Celebrating a decade of world class, award-winning gins

At 6 O’clock Gin, we pride ourselves on the excellence and artistry within our craft. During our first three decades in the artisan spirits industry, we have racked up a multitude of awards, from local Taste of the West gongs to accolades from the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC). From our humble beginnings producing our exceptional range of Bramley & Gage fruit liqueurs, to the past decade spent refining our 6 O’clock Gin range, we are constantly striving for perfection. It is a huge honour to receive each and every commendation and we consider them a testament to the passion and commitment of the whole 6 O’clock Gin family. 

Just how award-winning is 6 O’clock Gin?

Since its launch in 2010, our flagship London Dry has racked up a massive 34 awards. In its first year alone, it was honoured with a Three-Star Great Taste Award from the Guild of Fine Food, a Gold Taste of the West Award and a Silver from the IWSC. 

Over the decade that followed, it went on to receive the IWSC Gold Best In Class award (2011) and a Gin Masters Gold (2014), alongside two further Three-Star Great Taste Awards (2014, 2016) and multiple other accolades. But what is it that makes it quite so special? 

The judges at the IWSC praised the “understated classical elegance” of our London Dry, complimenting the “ultimate equilibrium” between “beautifully balanced botanicals” and “finely tuned aromatics”. This strikingly smooth gin has also been celebrated across the pond, winning silvers in both the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2013, 2016, 2019) and the New York Wine and Spirits Competition (2019). 

What other awards has 6 O’clock Gin won?

Our London Dry is not the only gin in our range that gets industry experts and judging panels across the world excited. Our exquisitely engineered export-strength Brunel has racked up eight awards since its launch in 2017, including a Taste of the West Gold (2020), a Two-Star Great Taste Award (2018) and a silver in the International Spirits Challenge (2018) to name a few. In the past five years, our patiently perfected Sloe has also gained eight awards, including an International Spirits Challenge Silver (2016), a Taste of the West Gold (2018) and an IWSC Gold (2020). The IWSC judges commended the gin’s “decadent flavours of bright, plummy, sloe berries”, describing it as “warming and rich, with sumptuous acidity and a drying finish” creating the “perfect harmony between tartness and sweetness”. 

In 2018, our fantastically fruity Damson was awarded an IWSC Gold Outstanding. The judges heralded it as a “textbook damson gin” with “the perfect balance between the bright, resinous character of the gin and the complex fruit of the damson”. In addition to this top accolade, Damson has also been awarded a Three-Star Great Taste Award (2016), a Gin Masters Silver (2018) and a San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2020), among others. 

What’s next for 6 O’clock Gin?

Each award we receive feels like a huge pat on the back for our hard-working team and pushes us to strive for even more greatness. Last year, we launched six brand-new products, of which three have already gained industry recognition. Our London Dry and Exotic Orange ready-to-drink cans earned three awards each, including International Spirits Challenge Silvers, IWSC Bronzes and a One-Star Great Taste Award for Exotic Orange. Our Light ready-to-drink can was awarded an International Spirits Challenge Bronze.

These awards encourage us to keep pursuing new ventures, experimenting with novel projects and fine-tuning our craft so that we can create even more exceptional products for our gin-loving fans. As long as there’s a world full of ginthusiasts ready and raring to try our award-winning spirits, we’ll keep patiently distilling timeless classics for you to enjoy. What’s your favourite tipple from our award-winning range?

P.S. Our entries are in for this year’s awards season – stay tuned to our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter feeds to find out how we do!