The history

Scotland has been distilling whisky for hundreds of years. Early immigrants began distilling alcohol as soon as it became practicable, though Thomas Haigh Midwood in Van Diemen's Land opened Australia's first legal distillery in 1822. In Hobart, it was known as the Sorell Distillery. Thomas Haigh Midwood died in September 1823, having just had a year to enjoy his distillery. Distilleries were not legalized until Governor Macquarie understood that distilleries would stimulate grain production and that people would distil illegally in the hills anyway, so he might as well take advantage of the excise tax benefits. Van Diemen's Land was the name given to Tasmania until 1856, after the governor-general of the Dutch East Indies, Anthony van Diemen.

In the following years, distilling in Tasmania flourished fast, with another 15 distilleries established before Governor John Franklin banned the practice in 1838. For much over a century, legal distilling in Tasmania was prohibited, yet the ban had no effect on mainland Australia. Yet, as time went by, alcohol production has become a huge industry in Australia. Unlike other countries, Australia tends to be creative and open to innovation and new ideas. The same situation happens in distilling.

The island state of Tasmania, which is home to some of Australia's most well-known spirits, had just nine distilleries in 2014 but today has more than 30 operating distilleries, a steady expansion that Sullivans Cove has been key in. The new generation of tiny producers is sweeping Australia's mainland. In the early 2000s, Australian whiskey began to gain appeal in other countries, while local consumption has increased dramatically in recent years. As expected, many distilleries are focusing their efforts on meeting domestic demand rather than export markets.

Stock is a problem, and most popular producers are planning expansions to increase supply. This is understandable given that the bulk of the country's distilleries is small. When compared to the millions produced by most established scotch distilleries, annual bottle output is frequently in the low five-digit range.

Below are some famous names in the Australian distilling industry

Native grains

Sacha La Forgia, the founder of Adelaide Hills Distillery, joined Tasmania's Sullivans Cove and New South Wales' Archie Rose on the world's greatest honour roll after he won two major honours at the World Whiskies Awards in London in March 2021. The prize has aided in the rebranding of the spirit in Australia.

As a proponent of using indigenous ingredients, La Forgia was overjoyed to win the World's Best Grain award for his Adelaide Hills Distillery 2020 Native Grain Weeping Grass Whiskey, the first time an Australian grain whisky has been recognized internationally. "It confirms everything we've been doing," he says, "and it demonstrates that Australia can play on the global stage with its unique flavor."

For the love of rye

Peter Bignell of Tasmania's Belgrove Distillery inspired a generation of rye enthusiasts, including Ben Bowles and Andrew Fitzgerald of Melbourne's The Gospel, a straight rye whisky brand and distillery.

Fitzgerald, a devotee of American-style whiskies, adds, "We're throwing everything at rye and really backing it." "We believe there will be a market for it." Fitzgerald feels that rye (a robust, sturdy grain recognized for its powerful flavour) bridges the gap between bourbon and single malt whiskey.

"It's savourier than bourbon, yet it still has some sweetness to it. Almost all of The Gospel rye whiskies are aged in new American oak barrels, which gives them a delicious vanillin flavour.

Fitzgerald compares the flavour to butter-slathered rye bread. "You get rich cereal grain aromas and baking spices, with a pepperiness that isn't spicy."

Old school

The focus was on history when Copper & Grain Distilling Co (a subsidiary of Casella Family Brands) introduced Morris Whisky in Rutherglen last month. Morris manufactured fortified wines for the first time in 1859, and the utilization of fortified barrels and the revival of a 130-year-old still played a key role in the brand's first Australian single malts. Morris Signature Whisky ($95/700ml) and Morris Muscat Barrel Whisky ($135/700ml) are made from locally farmed malt and barley, harkening back to the beginnings of traditional whisky.

"At 40% ABV, the Signature is intended to be approachable and acceptable for everyday drinking," explains Michael Sergeant, Morris' head of strategy. "The pricing is comparable to international whisky, which should inspire Australians to pick local."

Heirloom heroes

Alasdair Malloch and Jimmy McKeown, brothers-in-law, founded Western Australia's Whipper Snapper Distillery in 2014 with the goal of shaping the future of Australian distilling. With their small-batch Single Grain Series releases, they're doing just that.

Whipper is all about grain, not how whisky is aged or what it is aged in. McKeown says, "Growing up on Western Australia's grain belt, it was a no-brainer for me to start showcasing some of the different grain profiles we can actually use in whisky was a no-brainer for me to start highlighting some of the different grain profiles we can actually use in whisky."

They started with the Whipper Snapper Upshot ($98/700ml), a bourbon-style whiskey made with 80 per cent corn, 10 per cent malted barley, and 10 per cent wheat. A rye whiskey made using WA heritage rye will be part of the Single Grain Series. Project Q ($220/500ml), Australia's first quinoa whiskey, is also produced by them.