16 Melbourne distilleries you need on your radar

Melbourne’s craft spirits industry is booming and these are the key distilleries driving the rapid growth.

When you think of an iconic distillery in Melbourne the names Four Pillars and Starward usually come up first. Yet, as you’ll see below, there is so much scope for Melbourne’s craft spirits that you could easily thread in a distillery crawl when you want an alternative to the city’s best pubs and cafes.

If there’s anything that distinguishes Melbourne’s best restaurants, it’s the keen understanding that produce consumed as close to the source as possible results in a superior dining experience. The same logic applies to spirits; the closer you are to the source, the better.

This is why sitting down at a Melbourne distillery and working your way through the state’s best craft spirits is always worth your time. You don’t have to venture far to find a top-quality gin distillery in Melbourne, or a great whisky distillery.

Below, you’ll find 16 of the city’s best and also a few regional gems worth travelling for. Whether you’re gathering a few mates for a whisky tasting or taking a date on a gin-making class, these spots will have you praising the state’s boundless creativity.

1. Starward, Port Melbourne

Best for: Award-winning whisky and an insightful distillery tour

As the most awarded whisky distillery in Melbourne and a pioneer in Australia’s booming whisky scene, Starward is most likely the first stop for any fans of the brown stuff.

Since 2007, this stalwart distillery has been producing mostly young, intensely drinkable whiskies with a preference for those sweeter flavours garnered from sherry, red wine and bourbon casks.

Melbourne’s temperamental climate means whiskies tend to absorb oaky flavours much faster than they would in other regions, giving Starward plenty to play around with as the team experiments with local ingredients for expressions like Nova and the highly acclaimed Two Fold.

Book ahead for a behind-the-scenes tour where all stages of the whisky production process are discussed before you dive into a whisky tasting with two 15ml pours. If you’re lucky, you’ll even get to taste two unreleased whiskies straight from the barrel.

Address: 50 Bertie St, Port Melbourne

2. Little Lon Distilling Co., CBD

Best for: A charming heritage bar set and experimental craft gin

Little Lon Distilling Co. lucked out when the team scored this charming heritage-listed brick building just a stone’s throw from the State Library. The cottage houses one of the best gin distilleries in Australia, proudly intimate – there are only 20 seats in the tasting room – and always busy.

Little Lon’s awarded gins are also placards for the area’s sketchy past, each inspired by a notorious individual who once roamed the nearby streets. The lychee-flavoured Little Miss Yoko, for example, is named for a sex worker who lived in the cottage in the early 1900s. As such, Little Lon’s unique gin-making class doubles as a Melbourne history lesson.

Address: 17 Casselden Pl, Melbourne

3. Bathtub Gin Co., Williamstown

Best for: Unique gins and excellent pizza

While the name references an amateur way of making gin, Bathtub Gin Co. is anything but basic. This popular micro-distillery in Brunswick is home to some of the best small-batch gin in Melbourne, which is saying a lot given the state’s eternal love of all things botanical.

A great range of flavours sits behind this experimental bayside distillery, which makes the most of local Victorian produce and caters to a broad scope of tastes. The interesting cherry-infused Best Day Ever gin makes a unique G&T, while the hardy, barrel-aged Mighty Apollo, with a solid 60 per cent ABV, will satisfy anyone who prefers some classic navy strength.

Take a seat at the bar and order some classic pizza or a charcuterie board to go with your gin tasting. It’s one of the most popular things to do in Brunswick for good reason.

Address: 25 Aitken St, Williamstown

4. Dukes Distillery, South Wharf

Best for: Craft gin with big, unique flavours

Re-shaping a former motorbike workshop in South Wharf, Duke’s Distillery is one of Melbourne’s most adventurous with a comprehensive offering that includes a towering 500-bottle wine wall for anyone not in the mood for spirits.

After years of working with grapes, the small team of winemakers behind this cellar door pivoted towards small batch spirits and liqueurs. The focus on flavour has certainly carried over with unique offerings like oyster shell gin, and pineapple coconut vodka.

The cocktail-tasting flight will take you through the fascinating range; best paired with light antipasto plates.

Address: 25 Dukes Walk, South Wharf

5. Cedar Fox Distilling Co., Coburg North

Best for: Its stylish bar with classic gin cocktails done exceptionally well

You’ll find Cedar Fox Distilling Co. near the station in Coburg North, inside a gutted former warehouse with a slick green onyx bar and all the tools needed to produce top-shelf small-batch gin.

The label is a favourite amongst Melbourne’s best bars, pumping out incredibly adaptable gins that work perfectly in martinis. As such, the martini flight is the best way to go here, offering up three mini martinis that change regularly based on what’s popular.

In terms of food, you’re getting standard distillery fare here. Indulge in all the cheese, charcuterie and olives you could ask for. And if you’ve had your fill of gin, there’s always a list of local beers.

Address: 11 Mantell St, Coburg North

6. Reed & Co, Bright

Best for: Produce-forward craft gin with native ingredients

When chef Hamish Nugent moved on from Tani Eat & Drink in 2016, he used his culinary skills to spearhead a new regional distillery out in the Victorian town of Bright and start playing around with the ever-adaptable profile of gin.

Nugent’s background comes in great use for Reed & Co, mashing up botanicals for unique gins like the flagship Remedy Gin, which has notes of eucalyptus, pine and mountain pepper.

When he isn’t foraging, Nugent is leaning on local farmers to supply ingredients like apples and green tea, all of which are used to create these interesting botanical profiles that keep Reed & Co. front and centre in discussions on the best Melbourne gins.

Given the range is so wildly diverse, a gin-tasting flight is the only way to do Reed & Co Distillery justice so tuck into a sample of some of Nugent’s latest and greatest before walking away with a bottle of your favourite.

Address: 555 Bourke St, Melbourne

7. Brunswick Aces, Brunswick

Best for: A pioneering zero-alcohol range with rich flavours

Sitting at the head of the zero-alcohol movement, Brunswick Aces is one of Australia’s most modern gin distilleries and a constant source of inspiration for local bartenders. Stroll inside and you’ll see the full range of the distillery’s innovative products, including those from other no-alcohol labels like Non and Heaps Normal.

Set in a nondescript warehouse neighbouring popular Temple Brewing, this Melbourne distillery makes full use of its unique stills, which co-founders Stephen Lawrence and Cameron Hunt have placed behind a big glass window. Guests can watch the magic happen at any time.

The team’s unique process leads to intensely flavourful distillates that mix well in classic cocktails like the coconut and cucumber-accented King Louis which uses the label’s signature Hearts Sapiir and its notes of wattleseed and citrus.

Address: 124 Weston St, Brunswick East

8. Patient Wolf Distilling Co., Southbank

Best for: A two-hour bottomless gin tasting and refined classic cocktails

Having outgrown its original location in Brunswick a few years ago, Patient Wolf Distilling Co. has ramped up production in Southbank and shot forward as one of the most anticipated craft gin labels in Australia.

Now shaped into a converted red-brick warehouse, the Patient Wolf team have much more capacity to pound out those perennial award-winners like the classic Melbourne Dry Gin and the Rouge Barrel, the latter of which gets its flavour from French oak barrels.

Park yourself at the head-turning brass-topped bar for an excellent cocktail menu covered in classics with a few surprises. If you’re feeling extra leisurely, dial into Patient Wolf’s two-hour bottomless gin package. You’ll get a full 120 minutes of unlimited G&Ts, spritzes (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and a healthy selection of charcuterie and antipasto, as well as a guided gin tasting.

Address: 34-36 Market St, Southbank

9. Saint Felix, Mordialloc

Best for: A bold range of signature brandies and interesting cocktails

Urban Ground, a converted car-wrecking site out in Mordialloc is a great representation of Melbourne’s creative hospitality scene. Not only is this sprawling setting home to a vibrant food truck park, but the grounds also host a health food cafe and Saint Felix, a fruit-obsessed distillery specialising in brandy.

Distiller Xavier Nalty, who co-founded Urban Ground with Robert de Santis, leads production with the help of an 18th-century Portuguese copper still and a love of bold flavours. The signature and most popular brandy is anchored by the super strong flavours of cacao and cherry, but Nalty also keeps things broad with a range of full-flavoured gins and one very unique yuzu and sencha green tea spirit.

The small bar offers tastings and food pairings, so anyone looking for unique spirits should skip the food trucks entirely and head straight to this hidden gem.

Address: 1 Lamana Rd, Mordialloc

10. Naught Distilling, Eltham

Best for:  A sophisticated gin tasting of award-winning expressions

Founder and head distiller Chris Cameron has brought plenty of well-deserved awards over to Naught Distilling and its exceptional inner-city cocktail bar. And while Melbourne has more than its fair share of gin distilleries refining classics and paving their own way forward, there’s something about Naught that has made it one of the city’s brightest stars.

The distinction comes from an air of sophistication that hits as soon as you enter the Eltham operation, with handsomely dressed staff and table service moving away from the typical bar-in-a-distillery experience and towards something a bit more high-class and intimate.

Eyeing off that powerful German-made copper still while working your way through Naught’s well-built classics while snacking on some charcuterie and tinned seafood is the ideal way to go. Order up a gin-tasting flight, which if you’re lucky will include the immensely popular Sangiovese Gin made with full-flavoured Yarra Valley grapes.

Address: 2/32 Peel St, Eltham

11. Anther Gin, Geelong

Best for: Classic gin cocktails and fresh Australian flavours

Head out to Geelong and park yourself at the gorgeous, red-bricked warehouse that hosts the modestly-sized Anther Gin. Founded by Dervilla McGowan and Sebastian Reaburn in 2016, the small-batch gin label is serious about fresh botanicals and native Australian plants, taking the classic approach with highly localised flavours.

The juniper-loving signature Anther Gin is loaded with fresh pops of eucalyptus, lemon gum and finger limes – brilliant for a headstrong G&T. But the entire range is worth working your way through so grab a tasting board of three different expressions matched with tonics and botanicals. Better yet, a three-course “meal” of Anther’s signature serves will hit all the right spots for lovers of time-honoured gins.

Address: 33 Mackey St, North Geelong

12. Fossey’s Distillery, Carlton

Best for:  A massive range of spirits and single malts as well as creative small plates

While Fossey’s Distillery knows Melbourne’s love of small-batch gin is too strong to ignore, this regional distillery pays just as much attention to vodka, whisky and rum.

There are over 20 house spirits to try at the Lygon Street bar, including the delicious Redgum Rum, which has been matured on 100-year-old Redgum staves and finished in oak barrels for a very strong, unforgettable profile. You’ll also find butterscotch whisky, moonshine, and blood orange vodka.

Yet the gins give this distillery its cult status for locals. Head distiller and owner Steve Timmis plays around with native botanicals like desert lime and pepperberry – and sometimes goes rogue with Christmas pudding – and constantly stretches the idea of what gin could (and should) taste like.

Go for the very hands-off gin-making masterclass if you want to put yourself in his shoes, then follow that up with a few hours at the bar sharing spirits over small plates of food that almost always uses the spirits in sauces and marinades.

Address: 209 Lygon St, Carlton

13. Four Pillars Gin, Healesville

Best for: The quintessential gin-making experience in regional Victoria

Four Pillars is now the most renowned gin distillery in Australia, having been coated in multiple awards since Matt Jones, Stuart Gregor and Cameron Mackenzie powered up the stills in 2013.

The carbon-neutral Healesville distillery produces over a million bottles of Four Pillars gin per year. There’s barely a bar in Australia that doesn’t at least have the core range on offer, including signatures like the classic London Dry Gin, the hugely popular Bloody Shiraz Gin and seasonal releases like the Four Seasons Christmas Gin.

Surrounded by the might of the Yarra Valley, the cellar door is like Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory for gin lovers. Hang out in the sprawling gin garden or one of several bars with a gin flight in front of you. Better yet, take a gin masterclass at the cellar door so you can focus on each of the key ingredients, from Tasmanian pepperberry and Lemon myrtle to classic juniper. It might even spawn a new career path for you.

Address: 2A Lilydale Rd, Healesville

14. Loch Brewery & Distillery, Loch

Best for: A great range of beers, gins and single malt whiskies to appeal to all tastes

The organic growth for Loch Brewery & Distillery has remained steady since co-founders Craig Johnsson and Melinda Davies started ageing single malt whiskies back in the early 2000s. While waiting for the whisky to mature, the duo started brewing beer as per old English recipes, favouring those deep, dark stouts and natural ales to balance things out for a growing clientele.

Eventually, grape-based gins became the bread and butter for this distillery out in the regional Victorian town of Loch. Much like the beer, there was a preference for classics like London dry gin and a signature, The Weaver, with five hyperlocal botanicals.

The diversity paid off. Loch’s whiskies constantly sell out and those gins are stocked on the top shelf of some of the best bars in Melbourne. As such, you’ve got options when you want a tasting paddle at Loch.

Address: 42/44 Victoria Rd, Loch

15. Animus Distillery, Kyneton 

Best for:  An off-the-beaten-track road trip and unique range of gins

You’ll find the highly underrated Animus Distillery’s cellar door on the historic strip of Piper Street in Kyneton, which is just over a one-hour drive from Melbourne CBD. You’re in luck if you find those old-world Chesterfield couches empty; this distillery can get very busy with its vibrant cocktail bar and signature tasting flights featuring vapour-pressed gin.

What started as a garage project in Fitzroy North is now very much the heart and soul of the Kyneton community. Since 2015, the Animus team has been producing top-quality gin using a gravity-fed carbon filter system and a broad spectrum of ingredients both from Australia and overseas.

While there are many gin labels in Victoria, the distinction here comes from those more vegetative and herbaceous notes. A great representation is the signature Arboretum gin with its infusion of strawberry gum leaf, lemon thyme, rosemary, oranges and bush tomato. This expression is often the favourite in the bar’s mini G&T flights.

Address: 1/89A Piper St, Kyneton

16. Westside Ale Works, South Melbourne 

Best for: A mixed crowd of beer and spirit lovers, plus a stack of board games

As both a brewery and distillery, Westside Ale Works in South Melbourne is widely known for bold American-style IPAs nodding to a SoCal influence. But there’s also a great range of four-grain whiskies, dark rum and gin.

The broad scope means you’ll find a very mixed crowd in this converted warehouse, posted at the very relaxed, uncomplicated bar. A great mix of table and board games are spread across the space, while 30 taps take care of the beer drinkers and a tight list of cocktails showcases the diverse range of spirits.

Address: 36 Alfred St, South Melbourne