Words by Amanda Kennedy Images by Jay Dillon
With gins named Larrikin, Scoundrel, and Buccaneer, you just know Kilderkin Distillery don’t take themselves too seriously. The Ballarat based distillery was first established in 2016, with the release of their first gin a year later. Since then, they’ve been steadily growing the range which now includes eight gins and three liqueurs to tempt your tastebuds.
Partners Chris Pratt and Rebecca Mathews are proud to be another chapter in the long history of Ballarat distilling which wasn’t always the strictly legal kind. The first legal distillery in Victoria was located in Ballarat and produced both gin and whisky from the 1860s through to the 1930s.
It was in late 2020 that the pair decided to relocate Kilderkin Distillery to a more central Ballarat location, with more room for distilling as well as that all-important cellar door experience. Formerly a group training facility, the spacious building underwent major renovations including sandblasting walls and grinding concrete and yet somehow has managed to maintain that rustic warehouse vibe.
After settling in the most important equipment – their two stills – the pair are almost ready to throw open their doors after a long 15 months. Chris explains –
Once we finally open, people will be able to book tours either online or call up, and that will involve a tour of the production area, where the stills are with the full explanation of the whole process of making gin. Then after that, we’ll do a formal tasting talking them through different styles of gin, how we actually balance the flavours, and how they can enhance the gins with different selection of mixers, tonic, soda and garnish.
Apart from gin, the distillery will also serve quality Victorian craft beers and a tight selection of wines, as well as produce platters to keep you fed while hydrating. And, if like us, you’re wondering what a kilderkin is, it is a measurement of volume equalling 18 Imperial Gallons or about 82 litres, the perfect size barrel for maturing spirits.
THE DETAILS
WHAT: Kilderkin Distillery
WHERE: 14A Hill St, Mount Pleasant
WHEN: Wednesday – Friday: 11:00am – 4:00pm
MORE INFO: kilderkindistillery.com.au
We wish to acknowledge the Wadawurrung people as traditional owners of this land and to pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.
Don’t be spooked by the name… or maybe do. This gin is devilishly delicious. Planted on the outskirts of Knoxville, Death Gin gets its name (and its swagger) from the old tale of Patrick Black, the bushranger who made illegal gin, stole from the rich and gave to the poor. Carrying that larrikin spirit into their dry, botanical-laced spirits, Death Gin’s range is an accumulation of everything the makers love about gin, and it just keeps getting better.
Tradition, innovation and community are the three guiding lights for this Gippsland distillery. For some twenty years they’ve been following them, and pure gin excellence has followed. Using sustainable practices, all their award-winning spirits have been naturally distilled with homegrown hemp and cannabis terpenes. It may sound naughty, but they’re really very nice.
Paul Kelly said from little things, big things grow. Sipping on the Alpine Spring Gin from Swiftcress, you’ll know it’s true. The four-times-distilled spirit is made on a small farm at the foothills of Mt Buller by one dedicated family. They’re entirely organic and hands-on, from milling the grain to sticking on the labels. We swear you can taste the love.
Down the coast – Seaford to be exact – a family of stubbornly independent gin distillers just keep making darn good gin. They call themselves That Spirited Lot, in part because they’re full of personality, in part because their flavours are experimental and bold. A dash of their award-winning Hawker Market Gin will take your Negroni to the next level.
Born in 2016, Yack Creek Distillery creates small-batch, limited release gin inspired by Australian botanicals and global spices. Their creations have picked up awards and given their makers much to be proud of. Try their Lemon Myrtle Gin to know what heaven tastes like.
The moment you ask around about craft beer in Ballarat Aunty Jacks comes up time and again. Although a relative newcomer, it has fast become a go-to for all things craft beer. Whether you stay for a meal, grab a tasting paddle and listen to some live music or join in on the regular beer education classes, Aunty Jacks has it covered.
It was an obsession with real ale that led Cubby Haus founders to design and build themselves a brewery, as you do. Five years on, they’ve developed a strong following. With eight core beers and plenty of single batch experiments, there’s something for everyone from a refreshing pilsner or an English IPA through to darker treats like their Oatmeal Stout.
They say good things come to those who wait. This just about sums up Dollar Bill’s approach to fermentation. Beers (as well as ciders and meads) are given plenty of time in French oak barrels to reach their peak. It’s this exacted barrel-ageing process along with a mastery of wild fermentation that has cemented the brewery’s reputation amongst craft beer nerds.
In 2005 Scott and Vanessa Wilson-Browne started out with a simple plan – to make good beer that is good for you. Showcasing their commitment to natural ingredients and processes, their recent coffee and chocolate dark beer uses grain, coffee beans and cocoa sourced from local Ballarat producers.
Scott Wilson-Browne (yes, the same Scott from Red Duck) and Chris Pratt initially bonded over craft beer but it was a shared interest in distilling that led them to establish Kilderkin Distillery in 2016.
A diagnosis of coeliac disease didn’t dampen John O’Brien’s passion for beer. Swapping out the usual grain bill of barley and wheat for sorghum and millet was just the beginning. It took several years of innovation in both the brewing process and equipment but his effort paid off in spades.
