Starward's founder David Vitale has regained full ownership of his distillery, leading its direction after more than 10 years away from the helm.

Vitale had remained a key part of Starward since Distill Ventures – Diageo’s investment and mentoring business – invested over $480m in over 35 brands including Starward and Mr Black in 2015.

Diageo announced in March last year that it was ending its partnership with Distill Ventures, igniting speculation as to the fate of the brands under its purview.

Established in 2007 by Vitale, Starward was born from a vision to craft a uniquely Australian whisky with global appeal. To this day, the distillery stays true to its heritage by sourcing every ingredient from within a single day’s drive of its Port Melbourne facility.

Since then, Starward has built a strong international presence as an example of premiere Australian whisky, with consistent success on the global award stage, including last year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team