Independent Stave Company (ISC) in conjunction with the Australian Distillers are pleased to announce the inaugural Young Distiller Fellowship Award is now open for nominations from distillers under the age of forty years old.

The Australian Distillers is pleased to release it's annual report with updates from the outgoing President, Stuart Gregor, CEO, Paul McLeay, the updates Committee of Management, Governance update, and both membership and financial reports.

Australian Distillers members elected Holly Klintworth of Bass & Flinders Distillery as their first female President at their Annual General Meeting held on Monday.

ABAC have now completed a follow up of the issues arising from the recent compliance monitoring project. The ABAC Management Committee is waiting for the JWS Research report which has been delayed as the project leader is currently on extended leave. There are now three useful resources for ensuring responsible placement of alcohol marketing.

The Technical Standards Project Group hosted the Scotch Whisky Association to discuss Geographical standards and other issues for the preservation of Whisky in a global context. You opened the meeting. The slides and video can be viewed in the Members Portal.

Updates from our state and territory associations.

With the change in the federal government, we are advised that health bureaucrats are using this as an excuse to re-introduce problematic language to increase the scope of FSANZ beyond its current remit.

Progress has been made on socialising the need for a Parliamentary inquiry into the spirits industry.

Notice from the City of Sydney - 'Open for feedback'.

The City of Sydney is seeking your feedback. This annual survey will help them understand the continuing impacts of the pandemic, check on current business needs and monitor economic trends.

A record hike in Australia’s spirits tax will be a crippling “double whammy” for distillers and spirits manufacturers already battling some of the worst conditions in the history of the industry.

As your membership is a corporate membership, if you have not already done so, you should add team members to your membership. Thank you to those that have already contacted us and uploaded their team members.

ABAC recently retained JWS Research to monitor compliance of a random selection of its signatories (including Australian Distillers Association members) with ABAC placement rule 2. This placement rule requires alcohol marketers to use all available age restriction controls to exclude minors from viewing its Marketing Communications.