLeay said.
Mr McLeay was part of a 13-strong Australian delegation of industry representatives who attended the spiritsEurope Congress for the first time this year.
The event was held in Dublin last month and brought together industry leaders to discuss solutions to issues impacting the spirits sector.
The Australian group toured major distilleries in Ireland and Scotland on a fact-finding mission aimed at helping whisky distillers back home tap into the global whisky market.
Secret to Australia's success
Australia had been producing whisky for the past 30 years and was now attracting the attention of the world's best spirit connoisseurs.
Mr McLeay said the country's success came down to the passion of craft distillers.
"Australian whisky is a genuine farm to glass story … distillers will tell you exactly which farm the grain came from, which drop of water went into it, exactly which barrel it was matured in, they can even tell you the provenance, something the global giants can't," he said.
Tasmania's Sullivans Cove Distillery manager Heather Tillott was still buzzing this week after winning the prestigious craft distiller of the year title at the World Whiskies Awards in March.
That gong was another first for Australia.
Ms Tillott said modern methods based on extensive knowledge and distillation techniques derived from 300 years of Scottish distilling were part of the product's success.
"However, I think, honestly, what really underwrites the current modern era of distilling in Australia, is that typically Australian, 'have a crack attitude'."
Whisky following wine industry
The number of Australian distilleries had grown from just two, 30 years ago, to 350 today, with more than two-thirds based in rural and regional areas.
Steve Timmis heads up Fossey's, a boutique gin, whisky and vodka distillery in Mildura, Victoria and said Australian whisky was at the same stage the Australian wine industry was 40 years ago.
Need for specific Australian regulations
Global spirits and wine brands were required to adhere to strict regulations and world geographic indicators.
A perfect example of that was the use of Champagne which could only be used to describe sparkling wine produced in the Champagne wine region of France.
Similarly, Scotch whisky must only be distilled in Scotland.
Mr Timmis said Australia was just at the beginning of that journey and there was a need for Australian distilling regulations.
However, he hoped too much regulation would not "curtail the Aussie spirit".
"But by the same token, if it's got the term Australian whisky on it, we need that to be of a particular standard.
"With Australian whisky punching above its weight on the world stage and local consumers getting a taste of the unique flavour and craftsmanship that goes into Australian whisky the future of our local craft distilleries is bright."
