There's a bit of a Gin and Spirit revolution happening around South Australia and the Fleurieu Peninsula has a growing number of distillers producing an exciting range of Gins and Whisky. You'll find a range of Gin and Whisky Tasting and Masterclasses around our beautiful region, and we've listed below some of our favourite producers and experiences.
Never Never Distilling Co. is the story of three people with a passion for flavour, having a serious go at creating Australia’s most exciting and innovative spirit brand. It is the culmination of their separate journeys, three paths walked that have managed to intertwine here in South Australia. The guys at Never Never Distilling decided to make juniper (the main ingredient in gin) the core of everything they do. Never Never is the start of a Juniper Revolution, making juniper the hero of their bold, modern-classic gins. They distil their juniper in three ways using the triple juniper method, complimented by eight other botanicals including the distinctive Australian pepper berry. This creates rich and complex gins that make delicious gin and tonics or cocktails. Enjoy the rage of Never Never Gins atChalk Hill Wines Cellar Doorwith stunning views over McLaren Vale and up to the Willunga Hills.
Mad Men Gin is the flagship product at "Flights" a new gin-tasting room in Penny Hill Winery's 160-year-old renovated carriage house. Behind the bar Mad Men’s original gin sits alongside the full KIS range. Fever Tree is the tonic of choice, but there’s also a range of Utonic kombucha spritzes. Penny’s Hill owner Tony Parkinson says “The appeal of gin over wine is the endless.
As boutique gin distillers,Settlers Spirits offer a Gin Masterclassat their distillery door. Join them and you can learn the history of this spirit as it was developed down through the centuries. You'll learn the different distillation methods that led up to today’s version of the classic dry gin. You'll be taught how to judge a superior, craft gin from a mass-produced inferior one. Settlers Spirits distillery door offers gin tastings for individuals, private group tastings as well as gin and cheese pairings. These experiences take place in the distillery’s modern tasting room called The Distillery Door. It overlooks local vineyards with the Willunga Hills serving as a backdrop.
The Salopian Innwas a gin bar before gin became the tipple of choice and with a choice of over 160 Gins on offer it’s the place to go in McLaren Vale if you love Gin. In keeping with their love of Gin Karena and Alex decided to collaborate with Brendan and Laura Carter (Applewood, Ochre Nation, Unico Zelo) and produce their own “Five Spice Gin”, based on the Chinese five spices that are integral to some of the dishes on the Salopian Inn’s menu. Karena Armstrong says “this Gin tells our story, so much of our food is based around the five spices and our duck dish has always had the Chinese five-spice element to it. We thought we’d make the perfect gin to go with it.” Pop into the Salopian Inn to sample some Gin, try their own Five Spice Gin and enjoy some of Karena’s beautiful food.
At Two Accents Gin they're passionate about our beautiful part of South Australia, and are very proud to bring you their batch-distilled Gins. Their Gins celebrate and pay homage to McLaren Vale with its unique position between the sea and the hills. From November 2019 you're able to taste and buy Two Accents Gins at Fox Creek Wines. All of their craft distilled gins are smooth enough to drink neat over ice. but If you want a long drink try their delicious Dry Gin with a great tonic, and a wheel of fresh lime. I If you need some "comfort gin" (Yes, that is a real thing!) then a measure of Barrel-Aged Shiraz gin over ice, with tonic and a slice of orange is comfort in a glass.
The Fleurieu Peninsula proudly weathers the wild Southern Ocean. In the lee of the mount lofty ranges, the Fleurieu coast extends from the sandy surf beaches of Coorong to the windswept rugged clifftops of the Cape. The Fleurieu Distillery is situated on the water’s edge in the river port of Goolwa where the whisky develops expressive maple and vanilla oak overtones mixed with spicy sea-air aromas. These elegantly combine to create a smooth bodied character that comes only from maturation on the southern coast.