Lift your SPIRITS

Native botanicals, zero-waste practices and a healthy does of artistry set small-scale Australian distilleries apart, writes SAMANTHA PAYNE.

- SAMANTHA PAYNE

If the wide range of Australian spirits lining your favourite bottle shop shelves is anything to go by, smaller and artisan local distilleries are coming of age. Independent and boundary pushing, the local liquor set are turning their lack of traditional methods into a freedom to innovate, leaning into the elements that make Australia so very Australian.

Modern whisky production in this country is particularly innovative. “Because we’re not restricted in the way other countries are with their whisky production methods, distillers are experimenting with different types of yeasts, ancient grains and even types of barrels,” says Kathleen Davies, spirit educator and founder of Nip of Courage – an online shop and wholesaler. She rates Macedon Ranges distillery Mountain and their newly released Red Gum Single Malt whisky as a prime example, which uses native red gum timber to age the spirit, rather than French and American casks.

As all serious gin and vodka sippers already know, native ingredients are putting Australian spirits on the map. More than just a grab for attention, distilleries began working with natives 12 years ago because they tend to thrive in Australian conditions. The uniqueness that resulted was kismet. “Most gins in Australia now incorporate at least one native botanical,” notes Davies. It’s not traditional, but there’s a lot of local history in the Highball.