A Tasmanian distillery has proven that sustainability and quality can go hand in hand, securing prestigious recognition at this year’s Clean + Conscious Awards.
Derwent Distillery has taken home gold for its Single Malt Whisky and silver for its Last Sanctuary Gin at the 2025 awards, which celebrate the most ethical and sustainable products across Australia and New Zealand.
Co-founders Robbie and Emma Gilligan have built their business with environmental principles at its core, from energy sourcing to packaging choices.
“We’ve always been passionate about sustainability. We built the distillery from scratch and stayed off grid as much as possible,” Robbie Gilligan said.
“All our water is rainwater, we use solar power, and our packaging uses 100% recycled glass bottles.”
The awards evaluate products not only for their quality but also for ingredients, materials, environmental footprint and ethical practices.
Destination Southern Tasmania CEO Alex Heroys shows Tasmanian operators’ authentic commitment to sustainability principles.
“Sustainability can sometimes be a bit of a buzz word, but when you find businesses that integrate it into every single aspect of what they do, whether from source produce through to packaging, they really do live and breathe this,” Heroys said.
Located on the banks of the River Derwent, the distillery also serves as the official partner gin of the Handfish Conservation Project, a critically endangered species native to the region.
The Gilligans believe their sustainability practices directly enhance their products’ quality.
“The fact that we use rainwater has a big part to play in the flavour, whether it’s a white spirit like gin or an aged spirit like whisky,” Gilligan said.
“Being in Tasmania, we’ve got the cleanest air, the cleanest water. We love that we can use that every day in our products.”
Tasmania’s Smitten Merino took out gold in the awards’ Best Sustainable Womenswear category for their Florence Dress in Merino Jersey.
