Drinks agency Speciality Brands will exclusively distribute Australian whisky Starward in the UK from September.
Starward has ambitions to become a top five whisky in the world.
Based in Melbourne, the brand was founded in 2007 by Dave Vitale. Vitale has been vocal about issues caused for Australian distillers by the country’s federal government’s spirits excise, which is set to go up again today (5 August).
Speciality Brands will be tasked with building Starward’s presence in the UK, through increasing distribution across all channels with a programme of events, tastings, and sampling.
The agreement will start on 2 September and Speciality Brands will distribute Starward’s four core whiskies – Nova, Left Field, Solera and Fortis (100 Proof) – alongside its limited releases.
Starward’s commercial director Scott English commented: “We’re pleased to be partnering with Specialty Brands to continue to grow our award-winning whisky’s presence in the UK.
“Our Melbourne-made whisky already has an established footprint in this dynamic commercial market, and we look forward to seeing Speciality Brands unlock new opportunities for us.
“We know that our UK Starward fans have embraced our Australian whisky with open arms, and this partnership represents Starward’s ongoing commitment to expand and grow in this region for years to come.”
Speciality Brands’ world whisky portfolio includes Nikka, Kavalan, Michter’s, Amrut and Chichibu.
The category’s influence is growing, with demand stemming from distillery conditions that allow for more freedom and innovation in comparison with the regulations faced by traditional whisky-making regions.
Chris Seale, Speciality Brands managing director, added: “We have been following the progress of Starward for some time now and have always been impressed with the brand’s liquid and positioning.
“We’re really pleased to be adding them to our portfolio. Our expertise in world whisky stands us in good stead to achieve the brand’s ambition in the UK. We’re looking forward to expanding on its current foundations and bringing more drinkers to the Australian whisky category.”
Starward won a number of accolades in the 2023 World Whisky Masters blind tasting, including Master and Taste Master for its Fortis expression.
