New Norfolk Distillery wins big at World Rum Awards
A small Tasmanian rum distillery has won big at the recent World Rum Awards, unexpectedly coming away with multiple gongs.
Tasmania
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A small Tasmanian rum distillery has won big at the World Rum Awards 2025 last week, unexpectedly topping three different style categories and earning gold medals for each.
Taking out the ‘Traditional Spiced’, ‘Contemporary and Botanical’ and ‘Sugarcane Spirit’ categories, New Norfolk Distillery’s triple win came as a surprise to founder Tarrant Derksen.
“We were not only surprised we won one award, but we won three. We were so amazed,” he said.
“It’s an honour to have our products recognised as being the best in their style categories, in a competition that includes established rum distilleries from the Caribbean to as far away as Scotland,
“It makes all the days and nights of hard work, and persevering with our values of making the best quality products with as many locally sourced ingredients as possible, worth it.”
Made with sustainable Australian molasses, the winning spirits were fermented, distilled, aged and bottled at their New Norfolk distillery, housed in a former asylum complex.
Founding the distillery in 2019, Mr Derksen’s success is shared by his proud family.
“All Tarrant’s rums are named after science fiction, he is such a nerd,” Mr Derksen’s mum Liz told the Mercury.
“He really wanted to focus on rum, he knew there were no dedicated rum distilleries in Tasmania.”
The family focused distillery also features a Dutch cookie liqueur ‘Voor Vader’ dedicated to Mr Derksen’s father and self described “top taster” Rob.
“Voor Vader means ‘for father’ in Dutch, Tarrant made it for me one Christmas,” Rob said.
With the distillery punching above its weight in international competitions, Mr Derksen said he wanted to “reinvigorate” the love for rum in Tasmania.
“We want rum to be the next big thing, we’re a modern distillery and want to do new and interesting things in fun and new ways,” he said.
Originally published as New Norfolk Distillery wins big at World Rum Awards
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