New Norfolk Distillery wins at world rum awards

The New Norfolk Distillery has claimed "back-to-back" gold medals by winning the World's Best Traditional Spiced Rum at the 2026 World Drinks/Rum Awards held at the Waldorf Hilton Hotel in London on Tuesday.
The World Drinks Awards recognises all the year's best rums, spirits, wines, beers and more while bringing producers, innovators and industry leaders together to promote products to consumers and industry professionals worldwide.
For the second year in a row, the New Norfolk Distillery’s highly regarded traditionally spiced rum, named "Near Horizon", has been awarded the world's best in category, again knocking off other high-quality finalists from the UK, USA, Wales and Puerto Rico.
The most popular rum in the Distillery, World Champion "Near Horizon" has a sweet and spicy flavour blended from a concoction of native Australian botanicals and exotic Caribbean spices.

Adding to this award, the New Norfolk Distillery Team and manager Tarrant Derksen also received the  "Icon Of Drinks"-  2026 Production Team Of The Year, with Tarrant also receiving runner-up in the 2026 Distillery Manager of the Year.
 "This is such a well-deserved accolade that recognises the passion, dedication and craftsmanship put into every bottle they produce,” the statement released said on the distillery's production teams' recognition.
Not finishing there, two of the distillery's other rums were also awarded third place or bronze medals.

One in the World's Best "Pot Still-Unaged" Rum category for their "Drone Riot" variety and also in the World's Best "Contemporary and Botanical" category for the variety "Project Furiosa".

Both of these rums were awarded gold medals and the world's best in the same categories at the same event in 2025.
Following on in another statement, a spokesperson from the distillery said, "To stand alongside some of the world’s most respected international rum producers is something we’re enormously proud of.

“We also met several fellow Australian producers who won awards, highlighting the strength of our Aussie spirits industry".
New Norfolk Distillery Manager Tarrant Derksen is one of only two Master Rummeliers in Australia and the only one in Tasmania, having completed the relevant qualification and assessment certification program in 2026.