A WOOLSTON-based distillery has taken home six international awards from the International Wine and Spirit Competition 2023.

Riverside Spirits, based on Melford Court, Woolston, has taken home six awards from the international competition, which featured more than 4,100 entries from across the world.

There were entrants from 91 countries, competing across a variety of categories - in total, there were 120 competing distilleries in the running.

The cucumber gin earned a silver medal at this year's awards (Image: Riverside Spirits)

Riverside Spirits bagged one silver award, and five bronze awards at the event, which saw experts from around the globe compete for the medals.

Cath Thomas, from the Woolston distillery, said: "This is the first time we’ve entered any of our drinks into the IWSC and we are over the moon to have received an award for six of our drinks!

"For a small, family-run business to be recognised at this level is truly amazing and we’re so appreciative.”

Regarding the obstacles faced by smaller businesses in the past few years, Cath said: “The company has seen a lot of changes and had many challenges over the years and to not only still be here but to be striving and winning prestigious awards, especially after Covid, is something that we are all really proud of.”

The medals given to Riverside Spirits at the awards (plus a description of each) are as follows:

• Silver – Cucumber Gin – IWSC tasting notes - Reminiscent of freshly sliced cucumber piled high for a summer salad, served on grass made golden in the sun. Flavours of juicy yet delicate cucumber and a crack of pink peppercorn.

• Bronze – London Dry Gin – IWSC tasting notes - Spring meadow aromas of soft grass and delicate violet notes are spiked with fiery ginger.

• Bronze – Figgy Pudding Rum- IWSC tasting notes -  Complex and well-balanced, full of caramelised banana, tropical spiced rum, and peach and apricot fruit.

• Bronze – Salted Caramel Gin – IWSC tasting notes - Light and restrained in style, characterful too, presenting an attractive minerality alongside flavours of toffee.

• Bronze – Passion Fruit Vodka – IWSC tasting notes - Fresh and bright with lively passionfruit flavours. Lovely lemon citrus sourness on the finish.

• Bronze – Salted Caramel Vodka – IWSC tasting notes - A lovely rich marshmallow sweetness characterises the nose, followed by flavours of caramel and butterscotch.

The distillery creates handcrafted products such as vodka and gin (Image: Riverside Spirits)

Cath added: "Our packaging is beautiful and the drinks are packed with so much flavour, all our liqueurs are hand made in small batches and every bottle is truly an artisan creation.

"Everything is hand blended, hand filled and hand finished to ensure consistency and guaranteeing quality.”

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