After the successful GinIstra 2024, where Premium Sloe Gin won a gold medal, Whitehead drinks from Vergilas Craft Distillery continue to win medals for quality and flavor at international competitions this year. Discover more.
In March, the distillery’s drinks were awarded five medals at the Kvarner Trophy 2026 competition, while in April, three drinks were awarded at the Frankfurt International Spirits Trophy. Five medals went to Vergilas Craft Distillery at the London Spirits Competition, confirming top quality and consistency in the production of distillates, which are ranked among the best-rated products globally.
Relatively new, Vergilas Craft Distillery is based on Rijeka’s rich history, innovation, and the widely known Rijeka water.
International Significance and Recognition of the Kvarner Trophy 2026.
The city of Rijeka has a rich history, and one of the most famous names is Robert Whitehead, a British mechanical engineer who left an indelible mark on Rijeka’s history.
Inspired by the glorious past of Rijeka, through whose center flows the far-famed Rječina River returning to its source, we come to the renovated mill in Trnovica, a small village on the Rječina River that was once the center of events and where the idea for a series of Rijeka drinks was born.
For evaluation, the International Wine and Spirit Competition Kvarner Trophy 2026, held in March in Vrbnik on the island of Krk, received a total of 287 samples of wine and spirits from six countries, confirming the growing international significance and recognition of this event.
The samples were evaluated by 30 exclusively certified evaluators from Croatia and abroad, and the best wines and spirits in 21 categories were awarded, including Vergilas Craft Distillery drinks with as many as five medals: silver medals were won by Pelinkovac and Gin, while bronze medals went to the products Ričina, Whisky, and Lješnjak.
International Competitions
Frankfurt International Spirits Trophy in Germany, a prestigious international competition held in mid-April, where spirits, brandies, and liqueurs from all over the world are evaluated, awarded three Vergilas Craft Distillery products a gold medal – Gin, Pelinkovac, and Hazelnut (Lješnjak).
This competition was held for the ninth time and included the evaluation of wines, beers, spirits, and olive oils. This year, the jury consisted of more than 450 experts and tasters, including sommeliers, oenologists, and experienced consumers who represent the real market’s preferences. A total of 3,367 samples from 47 countries were evaluated, including 709 samples of spirits in the Spirits Trophy category.
Rijeka’s Vergilas Craft Distillery drinks achieved exceptional success at the prestigious London Spirits Competition 2026, winning a total of five medals that confirm the top quality of their distillates and liqueurs. Among the many labels from around the world, Lješnjak and Teranino drinks were awarded gold, while Pelinkovac, Aged Gin, and Premium Ričina received a bronze medal.
The London Spirits Competition is unique in that the expert jury judges the drinks not only on quality, but also on value for money and packaging design, which gives the awards additional commercial weight. This ninth edition attracted entries from 30 countries around the world, with a focus on the United Kingdom, Australia, India, Italy, the United States, Mexico, and the Netherlands, confirming the global role of the spirits industry.
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Vergilas Craft Distillery at Fairs and Events
Rating on London Spirits Competition 2026, brought together more than 70 top industry experts, including master distillers, master mixologists, and elite buyers who, with their rich experience from various sectors, ensured a comprehensive evaluation of each entered drink.
In addition to winning medals at international competitions, Vergilas Craft Distillery was also noted at numerous events and fairs – the Mosaic of Kvarner Flavors event – Kvarner at the Table, the international tourism fair PLACE2GO, while the Halubajska drop from Vergilas Craft Distillery was particularly noted at the Viškovo tourism offer event and the 4th Cross-Border Local Providers Exchange Zeleni Kras in Ilirska Bistrica.
Text and Photos: Vergilas Craft Distillery
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