Geelong distillery earns innovation award

A Geelong distillery has been recognised for helping pioneer Australia’s emerging agave spirits industry, taking out the innovation award at the 2026 Australian Distillers Association Industry Awards.

Anther Distillery founder Dr Dervilla McGowan received the honour at the Australian Distillers Association Conference in Adelaide in recognition of seven years of research into Australian-grown agave and its use in locally produced spirits.

Her research has explored every stage of production, from cooking and fermentation through to distillation and maturation, helping establish production methods for Australia’s growing agave spirits industry.

The work also informed the design and development of Australia’s first dedicated farm-to-bottle agave distillery in Queensland.

Working with Act of Treason and industry partners, Dr McGowan developed the production process for the company’s Australian Agave Spirit Blanco and Reposado, which have since won multiple gold medals and champion trophies at national and international competitions.

“To preserve the unique Australian terroir and flavour, I actively avoided researching Mexican production processes and instead allowed the character of our agave to drive the recipe,” Dr McGowan said.

Anther has also recently partnered with New South Wales-based company Beudi Agave on advanced fermentation trials and the co-design of a dedicated agave distillery due to open in 2027.

The innovation award recognises individuals and businesses driving research, innovation and excellence across Australia’s distilling industry.