5 new-school distilleries that are redefining gin

Travel, food and drink blogger Kirsty Le Juge uses her olfactory flare to follow the scent of Australia’s new breed of gin producers. These 5 regional distilleries are taking Aussie gin to a whole other level.

There’s an indisputable truth that few things go together as well as gin, vermouth and Campari to create something as perfectly delicious as a Negroni.

Perhaps this versatility is partly to blame for gin’s reputation as a spirit often exclusively reserved for mixing in cocktails.

Nowadays, the rules are changing. Here are five Australian distilleries taking their gin game to the next level and proving that the only thing you need to enjoy this tipple is a glass. And even that part’s optional!

1. Loch Brewery and Distillery, Loch, South Gippsland

Tucked away in the quaint town of Loch, amongst rolling hills peppered with grazing cows in beautiful South Gippsland, you’ll find Loch Brewery and Distillery.

Housed on the main street, Victoria Road, inside a former bank built in the 1800s, owners Craig and Mel Davies are busily taking advantage of local botanicals to produce high quality, small-batch gin.

Craig had a superlative teacher – Bill Lark from Lark Distillery, to be specific – and he and Mel now produce three varieties themselves.

As much as possible, ingredients are sourced from a farm just up the road. A quick poke around in the botanicals room reveals a host of poetically named ingredients – strawberry gum and lemon myrtle, to name a couple.

Add some juniper to the mix and you’ve got, from weakest to strongest, a Gin Liqueur, a Classic Dry Gin and The Weaver (50 per cent).

Drop by for a tasting and a chat up at the bar, and learn about the beer they brew and the whisky that’s on the way too. The beautiful setting, combined with two friendly hosts and, of course, the high quality gin, make this the perfect day trip from Melbourne.

Better yet, make a weekend of it; the Kernot Food and Wine Store is the place to be on a Saturday night, but that’s a whole other story…

2. Four Pillars Gin, Healesville, Yarra Valley

In keeping with the theme of ideal getaways from Melbourne, may we suggest Healesville in the Yarra Valley? If you do heed this advice, and find yourself in Healesville, then you should promptly make tracks to Four Pillars distillery

Cam Mackenzie heads up operations here; he’s quite a superstar in the world of gin. With 10 trademark botanicals, including cardamom, lavender and star anise, you can’t go past favourites like Navy Strength and Rare Dry Gin.

But Four Pillars is as renowned for its limited-edition bottles as it is its standard range, and this experimental nature is a big part of the success.

For example, the Australian Christmas Gin was created by adding actual Christmas puddings during the distillation process, which took place in Rutherglen Muscat aged barrels. Apparently you can have your gin cake and eat it, too.

Or perhaps you fancy the deep purple colour and sweet flavour of the Bloody Shiraz Gin, made by steeping Yarra Valley shiraz grapes with gin.

An afternoon well spent includes dropping by the distillery for a glance at Wilma, the copper still named after Cam’s mum, while sampling the fruits of her labour.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

3. The West Winds Gin, Margaret River

It’s hard to imagine anything less than amazing coming out of Margaret River, and Australia’s most awarded gin is no exception.

The tipple in question is none other than The West Wind’s The Cutlass, just one of the uniquely Aussie offerings in this family of five gins, including The Barrel Expedition Gin. Aged in vermouth barrels in collaboration with Australian vermouth producers Maidenii, this is the first of a series of barrel-aged expressions.

Mixing juniper alongside flavours like Australian bush tomato and lemon myrtle, it’s these unique elements that have seen the company do our humble island proud.

It all started in 2010, in the style of ‘four guys walk into a bar…’ the punch line being that they left with a goal of producing “damn fine gin".

The very next year West Winds went on to win double gold and gold awards with its first two (damn fine) offerings at the 2011 San Francisco International Spirits Competition.

It didn’t stop there, either: these guys haven’t really stopped kicking award goals since then.

4. Distillery Botanica, Erina, NSW Central Coast

Here’s one for Google dictionary: enfleurage. This fancy French word describes the NSW Central Coast-based Distillery Botanica’s process of extracting the purest fragrances from its ‘hero botanical,’ Murraya (a flowering citrus plant with white flowers, it smells like orange blossom).

The process involves using a fat-based medium, in this case coconut oil, to absorb the citrus aroma of the white flower without heat. The aim is to capture the garden-grown ingredients as purely as possible, so that the jasmine, honeysuckle and orange blossom speak for themselves.

Distillery Botanica’s Garden Grown Gin is what you get when a horticulturist/herbalist turns his green thumb to distilling.

After growing and sourcing the botanicals, Philip Moore hand blends each of the distillations to create a couple of different gin varieties along with liqueurs and even candles. So pure it’s basically like doing yoga, right?

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5. Shene Estate & Distillery, Pontville, Tasmania

We’re well aware that Tassie’s at the forefront of all things food and drink, including the swelling gin scene at Shene Estate & Distillery.

At the ripe old age of 197, the estate’s well and truly still got it. Steeped in all the culture and stories of a life well-lived, this grand and iconic building originally served as early colonialist Gamaliel Butler’s country residence and even has links with King George III.

Owners (since 2007) the Kernke family, are painstakingly passionate about the preservation and sharing of the estate’s heritage and began producing gin within its walls in 2015

If atmosphere alone isn’t enough for you, then rest assured that the San Francisco World Spirits Competition made no mistakes in 2016 when they awarded gold and silver medals to both entries from Shene.

Master distiller Damian Mackey, of Mackey Whisky fame, brought his unique brand of knowledge and experience gained under the wing of Bill Lark to the old hayshed at Shene. The result is two varieties of Poltergeist Gin: A True Spirit and Unfiltered.

Your best bet is to heed the advice of Shene and enjoy it with fine company, gossip and in the dead of night.

Why stop now?

> Follow Kirsty Le Juge and Denver Cramer in their search for the “cool shiz" in food and drink at Whisky & Peanuts

> Let’s meet Sydney’s Gin King

Makers, bakers, artists, chefs, crafters – Ballarat and its surrounds are overflowing with creative spirits. All dedicated to keeping traditional skills alive for a city that is humming with artful energy.

Modern makers: a new generation of artists and artisans

“Keeping craft alive is a noble cause,” says Jess Cameron-Wootten, a charming and passionate master leathercrafter and cordwainer, who handmakes traditional leather boots and shoes in Ballarat’s old Gun Cotton Goods Store.

Ballarat was recognised in 2019 as a UNESCO Creative City of Craft and Folk Art, and today it’s a place where craft traditions converge with contemporary needs. Nothing quite captures this convergence as a visit to Wootten, the workshop and store of Jess Cameron-Wootten and his partner Krystina Menegazzo.

heritage buildings in Ballarat — Ballarat’s streets are lined with heritage buildings. (Image: Matt Dunne)

Jess’s father was an artisan bootmaker, or cordwainer. Now Jess and Krys and their small team of artisans continue the tradition, but with a modern spin. The company’s boots and shoes, made completely from scratch, are renowned for their quality and longevity. Wootten also craft shoes, bags, belts, leather aprons, wallets and more.

Cosy beanies, gloves, alpaca socks, “unbreakable” shoelaces and various other goods – many from local craftspeople and small-scale makers – fill the shop’s shelves. “We’re always happy to support a mate,” says Jess. “People love to see the workshop and where things are made. Our clients care about quality and sustainability,” Krys comments. The company slogan ‘Made for generations’ says it all.

Ruby Pilven’s ceramics at Ross Creek Gallery. (Image: Tara Moore)

For Ruby Pilven, craft is also in the DNA – both her parents were potters and with her latest porcelain ceramics, Ruby’s young daughter has been helping add colour to the glazes. “I grew up watching my parents in the workshop – I’ve always been doing ceramics,” she says, although her Visual Arts degree was in printmaking. That printmaking training comes through particularly in the rich layering of pattern. Her audacious colour, unexpected shapes and sudden pops of 12-carat gold are contemporary, quirky – and joyful.

You can see Ruby’s handcrafted ceramics, and work by other local and regional artists, at Ross Creek Gallery, a light-filled space surrounded by serene bushland, across from the mudbrick house her parents built in the 1980s. A 10-minute drive from Ballarat, it’s a tangible link to the region’s well-established craft traditions.

How Ballarat is preserving the past

artisans making crafts at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades, Ballarat — The Centre for Rare Arts & Forgotten Trades holds workshops to preserve crafts and skills.

While tradition is ongoing, there’s a danger that many of these specific type of skills and knowledge are fading as an older generation passes on. Step forward the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades.

The seven purpose-built studios occupy a fabulous modern building adjacent to Sovereign Hill, with state-of-the-art facilities, enormous windows and landscape views across to Warrenheip and Wadawurrung Country.

artisanal works at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades, Ballarat — Check out artisanal works at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades.

Practising artisans run hands-on workshops. Fancy making your own medieval armour? Or trying your hand at blacksmithing, spinning wool, plaiting leather, weaving cane or craft a knife? Book a class and learn how. “It’s about creating awareness and also sharing knowledge and skills before they are lost,” explains Deborah Klein, the centre manager.

A city steeped in food and flavours

Chef José Fernandez preparing American streetfood at Pancho — Chef José Fernandez creates vibrant South American street food at Pancho. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

One skill that hasn’t been lost is that of cooking. Ballarat’s burgeoning gastronomy scene runs the gamut from an artisan bakery (the atmospheric 1816 Bakehouse) to cool coffee shops, speakeasy cocktail bars and distilleries to fine-dining venues. But I’m still surprised to find Pancho, José Fernandez’s South American street food restaurant, serving fried cheese tequeños, fiery fish tacos, Argentinian grilled chicken.

The room is as lively as the food – a whirl of colour filled with gifted and thrifted paintings, photos, tchotchkes (trinkets), plants. There’s a Mexican abuela aesthetic going on here. Even before the music and mezcal kick in, it’s fun. Heads up on the drinks menu – an authentic selection of mezcal, tequila, South American wines and Mexican cerveza.

a cocktail at Itinerant Spirits, Ballarat — Enjoy a cocktail at Itinerant Spirits. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

The spirit is willing, so after lunch we head towards the gold rush-era Ballarat train station and across the line to the old 1860s Goods Shed for Itinerant Spirits. At one end, a massive German copper still looms behind a wall of glass. The fit-out embraces deep olive-green tones, original bluestone walls, steamer trunks as coffee tables, heritage timber floors, oversized lamp shades and cognac-hued modernist leather seating.

the Itinerant Spirits Distillery & Cocktail Bar, Ballarat — The distillery operates from an old goods shed. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

Gallivanter Gin, Vansetter Vodka and Wayfarer Whiskey – the key spirits distilled – star at the bar. The spirits are crafted using grains from the Wimmera Mallee region, and native botanicals foraged in the Grampians. Seasonal cocktails are inspired by local people and places (I loved The Headland, inspired by Sovereign Hill and flavoured with old-fashioned raspberry drops). Sample the spirits, and join a cocktail masterclass or a distillery tour. It’s a seductive setting – you’ll likely find yourself ordering a charcuterie platter or pizza as the evening progresses.

The Ballarat stay combining history and luxury

one of the rooms at Hotel Vera, Ballarat — The rooms at Hotel Vera have a contemporary style. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

New lives for old buildings keeps history alive. Vera, Ballarat’s boutique five-star hotel, has taken it to the next level: it’s a palimpsest, a subtle layering of early 1900s and 1930s Art Deco architecture with a sleek new wing. There are seven spacious suites, each a dramatically different colour, with designer chairs, blissful bathrooms. High-end pottery and hand-picked artworks imbue the spaces with personality.

Vera’s intimate, award-winning restaurant, Babae, is subtly theatrical with sheer drapes and gallery lighting, its bespoke timber furniture and brass-edged marble bench setting the stage for food with a sharp regional focus. “We have goat’s cheese from a local supplier, handmade granola from local Vegas & Rose, truffles from nearby Black Cat Truffles, fresh food from our garden, and regional wines,” says joint owner David Cook-Doulton.

Celebrating the local makers, bakers, growers and producers, and the master chefs who work their magic is all part of the rich tapestry that links Ballarat’s history to its vibrant present.

A traveller’s checklist

Getting there

It’s 90 minutes from Melbourne, either on the Western Freeway, or hop on a V/Line train from Southern Cross Station.

Staying there

Hotel Vera is a centrally located Art Deco boutique hotel. Consider Hotel Provincial, which feels like a sleek country house, but with its own restaurant, Lola.

a contemporary room at Hotel Provincial, Ballarat — Hotel Provincial has country house vibes.

Eating there

dining at Mr Jones, Ballarat — The table is set at Mr Jones. (Image: Tony Evans/ Visit Victoria)

Culinary whiz Damien Jones helms Chef’s Hat winner Mr Jones Dining with quiet assurance. His modern Asian food is deceptively simple with deep, intense flavours. Low-key, laid-back ambience, lovely staff, thoughtful wine list.

Cocktails are definitely a thing in Ballarat. Reynard (fox in French) is foxy indeed, a clubby space with top-notch cocktails and small bites. Grainery Lane is extravagantly OTT with its massive 1880s bar, myriad chandeliers, brass gin still, Asian-inspired food and lavish cocktails.

dining at Grainery Lane, Ballarat — Dining at Grainery Lane.

Playing there

a laneway filled with artworks in Ballarat — An artful laneway in the city. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

Check out local design legend Travis Price’s wall murals in Hop Lane with its colourful canopy of brollies, or in Main Street. The Art Gallery of Ballarat’s off-site Backspace Gallery showcases early-career artists in a stylish, contemporary space. First Nations-owned and run Perridak Arts connects people to place, bringing together art and crafts in this gallery/shop.

a woman admiring artworks at Perridak Arts Gallery — Perridak Arts is a First Nations-run gallery. (Image: Tony Evans)

The wineries of the Pyrenees are close at hand with their welcoming cellar doors and robust reds. Join a behind-the-scenes tour at the Centre for Gold Rush Collections.