Spirit of Craft Awards return for 2025 - TimeforWhisky.com interviews two winners

Last August we post about Asia's new Spirits Awards focusing on smaller producers around the world - "Spirit of Craft Awards", launched in January 2024. At the time, we interviewed a number of the winners to learn about their fascinating journeys in distilling and marketing whisky..

With the 2nd edition of the Awards coming up (with entries closing in just a few days) we thought it would be fun to re-visit some of the winners and ask them some questions specifically about the market in Asia. Tania Unsworth (Co-Founder of Seekers Independent Spirits) and Allison Renfrew (Head of Marketing for Isle of Raasay) were good enough to answer our questions

1) How do you see / approach the broader market in Asia - and have you seen any shifts since the first awards? Are there any particular Asian markets you’re focusing on in the future?

Seekers Spirits: Asia is an incredibly dynamic and exciting region for craft spirits. There’s a growing appreciation for high-quality, locally produced spirits, driven by a younger, more adventurous consumer base that values both authenticity and sustainability. We’ve always taken a region-first approach, focusing on flavors and ingredients that resonate with Asian palates while ensuring that our products meet international quality standards.

SOCraft Awards launched at a time where there’s more curiosity and confidence in homegrown brands. Asian consumers and bartenders are increasingly looking for spirits that have a real sense of place rather than defaulting to imported brands. This plays to our strengths, as our spirits, from Seekers Mekong Dry Gin to Jason Kong Butterfly Gin, highlight regional botanicals and flavors. Looking ahead, we’re particularly focused on growing our market share in Thailand and Vietnam, where craft spirits are really gaining traction. At the same time, we’re looking to establish strong distribution partnerships in Singapore and Hong Kong, both of which have world-class cocktail scenes.

Isle of Raasay: Asia is an exciting and rapidly evolving market, it offers a broad and diverse landscape of tastes, preferences, and cultures that provide great opportunities for Raasay Distillery. The growth of craft spirits and whisky culture in Asia, especially among younger, more discerning drinkers, has been a key development we’ve observed. SOCraft was a fantastic platform for showcasing our whisky and is a real credit to the hard work from our dedicated team on Raasay. The positive reception of this award has helped build awareness with consumers and we have found that awards like this really grab people's interest to try and explore new brands. Looking ahead, we’re working closely with markets like Japan and Southeast Asia. Interestingly, we will be attending our first whisky show in Singapore this year which we are really looking forward to.

2) What’s some advice you could give for brands looking to get into Asia, or specific markets in Asia?

Seekers Spirits: Absolutely. Asia is not a single, homogenous market—it’s a complex mix of cultures, drinking preferences, and regulatory environments. My main advice would be to take the time to understand each market individually. What works in Singapore may not work in Cambodia or Japan. Find strong local partners who understand the trade Platforms like SOCraft are invaluable because they provide validation, exposure, and access to industry professionals who are genuinely passionate about craft spirits. Winning an award at SOCraft isn’t just about a medal—it’s a signal to bartenders, distributors, and consumers that your product meets a high standard. The media visibility that comes with it also helps open doors to new markets.

Isle of Raasay: Entering the Asian market requires patience, cultural understanding, and an adaptable strategy. My advice would be to first do thorough market research to understand the local drinking habits, trends, and regulatory requirements for your category. Each country has its own preferences and unique challenges. For example, Japan has an established whisky tradition, whereas Southeast Asia may have a more experimental consumer base. Brands should prioritise building relationships with local distributors, bars, and restaurants, as these partnerships are critical to getting your product in front of the right audience. Networking with local influencers, industry professionals, and participating in events like SOCraft are great ways to introduce your brand, establish credibility, and create long-term connections.  SOCraft has helped us showcase our whiskies quality and credentials, so I would recommend it.

3) How do you balance between addressing the needs of customers looking to use your spirits in cocktails, against those looking to drink neat / straight? In terms of promotion, events, working with on-premise etc..?

Seekers Spirits: For us, it’s about versatility without compromise. We design our spirits to work beautifully in cocktails while still standing strong on their own. For example, Seekers Mekong Coffee Liqueur has enough depth and complexity to be sipped neat but also integrates perfectly into an Espresso Martini. Our wood-finished Mekong Gold Gin, works beautifully as a whiskey substitute in traditionally whisky based cocktails, but is exceptionally smooth and complex and can be enjoyed just on the rocks. When it comes to promotion, we work closely with bartenders to showcase the versatility of our range. We host masterclasses, tasting events, and brand collaborations that highlight the full potential of our spirits.

At bars and restaurants, we encourage venues to include a range of serves, ensuring different consumer preferences are catered to.

Isle of Raasay: At Isle of Raasay Distillery our aim is to make whisky consumption enjoyable and accessible to all, so showing variety of ways to consume allows us to do so. We primarily focus on enjoying the whisky neat but at events and on-premise we have the opportunity to be creative in the serves. For example, we recommend trying a Draamhattan which uses our Isle of Raasay Single Malt, The Draam instead of american whiskey. For those who prefer to drink our spirits neat or straight, we emphasize the quality, craftsmanship, and distinctive flavour profiles of our whiskies, highlighting our unique distillation process of using peated and unpeated spirit.

For the on-premise, we work closely with bars and restaurants, and provide training and support for staff on how to best use our products in mixed drinks. At events, we like to offer tastings that reflect who we are as a brand. We like to bring fun and engagement into the learning experience.

4) What has winning your award(s) last year meant for your brand?

Seekers Spirits: Winning at SOCraft was a great moment for us. It reinforced that what we’re doing—both in terms of liquid quality and sustainable production—is resonating with the industry. The recognition helped us build credibility in key markets, opening up conversations with distributors and bars that might not have been familiar with Seekers before.

It also validated our approach to craft spirits in Asia. We believe that local production, premium ingredients, and sustainable sourcing can compete at an international level, and the SOCraft awards proved that. It’s given us even more motivation to push forward, continue innovating, and showcase what Asia has to offer to the world of spirits.

Isle of Raasay: Winning the SOCraft award last year was an incredible recognition for Raasay Distillery. It validated the hard work and passion we put into every bottle, and it gave us increased credibility in a competitive market. It reinforced that we are producing something special, and we are very proud of that.

Many thanks to Tania & Allison for taking the time to answer our questions, and to the team at Foodnews Singapore for making the interview happen!

Cheers,

Martin.

TimeforWhisky.com interviews Spirit of the Craft Award winners Westward Whiskey, Launceston Distillery, Raasay Distillery & Macaloney's Distillery

We recently posted news on Facebook of a new Spirits Awards (hear us out...), the first from Asia, focusing on smaller producers around the world. "Spirit of Craft Awards" was launched in January of this year, and involves a panel of experts from Asia's bar and drinks media community.

Over three months, entries from across 15 countries – Australia, Cambodia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Scotland, Singapore, Thailand, New Zealand, Netherlands, and the U.S. – made their way to Singapore for judging by a panel of 36 judges in early May, with the results announced shortly after.

The full list of 2024/2025 winners can be found here, but we were lucky enough to score an interview with four of the winners, including both "3 Star" winners Isle of Raasay & Launceston Distillery, as well as Westward Distillery (whose whiskies we've covered a few times on the blog) & Macaloney Distillery. 

We wanted to understand what made their whiskies unique, the industry changes they've seen, how they engage customers in an increasingly crowded market, and any learnings they've picked up about running a distillery. So without further ado, we bring the answers from:

• Launceston Distillery Head Distiller / Production Manager - Chris Condon
• Raasay Distillery Co-Founder and Master Distiller - Alasdair Day
• Westward Distillery Master Blender - Miles Munroe; and
• Macaloney's Island Distillery President & Master wheiskymaker - Dr Graeme Macaloney

The view from Raasay Distillery's warehouse

1. There’s a lot of great whisky out there, and a lot of distilleries who’ve opened in the past 5-10 years. In a sentence of two, what makes yours stand out?

• Launceston: "We are a boutique whisky distillery, solely focussed on producing hand-crafted single malts. Our location in a restored heritage-listed aircraft hangar is an obvious point of difference. We also try to stay true to ourselves, an independent distillery that strives to consistently make high quality small batch whisky."

• Raasay: "We do everything on Raasay - using water from our well at the distillery for mashing, fermentation, cooling, cask reduction and reduction to bottling strength. We mature all of our spirits in our own warehouses and bottle everything on site, where we now employ over 40 people who live on Raasay (an island with a population of only 161!). Our community and island are a constant source of inspiration, seen in the bespoke Isle of Raasay bottles with hand printed rock and fossil formations from our complex geology. Our spirit directly reflects and truly represents the island where it is created."

• Westward: "At Westward, which is located in the heart of the American Northwest we’re beholden to whiskey, not the traditions that surround it. Westward is brewed like a Pale Ale, distilled like a Single Malt, and aged like a Bourbon. Our whiskeys are matured to perfection in Oregon, one of the most fertile barley-growing regions in the world, where our unique hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters are the ideal environment to raise a world class whiskey."

• Macaloney's: "The World Whiskies Awards (WWAs) in the UK are the most competitive in the world and conducted via blind tasting with industry-experienced judges. At these, our whisky and new-make underpinning our whiskies have won 3 'World's Best' and 8 'Category Best' gold medals. Our growing repeat sales, in Taiwan, across Europe, and elsewhere (we are interested to find a distributor for Australia) in an economic climate where Scotch sales are down, speaks to the excitement and interest in high quality whiskies with real craft provenance like ours."

Launceston Distillery

2. How have you seen the industry change in the time since you started?

• Launceston: "There has been tremendous growth in the Tasmanian industry. The number of distilleries has doubled in that time. But consumers are now more aware of Tasmanian spirits, and there has been international recognition for the quality of whisky coming from Tasmania."

• Raasay: "There have been some massive changes in the industry in Scotland since we founded R&B Distillers in July 2014. At that time there were only 90 operating distilleries in Scotland selling single malt whisky. Now there are over 150 malt and grain distilleries. There have been huge steps forward in technology since we designed our process for our Isle of Raasay distillery particularly in sustainable technology."

• Westward: "Westward began in 2004. At the time, there were just 3 dozen craft distilleries in the U.S. Today, we’re proud to be a leader among more than 3,000. With that, it means that to truly stand out you have to have a distinct point of view, excellent quality credentials, and an innovative approach."

• Macaloney's: "There has been a lot more interest in craft single malt as enthusiasts look for greater quality, yearn to understand what creates the flavours, and are interested in genuine provenance. Also connoisseurs have come to realise that quality is not tied to age and that deep complex maturation comes from best distilling practices and the best oak casks."

Westward's Miles Munroe

3. As a craft distillery, what’s the best way to engage new and potential fans?

• Launceston: "For people who are not familiar with our whisky, nothing beats giving them a taste. Therefore, award programs like SOcraft provide valuable recognition and exposure, which gives new customers the confidence to taste our whisky for the first time."

• Raasay: "We are creating experiences for all of our guests who visit our Isle of Raasay distillery. The adventure starts when you make the 25 minute ferry crossing from Sconser on Skye to the Isle of Raasay, then a short walk (and an even shorter drive) to the distillery. We have six luxury ensuite bedrooms, a restaurant, residents lounge and a bar all with amazing views looking back over the Sound of Raasay to the Cuillin Mountains on Skye. It's the perfect place to relax with a Raasay dram, gin or a cocktail and soak up the full Isle of Raasay experience!"

• Westward: "We’re lucky to have won a host of awards and accolades, including the distinction as the #5 whisky in the world by Whisky Advocate. Those major acknowledgements – and the recognition of global authorities in whisky like Dave Broom, Becky Paskin, and others — have certainly helped us discover new fans and followers. We also love sharing what it is that we do with whiskey enthusiasts and visitors to the distillery, and proudly serves as an ‘open book’ in our approach to whiskey-making. This approach to transparency – where no question is off-limits – really helps us stay engaged with our customers."

• Macaloney's: "Liquid to lips! We love to send ambassadors in to whisky clubs or into whisky stores for vertical tastings, and to festival masterclasses where enthusiasts can taste our quality and hear our story."

Macaloney Distillery tour

4. What’s your “go to” or everyday whisky from your line-up, and why? What about your “special occasion” whisky?

• Launceston: "Our tawny cask matured whisky is a great everyday whisky. It has lovely fruity aromas and flavours, a rich smooth mouthfeel, and a finish that a judge recently compared to a ‘friendly bear hug’. It sips well neat,  but also has nice complexity that works well with cocktails. On special occasions we like our peated release. It is mildly peated with sweet bourbon and tawny influences to balance the smoke. This makes it very approachable, even for people who don’t like peat."

• Raasay: "My "go to" whisky from our line-up is our signature Isle of Raasay Hebridean single malt as this represents everything we do on Raasay. 80% of our annual production is filling the casks for our unique Na Sia cask recipe - we mature 6 separate cask types and marry these together at bottling to created our lightly peated style with dark fruit flavours. My "special occasion" whisky is our fully matured Columbian Oak 'Quercus humboldtii' cask single malt. This has a depth of flavour and texture ranging from Creme brulee to oolong tea. It is very special indeed and a very unique cask type to the Scotch Whisky industry."

• Westward: "The one to always reach for is Westward Whiskey Original, this is what began the innovative journey we’re still on. Our flagship whiskey is the trunk of the tree with almost all other variations branching off from this starting point.  It envelops everything about why we do what we do at Westward in the bottle.  My special occasion pour is most certainly Westward Whiskey Milestone.  Without a doubt the most elegant single malt we’ve produced, it's a marriage of our most highly prized casks and carefully blended over years in a twenty-one barrel Solera system."

• Macaloney's: "Thats a tough question partly because there are all my babies, plus we uniquely distill 3 very different styles - Single malt, Triple distilled pot still, and Peated single malt (smoked at our distillery). Of the single malts i love the an loy because like japanese single malts it is delicate and nieuanced  but with great depth and bapanced complexity. For the triple pot still it has to be the kildara becuase it defeated 27 year old, 21 yo, 15yo and 12 yo redbreast irish whiskies to win worlds best!, And for the peated a favorite is hard to choose becuase the 15ppm an aba is delicately sherried, whereas the 27 ppm siol dugall is fantastic for its virgin and bourbon-wood influence, whereas our peat project sugar kelp infused 54ppm peated single cask is a spectacular exploration of terroir and merroir!"

Westward Distillery

5. When you were growing your distillery, which was more important - on-premise or off-premise / retail?

• Launceston: "Both cannot be overlooked, and I would suggest they are as important as each other.  On-premise allows for new consumers to try our whisky without the outlay of a bottle purchase, however the retail space needs to be considered to give the consumer the easiest path to purchase once they have enjoyed it in a bar or restaurant."

• Raasay: "All of our sales channels are very important to us. On-premise is where new and potential fans can discover our Isle of Raasay Hebridean single malt & gin, seeing our bottle stand out on the back bar and enjoy their first dram. Off-premise / retail is where fans and lovers of Isle of Raasay can acquire our spirits, satisfy their signature Raasay desires and seek out our latest special releases."

• Westward: "Great question, and this has changed of course drastically through Covid and beyond. We look for a mix of both at Westward. We’re fortunate to have many enthusiasts in the bar world who respect what we do, and that is an excellent path for consumer discovery. But we also recognize that our whiskey needs to be available for a consumer who then wants to shop for our products.."

• Macaloney's: "Off premise however i now realize our whiskies are amazing in cocktails so bars will be important going forward."

Launceston Distillery's "Angus"

6. What’s one thing you wish you knew about running a distillery before you began?

• Launceston: "Sometimes the romance of running a distillery can be very different to the reality. It can be hard work and it requires patience and perseverance. But when everything comes together after years of maturation it is well worth the effort."

• Raasay: "How difficult it can be to stay focused on our key messaging and continuously, consistently preach that key messaging to the world. "

• Westward: "With Westward, we’re always planning several years ahead. The whiskey we make today won’t see the light of day for at least half a decade (give or take), and so we are always a step ahead. That includes some of our expansion efforts – like our capacity increase we recently underwent."

• Macaloney's: "HOW HARD IT IS TO MAKE A PROFIT AFTER ALL THE COSTS AND TAXES!"

A stunning vista from Raasay Distillery

 

 

Thanks must go to Chris, Alasdair, Miles & Dr Graham for the time and answers, and to the great team at Food News Singapore for coordinating the responses & media.

Cheers,

Martin.