Distilling Excellence

Long celebrated for premium wines and dramatic coastal beauty, the Margaret River Region is quietly yet confidently carving a new reputation as an exciting destination for craft distilling.

Local producers are drawing inspiration from the same elements that have long defined the region’s wines – pristine landscapes, a strong sense of place, and an unwavering respect for craftsmanship. From coastal-influenced gins and silky small-batch vodkas to bold whiskies, vibrant piscos and richly barrel-rested rums, each spirit is shaped by the region itself, and artisans honouring both tradition and terroir.

Cover image: Beyond Distilling

At Wise Wine in Eagle Bay, the connection between maker and land is found in each small batch created by Head Distiller Josie Thompson. Working with locally grown botanicals, Josie produces a refined range of gins and pisco-based spirits meticulously crafted to reflect the season in which it was made. “Small run batches allow us to fine-tune the botanicals and distillation allowing for unique seasonal expressions each time,” says Josie, “and once distilled, each bottle is filled, capped and hand-labelled on site to ensure consistent quality and craftsmanship.”

That same connection is felt at After Hours Winery and Gindong Gin in Jindong, where Warwick Mathews runs the boutique, family-owned winery and vineyard on the Carbunup River flat renowned for its fertile soils. His Gindong Gin and vodkas pay tribute to the early settlers who originally planted the property’s heritage fruit trees. Using these botanicals, Warwick produces distinctive, small-batch artisan spirits through traditional pot still distillation methods.

“I wanted to ensure our product was completely different, so my wife Cherrie suggested we make the most of our beautiful old trees, most of which have been here since the 1930s” says Warwick. “Our gins feature bush lemons, black English mulberries, finger lime and olives grown on the property and coastal celery and beach daisy from nearby beaches – capturing the true essence of the Margaret River Region in every bottle.”

For Beyond Distilling authenticity marks the very beginning. All spirits are made entirely from scratch with Head Distiller Greg Garnish sourcing grain and grapes directly from Western Australian farmers. “Almost 100 per cent of the ingredients found in our spirits are sourced within 100 kilometres of Perth with much of the fruit, like finger limes, grown in my own backyard,” Greg says. “We match particular grape varieties to make small batch styled spirits and create whisky, brandy, vodka, pisco-based cocktails and amazing gin, all distilled and bottled on site.” Visitors can also step into the role of distiller themselves through the Beyond Gin Academy, where hands-on workshops allow guests to create and take home their own bespoke gin.

Further south in Karridale, Wild Lot Distillery merges the best of Western Australia’s agricultural bounty with a commitment to sustainable practice. Owner and Founder Rebecca de Burgh with her small team are working towards an off-grid, low-impact distillery powered by solar, circular water and waste loops. In addition to this, their researching into repurposing distillery waste into renewable fuel, and spent botanicals are upcycled through collaborations. “We started with gin because it’s botanical and expressive of our landscape and everything, we make is small-batch – we lean into character rather than perfect replication,” Rebecca says.

The distillery in Karridale offers a full bar, seasonal cheese boards, and a relaxed vibe with plans to curate a small selection of Western Australian and Australian craft spirits from distilleries whose ethos aligns with theirs: sustainable practices, thoughtful sourcing, and spirits that tell a story of place.

Established two decades ago, The Grove Distillery was the first of its kind in Margaret River. Head distiller Shannon Grigg balances a passion for innovation with deep respect for traditional techniques, producing a diverse range of rums, whiskies, gins and liqueurs that capture the spirit of the region.

With playful liqueurs like Turkish Delight, White Chocolate and Butterscotch, the Talk & Taste Tour is an opportunity to go behind the scenes and hear Shannon’s stories about his approach to distilling, some of The Grove’s most popular releases, and of course you get to taste the good stuff. More recently, The Grove have expanded their offering with the opening of Calla at The Grove – a whiskey den inspired restaurant serving a globally inspired Australian cuisine with a Peruvian twist.

What brings the region’s distillers together is more than proximity, it’s their dedication to locally sourced, small-batch production, and thoughtful experimentation. The result is spirits that feel authentic rather than mass-produced and like the winemakers who helped put the South West on the map, they are guided by place, letting the region speak for itself, one glass at a time.