The morning of the 20th October 2023, at around 5am, our team gathered to hear the news that Four Pillars has been named International Gin Producer of the Year at the International Wine & Spirits Competition in London (the ‘Oscars’ of our industry) for the third time.

So that’s 2019, 2020 and now 2023. This is the first time anyone, anywhere has been named world’s best gin maker three times. We are quite frankly blown away. 

This December, it will be just 10 years since we released our first batch of Rare Dry Gin, made in our mate Rob Dolan’s back shed at Warrandyte South. Today our home is rather more impressive in the heart of Healesville.

And heart is what we want this note to be all about.

Since the very first day we have tried to build a distillery and a business with heart. A generous, spirited heart. A heart that beats proud to take Victoria and Australia to the world and a heart that cares about our craft, our place and our people.

And ours are people of great skill and enormous heart.

So this is for Cam’s mates, Flammo, Payto, and Hally who put together Wilma, our first copper gin still. And it’s for Michelle, who started in 2013 helping us with the books and now runs the whole damn joint.

It’s for Ken and Nicole (Naccas to us) who hand-bottled our first gins in that Warrandyte shed, and continue to make our gin and our distillery what it is today.

It’s for Elton, Kirsty, Lily and Scotty and every legend who has put in one shift or a thousand at Healesville, and it’s for every member of our gin family, past and present, around Australia and around the world. 

And it’s for you. Every single one of you who has supported us along the way.

Truthfully, this award is proof that here in Australia we can make things that are the envy of the world. We can be the best in the world. Especially when you’ve got the support of the best people in the world behind you.   

So thank you. Every single one of you. Right from the bottom of our gin-soaked hearts.

From a very proud Four Pillars Gin family.