The Australian Distillery Directory is a listing of Australian distilleries in each state.
Photo Credit: New World Distillery (Starward) – used with permission.
Compared to its international counterpart, craft distilling in Australia is a nascent industry. It was only in 1992 when Bill Lark, Founder of Lark Distillery, (aka the Godfather of Australian Whisky) succeeded in convincing legislators to change the Distillation Act of 1901 to allow for smaller stills to be operated by licensed distillers. And Australian craft distilling was born.
The boom in Australian spirits has seen anything from singular small batch spirit distilleries and one person operators to larger distilleries producing a range of popular spirits, liqueurs and eaux-de-vie. It is often overheard that there are over 80 active distilleries in Australia with an almost equal number awaiting approval. These numbers change frequently, and undoubtedly, exciting times are ahead for the local craft spirits industry.
Consumers have embraced the rise of Australian craft spirits and have become more discerning in their choice. Many have developed a growing interest in visiting Australian distilleries, meeting the distillers and the individuals behind the craft. Thanks to the calibre of our bartenders in bars across the country, consumers can quench their thirst for knowledge while supporting the local spirits economy.
It is with this thirst for knowledge in mind that we’ve put together this article on Australian distilleries. Since the early days, we have been taking an active part in documenting the rise of Australian spirits at our sister website Gourmantic, visiting distilleries and getting to know the people behind them. The Australian Distillery Directory is a living document that lists known Australian distilleries.
CLICK on the page numbers at the bottom of the article to navigate to the listing in each state, starting with Distilleries in ACT.
