Drinks Adventures

In this episode we meet Derek Charge, who is CEO of Hellyers Road Distillery in Tasmania. Hellyers Road was founded in 1997 by a group of dairy farmers who decided to diversify their business into the production of whisky. At the time of this episode going to air, the company is in the final stages of an equity crowdfunding campaign that has already generated almost $3.5 million worth of investment. I've never known much about Hellyers Road beyond what I've heard anecdotally from people. So, this juncture seemed like the perfect opportunity to catch up with Derek and satisfy my curiosity about a significant player in Australian whisky that up until now, has flown a little bit under the radar.

In this episode, we meet Richard Jeffares, founder of the gluten-free brewery Two Bays, which recently won a gold medal for its Session Ale at the World Beer Cup. The World Beer Cup is often referred to as ‘The Olympics Of Beer'. It's held in America every two years and unlike most of the other drinks competitions around, there is only one gold, silver and bronze medal awarded in each beer category. It's frightfully difficult to win a medal, especially for breweries on the other side of the world, which naturally face logistical challenges getting their beer in front of the judges in peak condition. As such, there's only been a handful of Australian breweries that have ever won medals in the World Beer Cup, with 9300 beers entered this year from 2060 breweries in 50 countries. Two Bays founder Richard Jeffares and head brewer Kristian Martin were in Las Vegas to collect the award. And when I caught up with Richard on his return to Australia, it was also a chance to hear about other developments at the company, which continues to impress with its mastery of beers made from a base of millet, buckwheat and rice.

We're joined this episode by Rod Berry of Amber Lane, a whisky distillery based in the Yarramalong Valley, north of Sydney. Rod's longstanding enthusiasm for whisky gradually evolved into an obsession while working in his previous career as a lawyer. Ultimately, Rod joined forces with friend and fellow whisky enthusiast Phil Townsend to set up the Amber Lane distillery on Phil's property in the Central Coast hinterland. Since leaving the legal pro behind, Rod has been fine-tuning his craft, inspired by his passion for sherried Scotch whiskies, and applying some maturation techniques that are more commonly utilised in the production of cognac.   Already with an impressive array of gold medals to its name, Amber Lane has developed a reputation for quality, which Rod believes is crucial for craft spirits producers to be able to prosper in the current competitive and economic landscape.  

In this episode we return to Beechworth in High Country Victoria, after having Ben Kraus from Bridge Road Brewers on the show last year. This time we're joined by chef Michael Ryan from the highly acclaimed Beechworth restaurant, Provenance, to discuss Beechworth Bitters Company, his side project dedicated to amaro and cocktail bitters. A few years ago I brought you an episode about Italian amari, produced in partnership with The Italian Cultural Institute. This episode puts an Australian angle on this lesser known spirits category, as Michael explains how he created his own library of extracts from roots, leaves, flowers and bark, and blended them into this distinctive range of bitters that speak clearly of their Beechworth provenance.

Ihana Wine is a boutique wine brand launched by Finnish Formula One driver Valtteri Bottas in partnership with sixth generation McLaren Vale wine company Oliver's Taranga. A ten-time race winner currently driving for the Kick Sauber F1 team, Valtteri shares with us his longstanding passion for wine, and specifically South Australian shiraz, which has been crystallised through his relationship with South Australian Tiffany Cromwell, the professional cyclist. Listen in as Valtteri opens up about the blending process, collaborating with Oliver's Taranga winemaker Corrina Wright, and how he balances his interests in wine, coffee and gin with the demands of the F1 season. We find out what he thinks of the DR3 wines created by Australian F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo, who we had on the show in early 2023. Later on this episode I talk again with Corrina who gives her perspective on one of the more unlikely celebrity wine partnerships that I've been able to share with you on the Drinks Adventures podcast.

We're joined this episode by the founders of Sydney's newest craft brewery, Chuck & Son's Brewing Company. And yes, we're talking about Chuck Hahn, who is sensationally making a return to the brewing industry in partnership with his son Scott. Chuck notched up 50 years in the brewing industry in 2021, which we celebrated on this podcast with this special documentary episode. I naively thought that would be a footnote to his incredible brewing career. But it turns out Chuck has unfinished business. Together with Scott, the next chapter begins May 2024 at a new brewery in St Peters in the inner west. However, it is of course an exceedingly difficult market to launch a new brewery, even if you're Chuck Hahn. We'll address some of those challenges later on in this interview with Chuck and Scott.

Rollo Crittenden is general manager, winemaker and vineyard manager of Crittenden Wines in Victoria's Mornington Peninsula region. Mornington Peninsula is synonymous with premium quality pinot noir and chardonnay, and Crittenden certainly excels at making wine from those varieties. But when it comes to differentiating the winery from its peers, Rollo has an ace up his sleeve. Since 2011, Crittenden has been making a rare Australian example of the white wines made from savagnin grapes that are unique to the Jura region of France. Known as ‘vin jaune' wines in Jura, they're aged for years in barrel under a layer of flor yeast, similar to how fino sherry wines are made in Spain. And the results are quite extraordinary, as I experienced myself late last year when Rollo presented a retrospective comprising six vintages of Crittenden's Cri De Couer savagnin wines. Coming up, you'll hear how this project has evolved from an accident into one of the most celebrated wines on the contemporary Australian scene. NB: This interview was recorded following the event late in 2023, right before I took an extended break from the podcast. Keep that in mind when we reference the upcoming pipeline of releases during this interview.

The Australian Distillers Association is the peak body for the 700 craft distillers that are now spread across the country, up from just 40 a decade ago. I work pretty closely with the ADA and its chief executive Paul McLeay in my day job as media & communications manager of Spirits & Cocktails Australia. In this bonus episode, Paul and I catch up for a quick chat about the ADA Conference coming up in Brisbane on April 28 to 30, 2024, which is the association's 20th anniversary year. I know quite a few of you are in the distilling industry, so Paul and I will hope to see you there. Since we were already sitting down for a chat, I took the opportunity to ask Paul about the latest global accolades for Australian distillers at the World Whiskies Awards, and how his members are coping in the challenging economic environment. Register for the ADA Conference here.

Last year I reported on the worrying spate of insolvencies in the drinks industry, particularly among craft brewers. And things have gotten even worse so far in 2024. Dave Padden of Sydney's Akasha Brewing was pretty open with us last year on the show about the difficulties his business was confronting. Sadly, Akasha last week became the latest brewery to enter voluntary administration. In this episode I'm joined by Dale Meddings, joint CEO of Bintani, Australia's leading supplier of ingredients to the brewing and distilling industries, and a long-term sponsor of the podcast. Coming up, Dale shares with us the impact this brewing industry turmoil has been having on his business, and we get a health check on the emerging craft spirits sector. Dale reveals what are some of the hottest ingredients currently on the market that will shape the drinks of the future. And you'll hear why, in spite of everything that's going on, he is still optimistic about the future of independent brewing in Australia. Where to here for local beer? (Crafty Pint article)

Back in early 2023 we met Jeremy Blanks and Greg Jackson of Tarac, the largest distiller of grape spirit in Australia, which is diversifying into the contract production of whisky. Twelve months on, Jeremy and Greg return to the show having recently had their first trial whiskies come of age. I've had a chance to taste these whiskies that have been column distilled from malted barley, and was really impressed with them. Don't take my word for it though, if you're a distiller and heading to the Australian Distillers Association Conference in Brisbane at the end of April, you can try these whiskies for yourself at the trade show. See you there! In this special episode of Drinks Adventures – produced in partnership with Tarac – Greg and Jeremy update us on all the developments in their whisky program since we last spoke. The company's first commercial batch of whisky will reach maturity in August 2024. And based on the level of interest from distillers thus far, this milestone should mean we start to see some more blended whiskies coming on to the market in Australia. Does Australian whisky have the appropriate regulations to accommodate these products? That's something Jeremy, Greg and I explore a bit later on in today's conversation. Click here for more information on Tarac's Australian single malt whisky offering.

We're joined again this episode by Andrew Caillard MW, one of Australia's leading authorities on wine. Andrew was last on the show in November 2020 discussing the debut of two Australian wines on the prestigious international wine marketplace, La Place de Bordeaux. This time Andrew joins us to discuss his magnum opus, The Australian Ark, the most extensive history of the Australian wine industry ever written. First up, Andrew and I discuss the challenges involved with getting a book of this scale and ambition off the ground. We then explore just a handful of the individuals and events that have shaped the wine industry as told by Andrew in The Australian Ark, such as: Who was the real father of Australian wine – it's not James Busby as I previously thought; How colonial wine evolved from a cottage industry into a booming export industry spearheaded by the Emu brand of Australian burgundy in the late 1800s; and The Australian Wine Canon – Andrew's list of the most influential Australian wines of all time, starting with the Rosehill Red Wine produced in Parramatta in 1792. Trigger warning: This episode which includes some pretty confronting discussion about the displacement of First Nations people that sadly occurred as part of this story, and which Andrew doesn't shy away from in his book. I'd like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this podcast is produced – the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation – and pay my respects to their Elders past and present.

Satya Sharma is the new CEO of Australia's pioneering whisky company, Lark Distilling. Sash – as he prefers to be called – has only been on deck since May 2023. But already, he has put his stamp on the Lark business. The frenzy of special releases has been dialled back in favour of a clearly defined core range. Export deals have been announced for several markets in South East Asia. 700ml bottles are on the cards, and as you just heard, the business has committed to greater transparency about the provenance of whiskies that carry the Lark name. Sash joined Lark following ten years with William Grant & Sons, most recently in Singapore, where he played an integral role establishing export markets for its iconic brands including Glenfiddich and The Balvenie. We'll explore that career background and Sash's vision for Lark coming up in this extended interview that gets the Drinks Adventures podcast underway for 2024. If you haven't already, make sure you listen to the special episode I did for the 30th anniversary of Lark Distillery in 2022. I've linked to it from the show notes. First up this episode, I asked Bill Lark his thoughts on the new leadership, which signals the beginnings of another chapter for the business he founded back in 1992.

Victorian winery Seppelt today is probably best known for its exquisite table wines.I'm talking about St Peters Shiraz from its home region of the Grampians, and chardonnay, riesling and pinot noir from the esteemed Drumborg Vineyard in the cooler climes of Henty.Perhaps lesser known to some of us is Seppelt's rich heritage in sparkling wines.In 2022, the company highlighted that pedigree with two new cuvees named in honour of Charles Pierlot, the Frenchman who in 1890 made Australia's first traditional method sparkling wines at Seppelt's Great Western winery.Pierlot also pioneered one of Australia's most unique wine styles, sparkling shiraz.Seppelt Show Sparkling remains the benchmark for this style today. And Seppelt winemaker Clare Dry argues it deserves to be consumed more broadly than the traditional occasion of Christmas time.In this special episode of Drinks Adventures, produced in partnership with Seppelt, I started by asking Clare about the story behind this unique wine.Later in this interview, you'll find out a little bit more about how sparkling shiraz is made, and we'll explore the new vintage, 2012 Show Sparkling, released this year.Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Dr Tim Jones is undoubtedly one of Australia's top cider makers. After starting his drinks production career making industrial cider in Cascade Brewery, Tim joined Willie Smith's as head cider maker in 2014.He stayed in that role until 2020 and during that period of almost six years, Willie Smith's won a stack of trophies for its ciders showcasing the complexity offered by heirloom English and French cider apple varieties.Tim's new venture is Wild Mother Tasmania, a vinegar company that like Willie Smiths is based in the Huon Valley, Tasmania.Wild Mother is dedicated to minimal intervention, unfiltered and unpasteurised vinegars from apples and cherries, some of which have been aged in casks that have previously held bourbon, port and Tasmanian whisky.And more relevantly to this podcast, there are also some liqueurs and apple brandies in the pipeline that you'll hear about, right after Tim explains how he first became interested in exploring the world of craft vinegar.

Five years ago when I started this podcast I never thought I'd see small craft brewers making products like hard seltzers, low carb and non-alcoholic beers, or “cervezas” that to me look very much like the macro lagers they originally railed against.But these are interesting and challenging times in the drinks industry. All producers are currently grappling with a plethora of economic headwinds and the need to cater for increasingly health conscious consumers.Chris Moschos, who is innovation director at Lion, is better placed than most to speak about these trends.Prior to joining Lion – Australia's second biggest brewer – in February 2022, Chris worked for almost 14 years at spirits company Diageo Australia.In this interview, Chris and I speak about a couple of Lion's big bets in 2023. James Squire Stride, the first low carb beer released by the pioneering craft beer brand in its 25-year history.And Kirin Hyoketsu, a premix vodka lemon sour that's been phenomenally successful in Japan, where it's been available since 2001.This is a special episode of the Drinks Adventures podcast, produced in partnership with Lion.And given Chris's job title, I started this interview by asking what the word ‘innovation' means to him.

Darwin Distilling Co is a Northern Territory distillery founded by our guest this episode of the podcast, hospitality entrepreneur Rebecca Bullen.Originally from Victoria, Bec was lured to Darwin by the opportunity to open the city's first wine bar, Stone House, which launched in 2016 and is still going strong today.She subsequently opened the gin bar and restaurant Charlie's of Darwin in January 2020, with the distillery as its centrepiece.Carefully avoiding encounters with snakes and crocodiles, Bec forages local botanicals to create a uniquely Territorian range of gins and vodkas, with cane spirits also in the pipeline.I'm somewhat ashamed to say that I've never been Darwin, or the NT for that matter, so started by asking Bec about the appeal of living and working in this unique city.Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

With more than 30 years' experience in the whisky industry, Dr Rachel Barrie was the first female Scotch whisky Master Blender inducted into Whisky Magazine's illustrious ‘Hall of Fame'.Also known as the 'First Lady of Scotch', Rachel studied chemistry before landing a job as research scientist at the Scotch Whisky Research Institute.She then moved into production at The Glenmorangie Company, becoming Master Blender in 2003.During that time Rachel also managed the stocks for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, before moving to Morrison Bowmore Distillers with Bowmore, Auchentoshan and Glen Garioch, and subsequently working with Laphroaig and Ardmore. Since 2017, Rachel has been Master Blender for Brown Forman's Single Malt portfolio, comprising Glendronach, Benriach and Glenglassaugh – distilleries we previously explored on this podcast with global brand ambassador Stewart Buchanan in 2022.I'm excited to share this fascinating interview with Rachel that I recorded when she was in Sydney recently.Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Established in 1884, the Melbourne Royal Wine Awards annually attracts around 2,500 entries from over 400 wineries from across the country.The Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy is the pinnacle of the competition. It's awarded to the best one or two year old red wine as blind tasted by the judges.Last year, the winner was the 2021 Old Legend Grenache from Hentley Farm in the Barossa Valley.It was another milestone in the ascendancy of Australian grenache, which is something I've discussed recently on the podcast with both with Max Allen and Jane Lopes.Hentley Farm chief winemaker Andrew Quin joins us this episode with the trophy presentation for the 2023 Melbourne Royal Wine Awards coming up this Friday November 3.Wolf Blass once said the Jimmy Watson was worth a million dollars to the winning producer, so I started by asking Andrew about the significance of last year's prize to Hentley Farm.Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Renowned wine writer Huon Hooke previously appeared on the Drinks Adventures podcast way back in Season One, in an episode exploring Australians' love affair with champagne.He's finally back for this full-length chat about The Real Review Wine Classification, which launched in 2022 aiming to highlight the greatest wines of Australia and New Zealand that have an outstanding track record of a decade or longer.Huon and I discuss the fresh approach he's taken to classifying wine versus other established frameworks; and how this helps bring emerging producers to the fore, as well as wine styles and regions that might be less fashionable, but are nevertheless extremely high quality.Case in point, the wineries of Langhorne Creek in South Australia; Bleasdale, Lake Breeze and Bremerton. The latter of those three wineries slipped Huon's mind during our conversation, and he contacted me afterwards to see if this omission could be addressed.The Real Review was launched in 2016 to provide unbiased, independent reviews on wine.I started by asking Huon whether the classification has always been on the founders' agenda.Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Two Doctors is a whiskey company founded, as the name suggests, by Two Doctors; surgeon Jerry Schwartz and Professor John Rasko AO, a clinical hematologist, pathologist and scientist.Professor Rasko is with us this episode to discuss his epic side hustle, which utilises the brewing equipment at Sydney Brewery's production facility in the Hunter Valley, NSW.The brewery and distillery are based at Rydges Resort Hunter Valley, one of several hotels owned by Jerry's other business, Schwartz Family Company, which is the largest privately owned hotel group in Australia.Jerry's backing has empowered Two Doctors to take an uncompromising approach to whisky production focused on premium single barrel releases aged for a minimum of six years, mostly in barrels supplied by local Hunter Valley wineries.Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

In this edition of the news on Drinks Adventures:Top Shelf declares pathway to profitability;Cape Byron campaigns for tax relief with Excise Strength Gin;Business booming at McLaren Vale winery, Oliver's Taranga; andNew lease on life for Orange, NSW cider maker Small Acres.

Few Australian distillery launches in 2023 have been greeted with the excitement surrounding Waubs Harbour in Bicheno, Tasmania.It's easy to see why. The distillery's striking location in a former oyster hatchery on the rugged Tassie coast promises a true maritime expression of Australian single malt whisky.The founders bring with them some pretty impressive pedigree in both distilling and business generally.Head distiller Rob Polmear was previously head of production at Lark Distillery, and head distiller at Overeem.He's banded together with our guests this episode – his brother Tim Polmear and Tim's wife, Bec – who in 2015 successfully exited an e-commerce business, Flat Tummy Tea.Since our conversation, Waubs Harbour has revealed the identity of its distributor, Proof & Company, which also represents brands including Never Never Gin, Ferrand Cognac, Plantation Rum and more.Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Renowned drinks writer Max Allen returns to the Drinks Adventures podcast this episode, three years on from our interview launching his last book, Intoxicating: Ten Drinks That Shaped Australia.Max's new book that we'll be discussing today is called Alternative Reality: How Australian Wine Changed Course.It explores the Australian wine industry's rapid embrace of non-mainstream grape varieties over the last two decades, which can all be traced back to 2001 in Mildura, north east Victoria, where a group of visionaries launched the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show.And it includes comprehensive information about the 150 different grape varieties currently grown in Australia: what the wines made from these grapes taste like, and who the best producers are.It's another engaging and enlightening conversation with Max in which we also consider whether these emerging grape varieties could ultimately challenge the dominance of mainstays like shiraz, chardonnay and friends in the top echelons of Australian fine wine.Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

In this edition of the news on Drinks Adventures:Chris Malcolm slams Mighty Craft failures;Morris releases Tokay Barrel Whisky; andIntroducing The Beer Drinker's Toolkit, a new book by Mick Wust.And, on a personal note, announcing my new industry role as media & communications manager at Spirits & Cocktails Australia.This is the final episode of Season 16. I'm taking a short break to catch up on back of house stuff, so we can start anew in a few weeks' time.Cheers!

Western Australia's Howard Park Wines featured on this podcast very early on when I interviewed then chef winemaker Janice McDonald, in October 2018.Janice has since moved on to focus on the Margaret River wine company she founded with partner Stuart Pym, Flowstone Wines, which we explored on Drinks Adventures in early 2023.In this episode we welcome Howard Park's current chief winemaker Nic Bowen to the show, together with Natalie Burch, general manager and marketing director.Nic joined Howard Park in 2021 with strong pedigree as a sparkling winemaker, having worked alongside the legendary Ed Carr at House of Arras.Howard Park had won a major trophy for its Jete Brut NV even prior to Nic's arrival, and in this episode he'll share what the company is currently doing in the vineyard and winery to build on this early success.We also touch on some of the many other projects currently underway at Howard Park and sibling brands, like the recent embrace of grenache, and the low intervention wines released under the Mon Tout label.But first up, we go back to the beginning with Natalie Burch, who details how her family became involved with Howard Park 30 years ago, and the exciting evolution of its wine styles over that time.

Whisky production disappeared from New Zealand in 1997 with the closure of the Willowbank Distillery in Dunedin.But in 2009 Tasmanian entrepreneur Greg Ramsay brought together a group of investors to purchase Willowbank's remaining stocks and re-launch New Zealand whisky to the world.Greg joins us this episode as we explore some of New Zealand's little-known whisky-making heritage, and the whisky renaissance that's now underway.His company, dubbed The New Zealand Whisky Collection, is currently preparing to launch some modern expressions, having begun production in 2021 at its own distillery installed at Speight's Brewery in Dunedin.Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

James Christopher of Sydney's Brix Rum is with us again this episode, following his previous appearance back in Season Two.It was very early days for Brix when we last spoke in 2018, at which time the company was relying on imported spirit for the dark rums in its range.Brix has now come to market with a new core range of rums fully produced here in Australia, which have superseded the imported product, in beautiful packaging designed by podcast sponsor, Co-Partnership.It seemed a pivotal time to sit down with James for a chat about the intervening years, and some of the exciting developments at Brix – and in the Australian rum category generally – as the company enters a new phase.

Founded in 2005 in Beechworth, north east Victoria, Bridge Road Brewers is currently celebrating its 18th birthday.This is a significant milestone for any business, let alone a craft brewer. And it's particularly momentous for Bridge Road, which is currently poised to open a brewpub venue in East Brunswick, Melbourne, following a successful $1.5 million crowdfunding campaign in 2022.Founder Ben Kraus is with us this episode for a really interesting discussion about the challenges of remaining relevant in a fiercely competitive market in which the drinker is always on the lookout for new and different.Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

How to drink Australian is a landmark wine book by American sommeliers Jane Lopes and Jonathan Ross.Jane and Jonathan have intimate knowledge of the wine scene in Australia, having both worked professionally here; Jane as wine director at renowned Melbourne restaurant Attica, and Jonathan as beverage director at Rockpool Dining Group.Jane and Jonathan were so blown away by the wines they experienced during their time here that upon returning to the US in 2020 they founded Legend, a wine imports company specialising in Australian wine.Incidentally, the Legend roster includes a couple of producers that have previously featured on this podcast; Sailor Seeks Horse and Stargazer out of Tasmania.With their new book, How to Drink Australian, Jane and Jonathan aim to fill the void of quality literature on Australian wine.It features exhaustive analysis of every significant region, stunning and detailed maps, producer profiles and more, all curated with a reverence for Australia's first custodians.I caught up with Jane recently for this interview that I'm excited to share with you on the Drinks Adventures podcast.

When Seb Costello opened the cocktail bar Bad Frankie in Melbourne in 2014, he did something that was almost unthinkable at the time; creating a drinks menu comprised completely of Australian craft spirits.Seb understandably became known as a champion of Australian distilling. This, coupled with his sensory skills and broad appreciation for different spirits categories, saw him appointed chief judge of the Australian Distilled Spirits Awards in 2020.At the time of this episode going to air, Seb and the other judges – led by new chief judge, Shaun Byrne – are preparing to appraise this year's entries to the ADSA, the only spirits competition endorsed by the Australian Distillers Association.This seemed like the appropriate juncture to have a long overdue chat with Seb about craft spirits in Australia.First up, we get his reflections on those three years as lead official of the ADSA.Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

We previously met Holly Klintworth on the Drinks Adventures podcast back in March 2021.So if you're keen to get the back story on Holly's distillery, Bass & Flinders, head on back to that episode in Season 8. Holly's back with us having recently returned from a six-week internship in Cognac, supported by a Churchill Fellowship.The trip had the objective of learning the art of brandy production from leading cognac producers, so that she could share her findings with the Australian industry.I wanted to find out how Holly got on in this endeavour. And coupled with that, how she's settling in to her dual role as president of the Australian Distillers Association.Holly has only been in the chair since November 2022 and has already had to deal with some contentious issues, like the misleading usage of the term ‘single malt' by some distillers, which I also discussed recently on the show with Tasmanian Whisky & Spirits Association president Cam Brett.We also cover the divisive debate around base spirit in gin, fuelled by a recent article in the mainstream media, and some controversy surrounding Australian distilleries and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.That's all coming up in this interview with Holly.

We're joined this episode by Stone & Wood head brewer Caolan Vaughan, to get an update on recent goings on at the company.And as always, there's plenty happening. Like the rebranding and reformulation of Cloud Catcher, now known as Cloudy Pale Ale; and the launch of its new Australian Hop Series, starting with the Hinterland Hazy.We get the latest on the Counter Culture label, reserved for left field and inventive beers.And I ask Caolan what happened to Forest for the Trees, the saison offshoot brand championed by Stone & Wood founder Brad Rogers.We get a progress report on Green Coast Mid, the clear bottle lager introduced in 2021 that was a pretty massive change in direction for Stone & Wood. And we find out the latest on redevelopment plans for its Murwillumbah production brewery.This is a special episode of Drinks Adventures, produced in partnership with Stone & Wood.First up in the interview – recorded a few weeks ago now – I started by asking Caolan how things have been going with the integration of Stone & Wood into the Lion business, following its sale in late 2021.

Tasmania is the birthplace of Australian whisky in the modern era, with unique positioning as the country's only island state.For some time now its distillers have entertained the idea of protecting these attributes with a geographical indication or appellation ensuring that products labelled ‘Tasmanian whisky' meet certain standards. Recently on the Drinks Adventures podcast we met Cam and Suzy Brett of Spring Bay Distillery in Tasmania.Cam is also president of the Tasmanian Whisky and Spirits Association (TWSA), and during that same interview Cam and I went down a bit of a rabbit hole talking about the GI for Tassie whisky, and other industry concerns. I thought that conversation deserved a separate episode, which starts with Cam updating us on how many distilleries there are today in Tasmania.Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Welcome to another edition of the news on Drinks Adventures. Coming up this bulletin:Langtons Barossa wine auction nets $200K;Lark investors meet new CEO Satya Sharma;The Gospel unveils a tribute to Maryland-style rye whiskeys; andSouth Australian Parliament honours distillers on World Gin Day.Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Established in 2015 at Spring Beach in Tasmania, Spring Bay Distillery is the realisation of a dream for whisky-loving owners Cam and Suzy Brett.We've actually heard from Cam a couple of times previously on this podcast; in one of my news bulletins back in 2021, and in the special Lark 30th anniversary episode in 2022.So it's long overdue I invited Cam and Suzy on for an in-depth chat about Spring Bay.While it's definitely single malt whisky that inspired their distillery, Spring Bay has also enjoyed success with its gin and vodka, the latter of which was the Australian champion varietal vodka at the World Vodka Awards 2023. Coming up, Cam and Suzy will fill you in on some of the other recent developments at the company.First up though, Suzy reflects on their pathway to owning a distillery, having shared a love of whisky for more than 20 years.Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Speyside is the absolute epicentre of Scotland's distilling industry, and now there's a Speyside gin to complement the region's famed whiskies.Created by wine and spirits company Stoli Group, Tulchan Gin is a small batch gin with distinctly local flavours inspired by the terroir of Tulchan Estate.Surrounded by 22,000 picturesque acres of lochs and glens, Tulchan is a famous sporting estate in Speyside long frequented by European royalty, US Presidents and titans of industry.This is a special episode of Drinks Adventures, produced in partnership with Tulchan Gin. While global brand lead Kara Anderson was in Sydney recently, we sat down for this conversation about Tulchan and the Scottish gin renaissance.

Chandon Etoile is a new ultra-prestige sparkling cuvee from Chandon Australia in Victoria's Yarra Valley.It's a multi-vintage blend comprised of eight Chandon Vintage Brut reserves – which together represent hundreds of base wines – rounded out with extended ageing.With us this episode to discuss the groundbreaking project is Chandon Australia winemaking director Dan Buckle, who has been guiding the company's traditional-method winemaking since 2012. Through our conversation about Etoile, Dan and I naturally explore the evolution of Chandon Australia, one of six Chandon houses globally, which was founded in 1986.This fascinating chat was made possible by the support of Chandon Australia. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Allan Border's Maiden Tonne is a limited edition shiraz released by the legendary cricketer in partnership with Sanguine Estate, the Heathcote, Victoria winery owned by the Hunter family.Allan is with us this episode along with Sanguine winemaker Mark Hunter. I'll leave it to them to share the back story of this wine, which Mark hopes will elevate Heathcote's reputation as a region synonymous with premium shiraz. Also in the interview, Allan reflects on his maiden tonne in cricket. I ask him whether drinking culture has changed in the Australian dressing room.And, with the Ashes starting on Friday, we get his thoughts on the Australians' prospects in England. In fairness to Allan I should point out that the interview was recorded a couple of weeks ago, before Australia's resounding victory against India in the WTC Final.Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

The Bird is a new single malt Australian whisky created by renowned entrepreneur and media personality Mark Bouris in collaboration with Andrew Nugent and Paul Giles of Adelaide Hills winery Bird in Hand.Mark joins us this episode for what turned into quite a wide-ranging and insightful interview, starting with his personal journey of whisky appreciation that inspired The Bird.We talk about the decision to produce the whisky in partnership with South Australia's Fleurieu Distillery, which you may recall got a massive rap from Dave Worthington of Boutique-y Whisky in my March podcast news bulletin.Mark and I also touch on his previous involvement with a pioneering but ill-fated beer company, 20-plus years ago now.We get his expert opinion on the nascent Australian craft spirits industry, and the challenges of selling luxury goods in the current economic climate.On that note, I should mention that this interview was conducted a few weeks ago now, before the RBA's latest interest rate rise that Mark has absolutely slammed on social media.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Mark Bouris.Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

The small Scottish coastal town of Campbeltown was once home to over 30 distilleries, and it was known as the “Victorian Whisky Capital of the World”.Today, Glen Scotia is one of three surviving distilleries in the region.And both Glen Scotia and Campbeltown are developing a strong reputation among whisky enthusiasts in spite of the region's production output, which ­is tiny in the context of Scotch whisky.Today, Glen Scotia is owned by the Loch Lomond Group and a continuing program of investment has brought dividends for the distillery.In 2021, Glen Scotia 25-Year-Old was awarded ‘Best In Show' at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.Later that same year Glen Scotia named ‘Scottish Whisky Distillery of the Year' at the Scottish Whisky Awards, making it the first distillery ever to receive both accolades, let alone within the same year.Iain McAlister is at the forefront of driving this recognition. The former engineer has been at the helm of Glen Scotia for fifteen years. Born and bred in Campbeltown, he is fiercely proud of the place he calls home, especially its community and its rich whisky heritage. Drawing on his background as an engineer, Iain has developed and enhanced production at Glen Scotia, whilst making sure to preserve the craftsmanship and traditional skills it values.I really enjoyed this conversation with Iain, made possible by the support of the Loch Lomond Group.We recorded this interview during Iain's first ever visit to Sydney in February 2023.You can find Glen Scotia Single Malt Whisky exclusively in Vintage Cellars, Liquorland and First Choice Liquor outlets across Australia.Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Banks and Bloom Distillery + Lab is a West Australian company founded by biochemist Elaine Darby and winemaker Trent Carroll.Trent's name might be familiar to some of you from his earlier AFL career at Fremantle and West Coast.But it was Elaine's background that caught my eye when a media release came through recently announcing that Banks and Bloom Ice Vodka had been awarded Doubled Gold in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.Between 2015 and 2018, Elaine was managing director of Auscann, an Australian pharmaceutical company focused on cannabinoid-based medicines.She's also had careers as a winemaker and a lawyer, but it's the medicinal cannabis that is relevant to today's episode.Banks & Bloom owes its origins to another business founded by Elaine and Trent called Aquila Black, which has developed THC extract technology that they believe will revolutionise the cannabis drinks market overseas, where recreational cannabis is legal.To create these cannabis drinks, Aquila Black pioneered new distillation methods to extract pure clarity of flavour from classic botanicals and native Australian ingredients.And as Elaine will explain to you in a moment, this R&D turned out to be applicable to developing an innovative new range of spirits – gin, vodka and RTDs – that can be legally enjoyed today, here in Australia.Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

There's been a groundswell of new Irish whiskey brands in recent years, which we explored in late 2022 in a special episode supported by the Irish Whiskey Association.Royal Oak Distillery predates many of the newcomers. It was founded in 2012 by the late Augusto Reina of Illva Saronno, the Italian company that owns renowned liqueur brands Disaronno and Tia Maria.Located on an 18th century estate in Ireland's Ancient East barley growing region, Royal Oak is home of The Busker Irish Whiskey, which has recently arrived in Australia.In this episode, global brand ambassador Woody Kane will share with you the back story behind the distillery, and some of its signature production attributes that define The Busker.For starters, there's the importance of local grains, and the fact that Royal Oak produces all three Irish whiskey expressions – malt, grain and pot still – under the same roof.And then there's the marsala casks that are a fixture in its barrel store, thanks to parent company Illva's ownership of Sicilian winery Cantine Florio.That's all coming up in this special episode of Drinks Adventures, produced in partnership with The Busker Irish Whiskey.Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Hawke's Brewing was founded by advertising creatives Nathan Lennon and David Gibson, together with former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke, in 2017.Bob Hawke passed away in 2019 but his legacy lives on at Hawke's Brewing through a unique arrangement that diverts his royalty share in the business to Landcare Australia, the environmental charity he founded in 1989.We'll talk about that later on in this interview with Nathan and head brewer Brodie French, as well as reflecting on some key milestones for the business.Hawke's brought production of its beers entirely in-house since commissioning its Marrickville brewery in late 2021.And soon after, the company entered the hospitality arena in spectacular fashion with the establishment of the Bob Hawke Beer and Leisure Centre, incorporating the Lucky Prawn Chinese Restaurant.We'll find out a bit about Brodie's brewing passions; Hawke's evolution from a single SKU brand to a more diverse product offering; and its national expansion plans, including recent efforts to establish a beachhead in Melbourne.First up though, I asked Nathan about the significance to Hawke's of the Marrickville venue, which just notched up 12 months of trading. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Season 16 of Drinks Adventures starts this week! Here's a sneak preview of some of the outstanding episodes coming up featuring all your favourite beverage categories: Wine, whisky, beer, gin, vodka and more.

Welcome to another edition of the news on Drinks Adventures, as we get Season 16 of the show underway.Once again, we're catching up on the news from the last couple of months.‘Insolvency armageddon' hits drinks industry;Mighty Craft acknowledges difficult market;Hahn bets big on Ultra Low Carb beer;Fever-Tree overhauls Australian operations; andBrown Brothers launches Extended Lees Patricia Sparkling Wine.Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Sydney's Akasha Brewing Company was founded by former IT professional and passionate homebrewer Dave Padden in 2015.It has quietly grown into one of the inner west's larger independent breweries, having quickly developed a reputation for high quality, hop-driven beer styles. The year 2022 was pivotal for Akasha. The company undertook a $1.7 million equity crowdfunding raise that supported its diversification into barrel-aged beers, as well as funding the addition of two hospitality venues; The Barrel Room in Leichhardt and The Edwards in Newcastle.It's also ramped up its sports sponsorship program, becoming official beer partner of the Sydney Kings and Sydney Flames professional basketball teams.Exciting times all round then, for Akasha. But as Dave acknowledges in this episode, it's against the backdrop of some very difficult trading conditions for small independent breweries.There's been multiple casualties in this sector already in 2023. So later on in this interview, Dave and I reflect on some of that unfortunate news, and discuss some of the steps Akasha is taking to ensure its financial sustainability as a business.Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

After almost five years and coming up to 200 episodes, perhaps it's time for you to hear a little bit more about me, how I started Drinks Adventures, and where it might be headed.Recently Andrew Graham from Kaddy – the wholesale beverage marketplace – asked to interview me for its industry news pages, Kaddy Community.To which I said, ‘sure! But if we're going to do it, we may as well record the interview properly so I can share it with my listeners'.So here it is, an edited version of that interview, with Andrew asking me the questions for a change. I hope you enjoy the chat!Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Kentucky-based Michter's Distillery was named World's Most Admired American Whiskey and second Most Admired Whisky overall by Drinks International in 2022.We'll find out the story behind its incredible trajectory from master distiller, Dan McKee, in this interview produced in partnership with Michter's.Born and raised in Indiana, Dan McKee moved to Kentucky to pursue his dream of making whiskey, beginning his career as a distillery operator at Jim Beam.Two years later, he was promoted to distillery supervisor at the affiliated Booker Noe Distillery, where he worked for seven years, before following his boss Pam Heilmann to Michter's.Dan succeeded Pam as master distiller of Michter's in 2019. He's played an integral role in assisting with the construction of the company's Shively Distillery, and also its Fort Nelson distillery with the legendary pot stills and cypress wood fermenters from the original Michter's Pennsylvania operation.I'll leave it to him to explain the brand's somewhat unconventional history, and its dedication to five key production values that he believes sets Michter's apart from other American whiskies.We caught up while Dan was in Sydney recently, preparing to launch the 2022 edition of Michter's groundbreaking Celebration Sour Mash Whiskey, which we also discuss in this interview.Australian listeners can find Michter's in selected Dan Murphy's, First Choice and independent retail outlets nationally.Look out for Celebration Sour Mash Whiskey in leading whisky bars in your capital city.Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Jota Tanaka has worked for Kirin Brewery Company for 34 years, leading its whisky business as master blender since 2017.He's had a really interesting career path through the Kirin business to arrive at his current role, including stints in winemaking, wine marketing and leading product development for Four Roses Distillery in Kentucky.We'll get into some of that in this interview with Jota, who was inducted into the Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame in 2022, one of many career accolades he's received in recent years.Today, Jota is pouring his passion, skills and experience into Kirin's flagship whisky brand Fuji, which is produced at the Fuji-Gotemba distillery at the foot of Mount Fuji.Established in 1973, Fuji-Gotemba is one of very few distilleries producing both malt and grain whisky at the same site, which explains the unusual labelling – Single Blended – on the newest Fuji Whisky expression.This is a special episode of Drinks Adventures, produced in partnership with Fuji Whisky.Coming up, Jota and I explore the many different facets that make Fuji unique, including its unwavering commitment to releasing whisky when all the component parts have reached peak maturity, rather than at a certain age.He shares his experience working at the distillery when Japanese whisky was at its lowest ebb, versus the boom times of today.As Jota explains, it's quite remarkable that Fuji-Gotemba survived the downturn at all, with another distillery, Karuizawa, famously shuttered during this period.Jota has also been actively involved in Japanese whisky industry activities to protect the integrity and reputation of Japanese whisky by assisting in the setting of labelling standards. We talked about those issues extensively with Dave Broom on the podcast in 2020.Now, Jota will update you on the current state of play, and I ask him whether the standards may have come too late for Japanese whisky, given the reputational damage that has already occurred.I'm really excited to present this interview that I recorded with Jota on his first visit to Sydney in March 2023.And if you're listening in Australia, Fuji Whisky Single Blended is exclusive to The Whisky Club as its whisky of the month for April 2023.Fuji Single Grain is available in select Dan Murphy's and First Choice Liquor stores nationally.There's only 300 bottles coming into Australia of Fuji Masterpiece 2022. Look out for that one in leading whisky bars near you.Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

James France is a 30-year veteran of the spirits industry in both Australia and abroad.In 2008 he founded the Sydney-based distribution business Vanguard Luxury Brands with the objective of bringing the best brands to the best bars, liquor stores, restaurants and hotels across Australia.He ultimately sold Vanguard in 2019 to Lion, which simultaneously acquired the biggest brand on Vanguard's roster, Four Pillars Gin, as we previously explored with Four Pillars co-founder Cam Mackenzie on the show a few years ago now.After successfully managing that integration, James recently announced his departure from Vanguard.So I figured this was an appropriate juncture to invite him in for a chat about his experience distributing spirits over the last couple of decades, while the Australian industry was undergoing some massive changes.As you'll soon hear… while the Vanguard story had the happy outcome of a successful exit for James, as is invariably the case, there were plenty of challenges and costly failures along the way.Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

The news returns to the Drinks Adventures podcast for the first time since 2021!This first edition for 2023 is using the term ‘news' a little loosely, as I'm catching you up on some of the stories that have been on my radar since the beginning of the year:Lark dismisses buyout talk; and Sullivans Cove speculation;Pernod Ricard's first new brand in 20+ years;Indie bottler Boutique-y returns to Oz;Australia gets its second Advanced Cicerone; and Bentspoke collaborates with Teeling Whiskey for St Patrick's Day.Exclusive Drinks Adventures stories mentioned in the bulletin:Court lifts lid on Pirate Life distribution bust-upLark launches IPA whisky, but ‘core range is king'Click here to open episode in your podcast player.