Juno Distillery is raising a glass to a remarkable year of recognition, capped off by major wins at the 2025 NZ Spirits Awards.
The New Plymouth-based distillery’s flagship Juno Extra Fine Gin was awarded Best in Category (Contemporary Gin), while Vesta Extra Fine Vodka took home Best in Category (Neutral Vodka).
It caps off a strong showing at the 2025 NZ Spirits Awards, with Juno collecting a total of eight medals across the portfolio, including Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals spanning seasonal gins and vodka.
Award highlights include:
- Best in Category (Contemporary Gin): Juno Extra Fine Gin
- Best in Category (Neutral Vodka): Vesta Extra Fine Vodka
- Gold Medal (Contemporary Gin): Juno Extra Fine Gin
- Gold Medal (Neutral Vodka): Vesta Extra Fine Vodka
- Silver Medals (Contemporary Gin): Juno Autumn Gin, Juno Spring Gin (releasing September), Juno Winter Gin, Juno Maia Gin
- Bronze Medal (Contemporary Gin): Juno Summer Gin
- Silver Medal (Flavoured Vodka): Vesta Coffee Vodka
For Juno’s flagship Extra Fine Gin, the recent NZ Spirits Awards backs up a huge win at the Super Spirits Awards, where they were recognised with Best NZ Spirit in Show, Best in Category (Gin), Best in Class (Classic Gin) and a Gold Medal (Classic)..
Other major wins in 2025 include:
- Korea Wine & Spirits Awards:
- Vesta Coffee Vodka: Grand Award.
- Singapore SOCraft Awards:
- Juno Extra Fine Gin: 2 Star Award, Green Ring (Sustainability).
- Vesta Coffee Vodka: 2 Star Award, Green Ring (Sustainability).
- Maia Gin: 1 Star Award, Green Ring (Sustainability).
The husband and wife team credit their success to Taranaki itself, the pure mountain water, fertile soil, and a community that supports innovation and sustainability.
“This year has been nothing short of extraordinary,” says co-founder Jo James. “To see both our gin and vodka celebrated at the highest level is an incredible honour, and recognition of the effort our team puts into creating spirits that are distinctly New Zealand, world-class, and full of character.”