PEMBROKESHIRE’S Golden Road Gin has been awarded a Gold Medal at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, one of the world’s most respected spirits competitions.

Created by husband-and-wife team Philip and Jennifer Wheeler, Golden Road is a premium Welsh dry gin from the Preseli Hills and the only gin from Wales to achieve a Gold Medal among this year’s 4,000 entries.

The San Francisco World Spirits Competition, run by The Tasting Alliance, is renowned for its rigorous blind judging process. The award places the Pembrokeshire brand among an international field of spirits recognised for exceptional quality, balance and craftsmanship.

Philip Wheeler, co-founder of Golden Road Gin, said:

“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.”

The gin takes its name from the ancient Golden Road, the route that runs along the ridge of the Preseli Hills above the founders’ farm.

Jennifer Wheeler, co-founder of Golden Road Gin and a Cordon Bleu-trained cook, placed flavour and balance at the heart of the gin’s development. 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 an elegant, refreshing gin, full of quiet Welsh personality.

On receiving the global Gold Award, Philip expressed gratitude for support received from the Welsh Government and other local producers. He said:

“This recognition gives us real confidence that our gin can stand alongside some of the finest spirits in the world. For a small independent Welsh gin to win Gold in San Francisco feels extraordinary.”