Stone Pine Distillery has been awarded a silver medal for its Dry Gin in the prestigious International Wine and Spirit Competition.

The medal winners were announced at an upmarket public tasting in London this week, and Stone Pine owner and distiller Ian Glen was notified of his success by email on Thursday morning.

The award confirms the Stone Pine Dry Gin as one of the world’s premier gins.

While hundreds of winemakers and distillers enter the IWSC each year, judges this year awarded just one gold medal in the dry gin category – to England’s Adnams Copper House Distilled Gin.

An excited Mr Glen told the Western Advocate that this sort of international recognition would be a huge boost for his distillery.

“What I think it will do is potentially open a few doors for us that are normally closed to small regional distillers,” he said.

“This award gives us a better chance of getting the Dry Gin into some of the fancier cocktail bars in the major cities.

“It’s always been a goal of mine to get some international recognition because it’s such a big boost for the brand.”

Success for the Dry Gin is especially sweet for Mr Glen, as it was the first spirit produced for the ever-expanding Stone Pine range.

“From day one, it’s always been our biggest product,” he said.

“Right back in the beginning when I was still in Scotland, the idea of creating a gin using Australian botanicals was basically my whole business plan.

“We’ve added the other products as we’ve gone along to broaden the offer.”

Mr Glen said the Dry Gin recipe has been tweaked over the past five years following feedback from industry heavyweights, but still features native and traditional botanicals that combine for a uniquely Australian gin.

And what’s the best way to enjoy a Stone Pine Dry Gin?

“It’s not original, but I still think gin and tonic is the best way to drink it and the feedback from our customers is that gin and tonic is still the most popular way,” Mr Glen said. “At the cellar door we’re now using a new tonic out of Melbourne called Capi.

“It’s all natural with no additives – just like us – so we recommend our customers use it as well.”