Stirling Distillery Triumphs at The Gin Cooperative Awards 2024, Winning Prestigious Consumer Judges Gong
Stirling Distillery is celebrating a win at The Gin Cooperative Awards 2024, having been awarded the coveted Consumer Judges Gold Award for its Stirling Winter Gin. This award holds special significance, as it reflects the preferences of gin enthusiasts, highlighting the distillery’s connection with consumers.
In addition to this success, Stirling Distillery proudly took home Bronze awards in the following categories:
- Distilled Scottish Gin Award – Bronze for Stirling Winter Gin
- Scottish Gin & Tonic Award – Bronze for Stirling Winter Gin
The recognition across these categories highlights the exceptional quality and versatility of Stirling Winter Gin, which has resonated with both judges and consumers alike.
A must-try for gin lovers, especially as the colder months set in, Winter Gin is crafted with care and a touch of tradition. This seasonal gin is infused with apples harvested from the garden of distillery owners Cameron and June, steeped for a month, lending the gin a rich apple flavour and a delicate golden hue.
On the nose, the gin greets you with a warm bouquet of spices, led by allspice, with cinnamon, ginger, and hints of orange following closely. The palate is where this gin truly shines, evoking the comforting taste of apple strudel, a perfect balance of sweetness and spice. A smooth, creamy finish, enhanced by milk thistle and rhubarb root, leaves a lasting impression.
Perfect for chilly nights, Stirling Winter Gin pairs beautifully in a classic gin and tonic garnished with orange peel and a cinnamon stick. For a bolder twist, mix it with spicy ginger beer, or go for a warming gin hot toddy to keep the winter chill at bay.
The Consumer Judges Award is highly regarded because it directly reflects the views of those who regularly enjoy gin, making this win particularly rewarding for the distillery. "We are thrilled to have won the Consumer Judges Award and two Bronze Awards for our Stirling Winter Gin," said June McCann, Distillery co-founder at Stirling Distillery. "These awards reflect the hard work and passion we pour into every bottle. To be recognised by both the industry and the consumers who enjoy our gin is truly rewarding."
The feedback from the judging panel was overwhelmingly positive, with each gin being critiqued and scored based on a variety of factors, including taste, packaging, and even its suitability as part of a gin & tonic. Gins were scored across an extensive spectrum of criteria, with a possible maximum of 900 points. Despite the range of qualities judged, the competition was fierce, with final scores in many categories being extremely close. This speaks volumes about the exceptional calibre of the entries in this year's Scottish Gin category.
In addition to this win, Stirling Distillery was shortlisted in several other key categories, including:
- Stirling Winter Gin – Distilled Scottish Gin Award 2024
- Stirling Pink Gin – Flavoured Scottish Gin Award 2024
- Gin Blue Line – London Dry Scottish Gin Award 2024
- Stirling Winter Gin – Scottish Gin & Tonic Award 2024
The distillery is grateful for the recognition and extends its thanks to the judges and organisers for their thorough evaluation process.
