Early Medal Success For Adelaide Gin Company

A boutique Adelaide gin distiller is toasting a major award win at one of Australia’s most influential, internationally-affiliated spirits competitions.

Prohibition Liquor Co. collected a gold medal at the Melbourne International Spirits Competition for its Bathtub Cut Gin, which officially hit the market last month. The 69% Bathtub Cut is a first for Australia, as the highest overproof gin ever produced, and company co-founder, Adam Carpenter, says it’s already attracting a strong following.

“We are blown away by the response to our gins –  especially the Bathtub Cut which we have only just released,” he says. “To win gold in the Melbourne International Spirits Competition is incredible news and reinforces that we are definitely on the right track!”

The Adelaide Hills-based company also collected a silver medal at the competition for its original small batch premium Prohibition Gin gin launched on 1 December 2015.

“This is the first time we have entered our products in an awards competition, so receive two medals from our first two award entries is a perfect record. We can’t  wait to see how it stacks up on an international level into the future,” Adam says.

Prohibition Liquor Co. is named after the US gin boom triggered by the 1920-1933 prohibition era, which prompted people to begin distilling their own spirits illegally at home.

A professional graphic designer turned part-time bootlegger, Adam is the talent behind Prohibition’s distinctive packaging, which features a replica doctor’s prescription for medical liquor as its back label. Prohibition Gin is taking pride of place in some of Adelaide and Melbourne’s hippest bars, but co-founder and company product development guru, Wes Heddles, says their product is more than a cool bottle.

“The entries in the competition are blind tasted minus all the packaging and marketing by some of Australia’s most influential mixologists and industry buyers, who have the ability to make a direct impact on brand sales,” Wes explains. “We were confident that we are making a great product, but you never know how it will be received by the market and industry, so this award is a huge tick of approval and very exciting for us.”

Prohibition will be venturing interstate later this year for a series of events to support their recent launch into the eastern states in May, including the Indie Spirits event in Sydney in September, Junipalooza at Melbourne’s Meat Markets in October and its doppelganger event, Juniperlooza at Melbourne’s South Bank in November.