Redefining Classic: How Japan Came Out on Top

The IWSC's Gin Awards is the world's biggest and most diverse gin competition, with thousands of entries from around the globe. Within the Classic/Traditional Gin category - defined as gins that are juniper forward with harmony between juniper and other traditional gin botanicals like coriander seed, angelica root and citrus peels - Japan recently claimed the only Gold Outstanding medal, creating a veritable revelation and shaking up an industry that assumed British is always best. 

Osaka Gin's impressive IWSC 98-point triumph over 261 global entries - including 43 from the UK - proves that gin's most traditional category now belongs to whoever executes best, not whoever invented first.

Reimagining A Classic 
Less than 7% of Classic Gin entries achieved Gold medals at the IWSC 2025, making this the competition's most demanding spirits category. "To stand out is really difficult because everyone's doing something similar," explained Olivier Ward, gin expert and IWSC Spirits Judging Committee member. "Quality and innovation must exist within the constraints of classicism."

The UK still dominated volume - securing 4 of 13 Gold medals and 39 Silver medals - but the competition's one and only Gold Outstanding from Japan proves that regional interpretation can elevate tradition. As Siobhan Feeley, distiller at Sacred Spirits and IWSC judge, observed: "In Asia, the classic style is being reimagined using native botanicals to give it a new character, which keeps the consumer excited."

Commercial Clarity
For producers, focus beats flair. "Classic gin isn't about being quirky or weird - it's about great quality liquid that speaks for itself," Ward noted. The category's maturation is evident too. As Desmond Payne MBE, Master Distiller at Beefeater Gin and IWSC judge, observed: "The weird and wacky stuff that was out there five years ago seems to have disappeared."

Germany's Elephant Strength Gin (95 points) and the Philippines' Archangel Reserve (95 points) proved that smaller markets can achieve Gold medals through precision rather than volume. Both countries had minimal entries but maximum impact - exactly what Ward described as "the definition of gin: citrus leading to piney juniper, onto spice."

The Heritage Premium 
For an industry increasingly saturated with botanical experiments and flavour innovations, Classic Gin's medal winners offer something more valuable: authenticity without apology. As veteran distiller Payne observed: "Sometimes people overcomplicate things. Concentrate on the quality, concentrate on your own particular style. If you're determined and convinced that it's right, stick with it."

That advice resonates beyond production floors. In a marketplace where consumers crave both novelty and reliability, Classic Gin delivers the latter without compromise. The category’s 79% medal rate – with 43% of entries earning Silver and 50% Bronze – makes it uniquely positioned for sustained commercial success.

This breadth of quality means there is a Classic gin for every occasion and price point. UK’s Black Death London Dry Gin (87) and Switzerland’s Fullmoon (89) are prime examples of Bronze winners offering reliable, approachable quality for mainstream markets.

In truth, the real story isn't that Japan beat Britain at gin. It's that the best traditional gin can now come from anywhere - as long as the distiller truly understands what tradition means.

Explore the top-scoring Classic Gins below, or head to our results page to see the full list.