Golden Road Gin awarded Global Gold in San Francisco
Golden Road Gin, a premium Welsh dry gin from the Preseli Hills in Pembrokeshire, has been awarded a Gold Medal at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, one of the most respected and influential spirits competitions in the world.
The award marks a major international milestone for Golden Road, an independent, founder-led gin created by husband-and-wife team Philip and Jennifer Wheeler. It places the Pembrokeshire brand within an international field of spirits recognised for exceptional quality, balance and craftsmanship.
Buy Golden Road Gin at Blas ar Fwyd
Run by The Tasting Alliance, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition is renowned for its blind-tasting process, with entries assessed by leading spirits experts, buyers, bartenders, educators and industry professionals. With over 4,000 entries in 2026 and a blind judging process led by experienced spirits experts, buyers, bartenders, educators and drinks professionals, the award is a significant international endorsement of quality.
Golden Road Gin was created to capture the spirit of the Preseli Hills and takes its name from the ancient Golden Road that runs along the ridge of the hills. For thousands of years, traders, pilgrims and travellers crossed this route carrying goods, stories and ideas across Wales. That sense of journey, landscape and shared experience sits at the heart of the brand.
Crafted using traditional copper pot distillation, Golden Road brings together carefully selected botanicals, including fresh bay leaves hand-picked from the founders’ farm at the foot of the Preseli Hills. Pink peppercorn and a distinctive cherry tea blend add gentle warmth, lift and character, creating a gin that is bright, aromatic, elegant and refreshing.
Jennifer Wheeler, a Cordon Bleu-trained cook and co-founder of Golden Road Gin, placed flavour and balance at the heart of the gin’s development. Designed to work beautifully in a classic G&T, while carrying enough structure to sit alongside food, Golden Road was developed as a refined, food-friendly gin with a clear sense of place.
Philip Wheeler, co-founder of Golden Road Gin, said: “To win Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition is a huge moment for us. This is one of the awards that carries real weight in the spirits world, because the judging is blind and the standard is exceptionally high. Golden Road began with a simple but very personal idea: to create a gin that carried something of the Preseli Hills, our farm, and the feeling of adventure, authenticity and joyful shared moments. We are very grateful for the comprehensive and tactical support we have received from the Welsh Government and other local producers we have met through their support. It has helped us enormously. This recognition gives us real confidence that our gin can stand alongside some of the finest spirits in the world.”
The San Francisco Gold Medal follows a growing list of awards for Golden Road Gin, including Gold at the Global Gin Masters 2024, Best in Class recognition at the World Gin Awards 2025, and a Great Taste Award. The latest accolade strengthens Golden Road’s reputation as a premium Welsh gin with international credentials.
Buy Golden Road Gin at Blas ar Fwyd
