Pernod Ricard cleans up at the 2015 Australian Liquor Industry Awards

Now in its 22^nd year, the Australian Liquor Industry Awards (ALIA) has once again recognised and celebrated the country’s leading liquor brands, venues and people.

Co-hosted by Intrust Super and IRi, the 2015 event was located at the Ballroom at Randwick Racecourse, and attracted over 600 attendees representing over 120 companies across the industry.

Pernod Ricard came out as the star of the evening scooping up six awards in total including the major award of Off-Premise Supplier of the Year. Jacob's Creek and Chivas Regal also proved key winners for Pernod Ricard, each winning two awards on the night.

Lion also proved to be a key winner on the night claiming four awards including the Best Marketed Beer or Cider for XXXX Gold.

Other key award winners were: Great Northern Super Crisp with New Product of the Year; Coopers with Liquor Brand of the Year; Liquor Barons with Retail Group of the Year; Jim Murphy's Airport Cellars with Liquor Store of the Year and Vanguard Luxury Brands who were named On-Premise Liquor Supplier of the Year.

"This is a truly national event, with winners from all over Australia including the Liquor Store of the Year from Canberra, the Best Hotel from Queensland, the Retail Banner Group of the Year from Western Australia, the Best Bar from Victoria and a number of worthy winners New South Wales,” said event director, James Wells.

"There were over 600 people and over 120 companies at the awards, this really is the Australian liquor industry's night of nights and I want to thank all the sponsors and everyone involved who have once again made ALIA such a special night."

Key sponsors of the evening included: sponsors of the night included Asahi Premium Beverages, Bacardi, Diageo, FoxSports Venues, Lion, Merch & Effect, Pernod Ricard, Speedibake, The Exchange and WilliamsWarn.

2015 ALIA winners:

Major Awards                

New Product of the Year
Winner – Great Northern Super Crisp     
HC – Four Pillars Navy Strength 

Liquor Brand of the Year                             
Winner – Coopers           
HC – Penfolds 

Retail Group of the Year                             
Winner – Liquor Barons 
HC – Porter's Liquor 

Liquor Store of the Year                              
Winner – Jim Murphy's Airport Cellars, Canberra, ACT    
HC – The Oak Barrel, Sydney, NSW

On-Premise Liquor Supplier of the Year                              
Winner – Vanguard Luxury Brands           
HC – Pernod Ricard

Off-Premise Supplier of the Year                            
Winner – Pernod Ricard
HC – Treasury Wine Estates

Beer and Cider

Full Strength Beer
Winner – Coopers Pale Ale 
Highly Commended – Carlton Draught 

Mid & Low Strength Beer
Winner – XXXX Gold
HC – Coopers Mild Ale 

Low Carbohydrate Beer               
Winner – Hahn Super Dry             
HC – Carlton Dry 

Premium Domestic Beer
Winner – Coopers Sparkling Ale
HC – Boags Premium 

International Beer         
Winner – Asahi Super Dry 
HC – Peroni Nastro Azzurro 

Australian Craft Beer    
Winner – James Squire 150 Lashes Pale Ale          
HC – Stone & Wood Pacific Ale

International Craft Beer              
Winner – Sierra Nevada Pale Ale               
HC – Samuel Adams Boston Lager 

Cider    
Winner – Somersby        
HC – Monteith’s

Best Marketed Beer or Cider                     
Winner – XXXX Gold       
HC – Coopers                

Wine                                    

Red Wine Popular – $12 or Under            
Winner – Jacob’s Creek Classic   
HC – McGuigan Black Label 

Red Wine Premium – $12 – $25 
Winner – Pepperjack     
HC – Jacob's Creek Reserve 

Red Wine Luxury – $25 and Over              
Winner – Penfolds Bin Range     
HC – Taylors Jaraman 

White Wine Popular – $12 and Under   
Winner – Jacob's Creek Classic   
HC – Houghton Classic 

White Wine Premium $12 – $25               
Winner – Oyster Bay      
HC – Fifth Leg 

White Wine Luxury – $25 and Over        
Winner – Shaw & Smith                
HC – Devil’s Lair Estate 

Australian and International Sparkling Wine     
Winner – Arras  
HC – Jansz 

Champagne       
Winner – G.H. Mumm   
HC – Veuve Clicquot

Dessert and Fortified Wine       
Winner – De Bortoli Noble One 
HC – Brown Brothers 

Best Marketed Wine Brand       
Winner – Penfolds          
HC – Taylors 

Spirits, RTD & RTS                           

Dark Spirit          
Winner – Chivas Regal 12 Year Old            
HC – Jack Daniel's 

Light Spirit                         
Winner – Absolut 
HC – Bombay Sapphire & Grey Goose 

Luxury Spirit – Over $70
Winner – Chivas Regal 18 Year Old            
HC – Four Pillars Gin 

Dark RTD/RTS   
Winner – Canadian Club                
HC – Jack Daniel's 

Light RTD/RTS   
Winner – Smirnoff Ice Double Black         
HC – Gordon’s Gin & Tonic 

Liqueurs             
Winner – Baileys              
HC – Cointreau 

Best Marketed Spirit     
Winner – Canadian Club                
HC – Jack Daniel's 

On-Premise                      

Best Hotel Renovation 
Winner – Hotel Palisade, Sydney, NSW  
HC – The Flour Factory, Perth, WA

Best New Bar                    
Winner – This Must Be The Place, Sydney, NSW
HC – Bad Frankie, Melbourne, VIC

Best Sports Venue                         
Winner – The Sheaf, Sydney, NSW          
HC – Royal Oak Hotel, Double Bay, NSW

Best Gaming Venue                      
Winner – Eastwood Hotel, Sydney, NSW               
HC – Criterion Hotel, Sydney, NSW

Best Hotel Food Menu 
Winner – Four in Hand, Sydney, NSW     
HC – Statler & Waldorf, Brisbane, QLD

Best Bar Food Menu                      
Winner – The Rook, Sydney, NSW            
HC – SoCal, Neutral Bay, NSW

Bar Manager of the Year                             
Winner – Cristiano Beretta, The Rook, Sydney, NSW       
HC – Jeremy Shipley, Solotel, Sydney, NSW

Bar Team of the Year                    
Winner – The Lobo Plantation, Sydney, NSW      
HC – Black Pearl, Melbourne, VIC

Best Draught Product                    
Winner – Young Henrys Real Ale               
HC – Stone & Wood Pacific Ale

Best On-Premise Spirit/Liqueur                               
Winner – Ketel One        
HC – Campari & Four Pillars Gin

Best Mixer                         
Winner – Fever Tree Tonic           
HC – CAPI

Best Beer List   
Winner – Local Taphouse, Melbourne, VIC           
HC – Lord Nelson, Sydney, NSW

Best Wine List                  
Winner – The Winery, Sydney, NSW       
HC – The Butler, Potts Point, NSW

Best Cocktail List                             
Winner – Eau De Vie, Melbourne, VIC    
HC – Black Pearl, Melbourne, VIC

Bartender of the Year                   
Winner – Paige Aubort, The Lobo Plantation, Sydney, New South Wales
HC – Will Sleeman, Black Pearl, Melbourne, VIC

Publican of the Year                      
Winner – Fraser Short, Watsons Bay Hotel, Sydney, NSW              
HC – Leeroy Petersen, The Village Inn, Sydney, NSW

Bar of the Year                 
Winner – Black Pearl, Melbourne, VIC
HC – The Barber Shop, Sydney, NSW

Hotel of the Year                            
Winner – Statler & Waldorf, Brisbane, QLD & Coogee Pavilion, Sydney, NSW
HC – The Oaks Hotel, Neutral Bay, NSW 

Hotel Group Operator of the Year                          
Winner – Solotel, Sydney, NSW 
HC – Keystone Group, Sydney, NSW

Bar Group Operator of the Year                               
Winner – The Swillhouse Group, Sydney, NSW  
HC – Applejack Hospitality, Sydney, NSW