Tash McGill is our Super Spirits head judge. Tash is one of New Zealand’s leading spirits writers, industry advocates and educators, chairperson of the New Zealand Whisky Association and international spirits judge. She also specialises in food & beverage, hospitality & tourism sectors and in businesses that are scaling from start-up to growth. 

With 14+ years in the Hospitality industry, and a passion for anything booze; he has a love for anything spirit wise. Originally from the UK but proudly calls New Zealand home. Give him a follow at @drinkscal to see what amazing cocktails he's creating! 

We asked Cal a couple of questions: 

PJ is a cocktail alchemist, focusing on creating drinks using unusual techniques or ingredients. He has studied the WSET Level 3 in Spirits, and a general certificate in distilling from the IBD, as he one day hopes to run his own distillery under the name “Cauldron.” 

We asked PJ the following questions: 

What do you enjoy about being a judge? I enjoy being able to use everything I've learned over my years in the industry and through my WSETs to pick out the best of the best.

What do you look for in the categories that you judged? For gin, I look for a great example of the category. For London Dry, I look for a clean, well-balanced spice and citrus profile, and for Contemporary, I look for something a little more fun and exciting to stand out. For rum, I'm looking for a good amount of fruity funk!

What are some key tips when looking for a spirit in store as a customer? I'd say these days it's more important than ever to support local. Look for trusted Kiwi brands that are branching out and doing cool stuff! Ask bartenders what their favourites are, they've likely tried a lot more than you have