Spirited success for Crossgar’s Shortcross in global markets
FoodNI member, Rademon Estate Distillery, home of Shortcross gin and Irish
whiskey, has received numerous awards, including multiple accolades for both
their gin and whiskey products. Notably, Shortcross Gin has won a Master at
the Gin Masters and a number of gold and silver medals.
The Shortcross Irish Whiskey has been recognised as Ireland’s Best New Irish
Whiskey in 2021. Furthermore, the distillery’s Distiller’s Duo whiskey blend has
also won gold at the Irish Whiskey Awards.
The family-owned and run enterprise, which features a state-of-the-art distillery
and visitor complex, is now among the most ‘decorated’ brands in the UK and
Ireland. It’s also among the most innovative in terms of its output of gins,
whiskeys and poitin.
The company recently won three major awards for its gins from The Spirit
Business publication which celebrates excellence in the spirits industry,
recognising outstanding brands, products and individuals across various
categories. The prestigious awards were judged by the editorial team and a
panel of independent experts drawn from the international industry.
David Boyd-Armstrong, who founded the business with wife Fiona, now-the
managing director, in 2012 to create a new type of gin, is justifiably proud of the
company’s amazing achievements in the years following the launch. Back then,
there was just one distillery here; Old Bushmills in Co Antrim.
Echlinville at Kircubbin gained a licence to distil spirits the following year and
has also gone on to achieve international acclaim especially with its Dunville’s
range of premium Irish whiskeys and Weaver’s gin.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the achievements of Shortcross:
Gin Awards:
Master (Ultra Premium Gin category): Shortcross Gin at the Global Gin
Masters
Gold: Shortcross Citrus Drizzle Gin
Silver: Shortcross Wild Clover and Casked Aged Gin
Gold and Silver: Shortcross Citrus Drizzle Gin
Whiskey Awards:
Best New Irish Whiskey 2021: Inaugural release of Shortcross Irish
Whiskey
Gold (Peated Whiskey category): Shortcross 5 year old Peated Single Malt Irish
Whiskey at the Irish Whiskey Awards
Gold: Shortcross Distiller’s Duo Irish Whiskey
Overall Winner (Blended Irish Whiskey category): Shortcross Distiller’s Duo
Irish Whiskey
92 Points: Shortcross Distiller’s Duo awarded 92 points by VinePair
Other Notable Mentions:
Rademon Estate Distillery was shortlisted for the Icons of Whiskey
Ireland 2019
The distillery received a San Francisco Seal of Approval
Shortcross Gin has been recognised as ‘Ireland’s Most Awarded Gin’
The distillery was featured in VinePair’s “15 Best Irish Whiskeys for 2025” with
their Distiller’s Duo.
The awards demonstrate Rademon Estate Distillery’s commitment to quality
and innovation in both gin and whiskey production, establishing the distillery as
a prominent name in the Irish spirits industry.
Awarded Ireland’s Best New Irish Whiskey 2021 in the Irish Whiskey Awards.
Shortcross Gin: Trio of awards at the global gin masters for Rademon Estate
Distillery
David is “quietly chuffed” that Shortcross Gin has been awarded the highly
coveted ‘Master’ accolade in the Ultra Premium Gin category.
The most recent awards for Rademon Estate Distillery from The Spirit Business
publication are two Gold Medals and a Master Medal for its Shortcross Citrus
Drizzle Gin, Shortcross Gin and Shortcross Cask Aged Gin respectively.
Rademon also won a further Gold medal with its new Shortcross 5 year old
Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey, which won Gold in the Peated Whiskey
category at the 2024 year Irish Whiskey Awards.
Rademon, in addition, is the first distillery in Northern Ireland to produce peated
Irish whiskey in over two generations, another demonstration of its strong focus
on innovation.
David is also chairman of Drinks Ireland in Dublin, the industry leading body.
His role is to guide the spirits category in Ireland towards continued success
emphasising the quality of Irish spirits on a global scale
Drinks Ireland Spirits represents the spirits industry across Ireland on policy
advocacy, taxation, trade and market developments, and the ongoing
international protection of Ireland’s Geographic Indicators (GIs).
David continues: “The spirits industry across the island of Ireland has a vibrant
offering and is central to the economic, social, and cultural fabric of the island.
Domestic sales and exports have steadily risen after a challenging few years.
“It is wonderful to see the growing awareness and appreciation both at home
and abroad of unmatched quality of Irish spirits, especially our protected
Geographic Indication (GI) spirits: Irish Whiskey, Irish Cream and Poitín,” he
adds.
The Co Down company is also making an important contribution to tourism in
Ireland through its whiskey and gin tours using its superb and purpose-built
Visitor Information Centre on the picturesque distillery outside the village of
Crossgar.
