HOW AN AUSSIE DISTILLERY WENT FROM CRISIS TO PRODUCING THE WORLD’S BEST GIN

Founder James Young

Less than a year after entering administration, Western Australia's Old Young's Distillery has been crowned home of the World's Best Gin, completing one of the most remarkable comeback stories in Australian craft spirits.

For most businesses, entering administration would signal the beginning of the end.

For Western Australia's Old Young's Distillery, it appears to have been the beginning of an extraordinary second act.

Just months after being placed into voluntary administration, Old Young's has been awarded the World's Best Gin and World's Best Gin & Tonic at the 2026 ADI International Spirits Awards in California, one of the most respected competitions in the global spirits industry.

The achievement marks a remarkable turnaround for founder James Young, who says the lead-up to administration was one of the most difficult periods of his life.

"The real emotional toll wasn't the day we went into administration, it was the nine months leading up to it," Young said.

"When you're lying awake at 2 am every night worrying about debts, investors and our 55 staff instead of getting excited about what's coming off the still, you know you've drifted too far away from what you love."

World's Best Gin follows a dramatic business reset

Old Young's entered voluntary administration in September 2025 following a period of rapid expansion that included hospitality ventures, tourism projects and the ambitious but ultimately shelved "Cathedral of Gin" development in Perth's Swan Valley.

Rather than ending the business, Young says the process forced the company to simplify its operations and refocus on its core strength: making exceptional spirits.

"The thing that dragged me furthest away from my real passion was opening the restaurant," he said.

"Eventually, I realised we were trying to be too many things at once. Simplifying the business brought us back to who we really are. We're a spirits company."

That renewed focus appears to have paid off.

At the 2026 ADI International Spirits Awards, Old Young's collected a string of major honours, including Best Gin in the World for its Common Gin Navy Strength Gin and Best Gin & Tonic in the World for its signature 1829 Gin.

The distillery also won Best Classic Gin and secured three gold, two silver and two bronze medals.

Adding to the momentum, Old Young's recently finished in the top five of the internationally recognised Fever-Tree Gin & Tonic Cup.

Decade of persistence

The awards arrive as the distillery celebrates its 10th anniversary, a milestone Young says carries far more significance after nearly losing everything.

"Hitting ten years means more now than it ever would have if things had just been smooth sailing," he said.

"It's proof that all the pain and hard choices were the right thing to do. We chose the hard road to make sure Old Young's survived."

The experience has also changed his outlook on growth.

While Old Young's once pursued ambitious expansion plans, Young says the focus is now firmly on sustainability and quality rather than trying to be all things to all people.

"I still absolutely believe in our big ideas, but now ambition also has to be paired with sustainability," he said.

"We're not trying to be everything anymore. We're focused on making world-class spirits."

Limited-edition releases

To mark both its 10th birthday and its latest chapter, Old Young's is releasing two special products.

The first is the return of Black Cherry Gin, one of the distillery's most requested seasonal releases.

The second is a highly limited-edition gin called Cream of the Crop, created using the first 50 millilitres collected from every batch of the distillery's 1829 Gin produced over the past decade.

Only 100 bottles have been made.

"It's the only product we physically could not have made without surviving ten years," Young said.

"In a very literal way, it's our first decade captured in liquid form."

Presented in hand-thrown ceramic bottles crafted by Western Australian potter Judy Nastov, the release is expected to attract significant interest from collectors and gin enthusiasts alike.

For Young, however, the biggest reward may simply be returning to the part of the business he loves most.

"Getting back behind the still feels like coming home," he said.

"My sleep came back, and my energy has come back. And for the first time in a while, I'm genuinely excited about the future."