News

Some of South Australia’s award-winning distillers are in fine spirits this week as they showcase their gins, whiskeys, brandies, vermouths and liqueurs in Singapore, supported by Distillers SA and the Department of State Development’s trade and investment office in Singapore.

Six artisanal distillers, supported by a $50,000 grant from the South Australian Government, are looking to establish an export presence in the Southeast Asia region.

Applewood Distillery, Flinders Gin, Ginny Pig Distillery, Imperial Measures Distilling, McLaren Vale Distillery and Threefold Distilling will participate in targeted business meetings, tasting events and site visits to raise awareness and foster export opportunities for South Australian spirits among Singapore’s burgeoning hospitality sector.

“Following our export masterclass with Export Connect in June, Distillers SA identified that over 25 per cent of our members are eager to expand into new export markets by 2024-25,” said Mr George Georgiadis, President, Distillers SA.

“Thanks to the support from the Department of State Development and Austrade’s Singapore office, we are now facilitating our first trade visit for South Australia’s craft spirits sector. This visit aims to introduce Singapore to our region’s award-winning artisanal offerings, from whiskey and brandy to liqueurs and gins. With the rising demand for flavour-forward spirits in Southeast Asia, we see exciting opportunities for growth across multiple spirit categories.

“We hope this marks the first of many international trade visits to the region, with continued backing from the Department of State Development.”

Singapore is the world’s third largest importer of spirits, valued at more than US$2.12 billion in 2023. South Australia is home to more than 100 distillers, including many regional producers. The local sector is tipped to grow more from an estimated 600 to 2,300 direct jobs by 2031.