It may have only been on the market for just shy of nine months, but a Canberra gin has won big at an international spirit awards.
Kambah-based Underground Spirits has secured three medals at the 2017 Global Spirits Competition in Las Vegas, including a gold medal for their signature gin.
![Canberra's new distillery, Toby Angstmann (left) and Andy Galbraith.](https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/y/d/n/v/p/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gydc92.png/1504861220898.jpg)
The award-winning gin shows off Australia and Canberra's distinct flavours, incorporating coriander seeds, angelika root, poppy seeds, Tasmanian pepper berry, black pepper, cinnamon, lemon myrtle and basil grown locally in the Canberra region.
It was the first year for the awards, which recognise the top premium spirits from across the globe with entries received from distillers across five continents.
![Owners of Underground Spirits Toby Angstmann (left) and Andy Galbraith.](https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/m/6/n/o/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gydc92.png/1504861220898.jpg)
Underground Spirits also won a silver medal for its signature vodka and bronze for its caramel vodka.Â
Founder Dr Toby Angstmann said the team at Underground Spirits was over the moon with the result.
"In only our first year of producing it's an amazing result for Canberra distilled spirits to win three medals at a global award competition," he said.
"It's recognition of our innovative and patented process of sub-zero sub-micron filtration, which gives the spirit its pure heart. It's what I like to call 'old spirits done new'."
The Underground Spirits distillery was started in January this year by obstetrician and fertility specialist Angstmann and bartender Andy Galbraith, and the business has grown quickly.
"We've got big plans for the future and want to build on this success. We've got a shipment of our Signature Gin and Signature Vodka already exported to the UK which is just about ready to hit the shelves and we are working hard to establish ourselves in other markets too," Angstmann said.
You can try the gin at the Underground Spirits distillery at Kambah, which is open on weekends, or pick some up at a number of independent bottle shops around town.