While distilleries are less common than wineries and breweries in Melbourne, their quality of their spirits is up there with the best wines and beers produced in the city. Every kind of spirit is being brewed somewhere in Melbourne, and is usually highly awarded in some regard. Tastings and masterclasses aren’t hard to come by either. Most of the distilleries in Melbourne will offer some kind of tour of their process or premises that’ll see you leave with a bottle you’ve distilled, awesome samples, or at the very least, new mixology skills you can impress your mates with.
Of Melbourne distilleries, Starward and Four Pillars are the crown jewels. Starward is the most awarded in Melbourne, and a trailblazer in the Australian whiskey scene. Their distillery is 10 minutes from the CBD, where you can experience tours and tastings. They pride themselves on the fact that their ingredients are found ‘within a day’s drive’ of Melbourne, and that their whiskey thrives off the effect of Melbourne’s temperamental weather on the distilling process. This spot is an absolute must—but if you’re not a fan of whiskey, you’ll want to try Four Pillars instead. The distillery is found in the Yarra Valley, about an hour out of the CBD, so you’ll want to make a day of visiting. Their gins line the walls of bars not just in Australia, but internationally, as they have been named the world’s leading gin producer by the IWSC in London three separate times. Their label is instantly recognisable, particularly of their award-winning bloody shiraz gin. One thing we love is that they’re carbon neutral, and if you bring in an empty bottle of their gin, they’ll refill it for ten dollars off.
While these spots are Melbourne powerhouses, there are micro-distilleries scattered even throughout the city. Little Lon Distilling Co. is set in a heritage building a short walk from the State Library, with a 20-seater tasting room that’s always packed, where Darling Distillery sits in the over 130 years old Royal Hotel, making just two signature gins. Other celebrated spots worth a try include Bathtub Gin Co. in Williamstown, and Patient Wolf Distilling Co. in Southbank.