Drinks Adventures - Wine, beer, whisky, gin & more with James Atkinson

We’re joined this episode by Dan Hamilton, managing director of Diageo Australia. When Dan took on the role in October 2023 it was a homecoming to Australia after 20 years working abroad, 12 of which were in senior commercial positions at Diageo. And he was joining the Australian business at a particularly challenging time, with consumers facing significant cost of living pressures, high inflation propelling spirits tax beyond $100 a litre of alcohol, and some of Diageo’s products having lost a bit of relevance with consumers. So in this special episode of Drinks Adventures - produced in partnership with Diageo Australia - we’ll talk about some of the wins the business has had over the last couple of years, and why Australia has become a bit of a testing ground for new products like Johnnie Walker Black Ruby. We get Dan’s insights on how different cultures interact with spirits, and what makes the Australian market unique. That of course starts with premix, a category that has only recently been embraced in markets overseas, but was actually pioneered by Diageo’s Bundaberg Rum in the 1940s, somewhat incredibly. We talk about the craft spirits boom of recent decades, and what Dan thinks the Australian industry can learn from other markets such as Japan. And we get a significant update on Diageo’s investment in Starward Whisky following the global company’s decision earlier this year to stop funding the Distil Ventures accelerator. That’s just some of the territory we cover in this wide-ranging conversation with Dan Hamilton.

We’re joined this episode by Merrick Watts and Ed Stening, co-founders of Posca Hydrate, a recent start-up that takes inspiration from one of the oldest drinks in recorded history. Posca shares its name with an ancient concoction of red wine vinegar, water, salt and flavourings that was consumed by the Roman army for its hydrating properties, at a time when clean water was often hard to come by. It was Merrick, the comedian, broadcaster and wine expert, who conceived the idea of resurrecting this beverage for modern consumers. The result is Posca Hydrate, a sparkling, sugar-free prebiotic drink that combines electrolytes and antioxidant-rich red wine vinegar to support hydration and gut health. Merrick teamed up with Ed Stening, a marketing executive formerly of companies including Lion and Suntory, to refine the product and bring it to market. And it's early days, but Posca looks destined for big things. They’ve assembled a crack team of advisors to join the company’s board, and achieved some impressive milestones including qualification with the ATO as an Early Stage Innovation Company, and a distribution partnership with SPC Global. That’s all coming up in this brilliant conversation with Merrick and Ed.

In this episode, we welcome Matt Hobson of Nil Desperandum Rum back to the show. Matt was last with us on the eve of Queensland Rum Day 2024 to discuss the debut release of The Rum Consortium, a history-making blend of rums from four Queensland distilleries including icons Bundaberg and Beenleigh. Queensland Rum Day 2025 is coming up this Friday October 2025, so there’s events and another special Rum Consortium release for you to suss out after listening to this interview with Matt. This time, we’re talking about the labelling laws for Australian rum, which Matt argues must be properly enforced in order to protect the reputation of Australian rum on the world stage.

In this episode we’re joined by Chris Kelly of Australia’s first mobile canning provider, East Coast Canning. Chris founded the business in 2016 to provide small breweries with access to professional-grade packaging without them needing to invest in expensive canning lines of their own. Nine years on, East Coast Canning has a fleet of four mobile canning trucks and a static packaging facility in Melbourne that together have filled more than 33 million cans for customers on Australia’s eastern seaboard. Chris reflects on some of the highs and lows so far; such as the “sku-mageddon” groundswell of limited release beers; the lockdown era packaged beer boom; and the craft beer insolvencies that nearly brought the business undone. You’ll hear about the some of the emerging sectors of the drinks industry that are calling on East Coast for packaging services; and the company’s new Bulletproof can innovation, billed as the world’s most durable digitally printed can.

We’re joined this episode by Emilia Fazzalari and Quentin Job of Cincoro Tequila. Cincoro is the ultra-premium tequila brand launched in 2019 by a group of NBA club owners including the legendary Michael Jordan, who it turns out is also a tequila aficionado. Also in the founding group are Emilia – the company’s executive chairperson who we’re speaking to today; her husband Wyc Grousbeck – owner of the Boston Celtics; and fellow basketball figures Jeanie Buss and Wes Edens. Our other guest today, Quentin Job, is an Asia Pacific-based drinks industry veteran who is leading the expansion of Cincoro into international markets including Australia, where it has recently arrived under a distribution agreement with Minleki Spirit Traders. From the outset, the founders aimed to create a tequila that could sit confidently alongside the world’s great luxury spirits. The team worked closely with producers in Jalisco, Mexico to develop a distinctive style, blending agave from both the highlands and lowlands to create a tequila that balances elegance with depth of flavour. Launched in 2019, Cincoro is rapidly carving out a space for itself in the competitive tequila category. But in this episode – produced in partnership with Cincoro – Emilia and Quentin are quick to emphasise that the brand’s success is about much more than star power. It’s about liquid that speaks for itself, supported by careful brand-building and a long-term commitment to quality.

We're joined this episode by Guinness global brand ambassador Padraig Fox. Padraig was recently in Australia as part of Guinness’s sponsorship of the British and Irish Lions rugby tour, which coincides with a massive global resurgence for the brand. And, as you would have heard in my recent interview with Lion bosses James Brindley and Anubha Sahasrabuddhe, Australia has not been immune to the trend. In fact, Lion sold about 2 million litres of Guinness during the recent tour, when there were 2650 venues pouring Guinness in Australia, which was an increase of 850 new tap accounts on last year. In his role, Padraig is responsible for sharing the Guinness story with audiences all over the world. And in this episode – produced in partnership with Guinness – we discuss how the brand has managed to stay relevant and exciting in a crowded beer market, what’s behind its recent growth, and how it balances its long heritage with the need to keep evolving.

We’re joined this episode by West Australian beer writer and retailer, Guy Southern, winner of the Beer Media prize at the Australian International Beer Awards 2025. Guy may be familiar to you from his regular reporting for The Crafty Pint, where he’s covered the West Australian beer scene for well over a decade. And he was also lead researcher and writer for a mini-documentary on WA beer history that screened on a loop at the Liquid Gold: A Taste of WA Brewing History exhibition, held last year at the State Library of Western Australia. Coming up, Guy shares how the project reshaped his own understanding of WA beer history — particularly in uncovering early examples of brewing that predate much of the accepted historical record. We revisit how WA sparked the first wave of Australian craft beer, as well as finding out how the local industry is faring today, and getting some of his recommendations on the breweries and beers we should be keeping an eye out for in years to come.

We’re joined this episode by Steve Jeffares, co-founder of The Local Taphouse and Stomping Ground Brewing Company in Melbourne, as well as GABS, the Great Australian Beer Spectapular festival. Steve’s new solo venture is Happy Camper, a community-focused venue in Glen Iris, Melbourne, in the site formerly occupied by Deeds Brewing, which ceased operations last year. As you’ll hear, it’s a deliberate step back from scale and spectacle — and a return to Steve’s roots in hospitality and curating great drinks experiences. Coming up, Steve talks us through what inspired the concept and how it reflects his evolving relationship with beer and hospitality. We also get into the changing landscape of Australia’s beer industry — from the early days of craft, to the maturing market we see today, and what he thinks the next generation of breweries will need to get right if they’re to survive and thrive.

In this episode, we welcome back Australian spirits writer and historian Luke McCarthy to discuss two new books he has published in 2025. The first is Forgotten Spirits: A History of the Distilling Industry in Victoria — a landmark publication commissioned by Spirits Victoria and supported by funding from the Victorian Government. This is the first time anyone has attempted a comprehensive historical account of distilling in Victoria. And what Luke uncovered is an industry far older and more dynamic than many of us would have assumed. Distilling in Victoria dates back to the 1830s, and by the early 1900s the state was producing spirits on a truly global scale, only for Federal Government policy decisions to ultimately bring the industry undone later that century. The second book is St Agnes Distillery: The First 100 Years 1925–2025. It celebrates the centenary of St Agnes – one of Australia’s most iconic spirit producers – which featured on this podcast back in 2022 when the company launched its new Camborne Single Malt Whisky. Through family archives, historic photographs and in-depth interviews, Luke chronicles how the Angove family built the St Agnes brandy house from the ground up in Renmark, South Australia – enduring fires, floods, economic upheaval, and even the existential threat of changing consumer tastes. It’s a pleasure to welcome Luke back to Drinks Adventures for a timely conversation that connects the past, present and future of Australian spirits.

We’re joined this episode by John Slattery, co-founder of Greenbanks Tasmanian Whisky Co. Greenbanks started production in late 2023 with Tasmania’s largest capacity still that is fully optimised for producing whisky of all styles. In fact, the capacity of the production still at Greenbanks exceeds the combined capacity of all other whisky distilleries on the island. This scale is designed to support Greenbanks’ goal of producing a Tasmanian whisky that can hit shelves at the globally competitive price of around $80 for a 700ml bottle. And this scale, combined with other efficiencies, means Greenbanks can offer accessibly priced contract production services to its fellow Tasmanian distillers, along with aspiring whisky brands. This is a special episode of Drinks Adventures, produced in partnership with Greenbanks. Coming up, you’ll hear from John how he, Hugh Roxburgh and Tim Salt came together to found the business. First up though, I wanted to find out a little bit more about how John originally found his way into the whisky industry.

We’re joined this episode by Charlie Echlin and Chico Rosa from Fielden Whisky of England, which has recently launched its range in Australia. Fielden began life in 2017 as The Oxford Artisan Distillery, a company focused predominately on white spirits that it distilled from scratch using historic grain varieties. But it also laid down for maturation small quantities of grain spirit that underpinned its relaunch as Fielden Whisky and relocation to Yorkshire with the target of having 30,000 casks under maturation by 2030. This is a special episode of Drinks Adventures, produced in partnership with Fielden Whisky. Coming up, you’ll hear about Fielden’s differentiated approach to English whisky, championing rye, first and foremost, and highlighting the benefits of regenerative farming, working exclusively with heritage grains that have been grown entirely without chemicals. Just like several other brands we’ve previously featured on this podcast – Starward, Westward and Stauning – Fielden Whisky received a minority investment from the Distil Ventures accelerator program. Spirits giant Diageo recently announced it would no longer fund Distil Ventures, so later on in this episode I ask Charlie and Chico what this means for their business. We get their thoughts on some of the recent economic malaise surrounding the whisky industry globally. And, even though they’re focused on making rye whisky, Charlie and Chico give their view on the definition of ‘single malt’ in the proposed English whisky geographical indication that has caused quite a bit of controversy in recent months.

We’re joined this episode by James Brindley and Anubha Sahasrabuddhe of brewer Lion Australia. After his previous 28-year stint with Lion finished in 2021, James surprised the industry when he announced his return as managing director in May 2024, under a somewhat unorthodox arrangement where he would share the leadership with Anubha. With a background in CPG – consumer packaged goods – Anubha held senior leadership roles at The Coca-Cola Company and Mars Wrigley across Asia Pacific and North America, prior to returning to Australia to join Lion in 2021. Anubha’s title now is chief growth and commercial officer, and coming up, we’ll hear a bit more about the unique co-leadership arrangement she has with James, which is just coming up to its 12-month anniversary. This is a special episode of Drinks Adventures produced in partnership with Lion’s Ultra Zero Carb range that has been rolled out across the Hahn, XXXX, Tooheys and Byron Bay Brewery brands. But the interview was also an opportunity for me to ask Anubha and James about some of the challenges and trends currently confronting the brewing industry, like the struggles of the craft beer sector, the rise of premix spirits, the future of the non-alcoholic segment and more.

One of the standout sessions at the recent Australian Distillers Association conference was presented by Dr Marlize Becker of the University of Queensland and Luke Farrelly of Canefields Distillery on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Luke is a fourth-generation cane farmer who wanted to carry on the family tradition and decided rum was the most logical vehicle for him to do so. But the discovery of ten different ‘heirloom’ sugarcane varieties growing on the family property led him down the path of exploring which of them would be able to provide the most distinctive flavour profiles. Enter Marlize, whose research over the last decade has focussed on understanding the flavour and aroma compounds in wine. Funded by a university grant, Marlize undertook a study of the sugar cane varieties growing on Luke’s farm that enabled the application of her wine expertise to assist Canefields. The initial results are exciting, offering the potential for Canefields to elevate its cane juice rums and bolster what is surely one of Australia’s most unique agritourism experiences.

We’re joined this episode by Steve Magarry and Jonny Croft of Sydney Rum Distillery, which has just unveiled its new home in the former Oak milk factory in Muswellbrook. Now, that is of course a few hours north of Sydney, in the Upper Hunter Valley to be precise. In fact, the historic Oak site was most recently utilised as a winery. But the selection of the Oak factory follows an exhaustive search across Sydney for a site that could accommodate the company’s ambitious plans to create a globally scaled rum and brandy business. As you’ll hear in a moment, Sydney Rum Distillery is a holding company that in the first instance will produce bulk cane spirit and rum for export markets. But there are also plans to create its own brand portfolio in addition to Cargo Cult, the south pacific rum brand that Johnny founded in 2014. I caught up with Steve and Jonny at the distillery in Muswellbrook following a briefing and tour the company held for the local community, media and potential investors in March 2025.

Fred Siggins is a Melbourne-based spirits writer with more than 20 years of experience in the drinks and hospitality industries. He joins us to discuss what I think is a fairly momentous development. Halliday Wine Companion, the definitive guide to Australian wine for almost 40 years, is expanding its remit to include spirits. Launching in April 2025, Halliday Spirits offers comprehensive reviews and ratings of Australian-made and international spirits, aiming to elevate the industry with the same dedication to quality and insight that has defined Halliday's legacy in wine. Distillers will be assigned annual star ratings, based on scores achieved throughout the year, and the Halliday website, winecompanion.com.au, will host a directory of distillery profiles. Fred will be acting as lead taster, and joining him is gin expert Jess Clayfield, who has a profound understanding of Australian botanicals. Coming up, Fred explains why he thinks consumers are crying out for expert buying advice on spirits. You’ll hear which Australian spirits categories he’s most excited about, and he shares a few specific recommendations on the best value spirits currently on the market. Interested distillers can find out how to get involved here: https://winecompanion.com.au/spirits-submission-process

Welcome to a special news edition of Drinks Adventures as we unpack Lark Distilling’s half yearly results. This time last year, Lark Distilling CEO Satya Sharma joined us on the podcast for a full-length interview, which I strongly recommend you listen to if you haven’t already. Twelve months on and Lark appears to making strong progress against the priorities and objectives that Sash outlined in that episode. The ASX-listed company recently announced net sales of $7.2 million for the half year ended December 31, which was a 7% increase on the same time last year. The company reported an operating EBITDA loss of $1.2 million, but Sash – speaking in an investor webinar – said this was the result of an ongoing increase in marketing spend. The webinar also featured the unveiling of Lark's new Kurio Blended Malt Whisky and an update on its rebrand, which Sash signalled will be significant.

In this episode, veteran beer journalist Matt Kirkegaard returns to the Drinks Adventures podcast. Early in 2024, Matt surprised many people in the brewing industry when he announced a career change, having spent more than two decades as a beer writer and educator. This also meant the closure of Brews News, the beer industry publication and podcast that I edited between 2015 and 2018, prior to starting Drinks Adventures. And not only that, but Matt made a somewhat unusual tree change, taking a job in Roma, 500kms inland from Brisbane, where the country meets the outback. Twelve months on from this move, I wanted to check in on Matt, who was honoured – very appropriately I think – with the lifetime achievement award at The Indies beer awards last year. We talk about some of the ongoing challenges facing independent brewing, and why Matt remains optimistic that the sector’s best days are still ahead of it, if brewers can survive the current economic headwinds.

Renowned wine writer and champagne specialist Tyson Stelzer joins us in this opening episode of Season 20. Late in 2024, Tyson released the seventh edition of The Champagne Guide, which is 50 per cent bigger than the previous edition, featuring a record 1260 reviews spread across 880 pages adorned with Tyson’s beautiful photographs. The guide features a Hall of Honour ranking the best producers and the best champagnes of the year in all price points, as well as the best blanc de blancs, blanc de noirs and rosé champagnes. It's the world's most comprehensive and up-to-date guide to champagne, featuring the latest, freshest releases, all tasted recently by Tyson. And while champagne prices have really shot up in recent years, you’ll hear why Tyson believes champagne still offers far superior value when considered alongside the world’s other leading fine wine appellations. This interview was recorded late last year, so apologies for the delay in sharing it with you, but I think it’s a very worthy episode to officially kick off the podcast for 2025.

We last spoke with Chris Hatcher in May 2021, at which time he was still chief winemaker of the legendary Wolf Blass brand. Chris has since retired from Wolf Blass, but it’s not retirement as you or I would know it, because Chris has thrown himself into his own venture, Hatch Wines, which is what we’ll be discussing today. Chris has relished the opportunity to build his small, family-run brand from scratch. And unlike his corporate winemaking days, he is hands on at every stage of the process, from winemaking and blending, to marketing, showcasing and most importantly, selling the wines. The result is a portfolio of premium shiraz and Riesling from some of South Australia’s most esteemed vineyards, and the wines have generated rave reviews from some of the country’s top critics.

We're joined this episode by Elizabeth McCall, master distiller of Woodford Reserve in Kentucky. Elizabeth was not really a whiskey enthusiast when she first joined parent company Brown-Forman in 2009 as a member of the research and development department. But she soon developed a taste for it, becoming a master taster in 2015, before being effectively anointed as successor to the legendary Chris Morris when she was appointed assistant master distiller in 2018. When Elizabeth took the reigns in early 2023, she became only the third master distiller in Woodford Reserve’s 28-year history. In this special episode of Drinks Adventures – produced in partnership with Woodford Reserve – we’ll hear about Elizabeth’s unique career pathway into whiskey, before getting in to the DNA of the Woodford Reserve brand. Woodford Reserve is the only distillery that makes all four types of American whiskey – bourbon, rye, malt and wheat – ­under the same brand name. We’ll explore those core range products, as well as the groundbreaking whiskies released as part of the Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection, in this brilliant conversation with Elizabeth.

Haydon Morgan and Damien Ryan are the founders of First Light Brewing Co, a start-up in Wollongong, NSW. You may recall Haydon’s voice from the special documentary episode we did on Australian brewing legend Chuck Hahn a few years ago now. Haydon and Damien are both longstanding residents of the Illawarra region and they met each other while working at Lion, where they realised they had complementary skillsets for setting up a brewery of their own. Haydon finished up with Lion in 2023 as brewery manager for the craft beer division, and Damien, a drinks industry sales veteran, exited the business this year. With such an accomplished brewer at the helm, I had no doubt whatsoever that First Light will be putting out some superb beers. But I was interested to hear a bit more about their business model, given some of the challenges the beer industry is currently facing, as previously explored on the Drinks Adventures podcast throughout 2024.

In this episode we meet Ian Schmidt and Vic Orlow, founders of South Australia’s Tin Shed Distilling, the company behind Iniquity Whisky and other brands. The original tin shed was in Adelaide’s inner west, adjacent to Ian’s other business manufacturing flagpoles, of all things. Ian has since exited the flagpole game to focus on whisky, and he and Vic have relocated their distillery to a different tin shed in the Adelaide Hills. There, they will soon be able to open their doors to the public for the very first time in the company’s history.

In this episode we meet two of the founders of Queensland Rum Day, Matt Hobson of Cavu Distilling and Nil Desperandum Rum, and Duncan Littler of Bundaberg Rum. The second ever Queensland Rum Day is coming up this Saturday 2 November 2024, and this year brings with it a special collaborative rum showcasing liquid from four distilleries, two of which I’ve already mentioned – the others being Beenleigh and Kalki Moon. They’re calling themselves The Rum Consortium, and there are just 1920 bottles available of their 2024 Limited Edition Blend, which is the first ever time that stalwarts Bundaberg and Beenleigh have ever combined their spirits in the same bottle. I caught up with Matt and Duncan to find out about this historic rum release, the evolving rum industry in Queensland, and the significance of this new event that I expect we will be hearing much more about in years to come.

This is a special episode of the show looking at the future of Australian wine, produced in partnership with Endeavour Drinks. First up, we meet Endeavour’s head of fine wine, Andrew Shedden, who sets out the challenges that the category is currently facing. In short, those of us who love wine are getting older, and we’re not buying as much as we did in the past. And younger consumers are choosing to drink beverages other than wine, which is facing tougher than ever competition from beer, spirits and premix. Andrew says it is incumbent on the wine industry to rethink its approach if it is to appeal to these younger consumers, and that means challenging the accepted conventions: everything from the liquid itself to packaging formats, labelling, branding, marketing and how we talk about wine. Also this episode I speak with a couple of producers who have done just that; Cam Marshall of Range Life Wines in Victoria, and Rod Micallef of Zonzo Estate in the Yarra Valley.

We welcome back to the show Daniel Motlop of Seven Seasons Spirits, who we previously met back in May 2021. Coming up, Daniel reveals that Seven Seasons has returned to majority family ownership following the demise of his former business partner and distributor, Mighty Craft. Mighty Craft backer Pure Asset Management has emerged as Daniel’s new business partner and together they have big ambitions for the brand that has showed so much promise with its innovative products showcasing Australian native ingredients, led of course by Green Ant Gin. We get an update on the Seven Seasons whisky that was developed by Daniel in collaboration with another previous podcast guest, Mighty Craft head distiller George Campbell, who has since returned to Islay to take up the job as distillery manager at Laphroaig. Seven Seasons has also announced a new distribution agreement with Amber Beverage Australia, so first up in this episode I spoke briefly with founder and CEO Patrick Borg about the latest addition to his portfolio.

Nelson Hernandez is master distiller at Venezuela’s Diplomatico Rum, where he has worked for an incredible 38 years. After studying mechanical engineering, Nelson initially worked in the oil industry before taking a job in 1986 as Maintenance and Project Manager at the Diplomatico distillery. Working alongside rum master Tito Cordero, Nelson learnt the craft of rum production the Diplomatico way, which means applying the highest quality standards at every step of the rum-making process from the sourcing of raw materials to the bottling. As you heard at the top of the show, Nelson relishes the opportunity to convert whisky and cognac enthusiasts over to Diplomatico’s super premium rums led by its flagship Reserva Exclusiva blend, the perfect rum for sipping and elevating classic cocktails such as the Old Fashioned. The Diplomatico brand is ranked number one globally in the super premium rum segment and Reserva Exclusiva is currently having a bit of a moment here in Australia, growing 22 per cent year-on-year. So in this special episode of Drinks Adventures – produced with the support of Diplomatico – I sat down with Nelson to find out a little bit more about the brand’s Venezuelan provenance, and the production methodologies that set Diplomatico Rum apart from its peers.

We're joined this episode by James Bruce, who together with school friend Stafford Fox founded StrangeLove Beverage Co in Byron Bay, Australia, in 2012. StrangeLove is an unlikely story of entrepreneurialism that began with a single product –StrangeLove Organic Ginger Beer Energy Elixir – ‘a ginger beer so hot it was almost undrinkable’ that also contained functional ingredients like green tea and yerba mate. Over an at times tumultuous decade in which James and Stafford were continually running out of money, the StrangeLove offering evolved into a portfolio of adult soft drinks, mixers and mineral waters that proved so popular the business was ultimately acquired in 2022 by Asahi Beverages. This episode of Drinks Adventures was produced in partnership with StrangeLove, which has this year come on board as a sponsor of the show. So, I’m excited to share with you the StrangeLove origin story in this conversation with James, who reveals there is a new chapter on the horizon for the company involving its first ever foray into the arena of alcohol beverages.

Michael Fragos is chief winemaker and general manager at McLaren Vale winery Chapel Hill, which this year celebrated its 50th vintage. Michael has been with the company for the last 21 of those vintages. So, in this special episode of Drinks Adventures – produced in partnership with Chapel Hill – he shares his insights on the winery’s evolution and the attention to detail that defines its winemaking process. This meticulous approach has this year inspired the release of a new flagship wine, The Devil Shiraz 2020, which plays on the saying, ‘the devil’s in the detail’. We’ll explore that new release in this interview with Michael, along with some of the experiments and tweaks he’s made in the winery over the last couple of decades to take the Chapel Hill wines to even greater heights.

This is a special episode of the show reporting on Australian spirits’ ambitions of becoming a $1 billion export industry by 2035. We all know the quality is there, and that $1 billion objective is what economics firm Mandala Partners believes is achievable if the Federal Government gets behind the Australian spirits industry, just as it has done for wine over several decades now. The spirits industry tabled its ambitions in the Federal Inquiry into Food and Beverage Manufacturing in Australia, which is currently being conducted by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Resources. I’ve been involved in the inquiry process through my day job as Media & Communications Manager for industry body Spirits & Cocktails Australia. This episode presents audio from four separate hearings held in Sydney, Canberra, Hobart and Melbourne between June and August, which I’ve edited together for narrative purposes. If this is the first time you’ve listened to Drinks Adventures, nearly all of the people and brands featured in this episode have appeared previously on the show: Lark Whisky spreads its wings under new CEO Satya Sharma Dr Rachel Barrie, First Lady of Scotch whisky Holly Klintworth on her cognac recon mission, plus Australian Distillers news Sam Slaney of Starward on small batch whisky trials Laphroaig distillery manager Barry McAffer World Martini Day, with Archie Rose Bone Dry Gin Hickson House Distilling Co trio unveil further plans Dr Emma Walker, Johnnie Walker’s new master blender

We're joined this episode by Wade Rushton-Clarke, chief executive officer, Australia and New Zealand at keg rental company Konvoy Kegs. The issue of lost and stolen kegs has long plagued brewers in Australia. But you may have seen earlier this year, a spike in instances of large-scale keg theft by opportunists who were then flogging the empty kegs off as scrap metal. This unscrupulous practice is very financially damaging for brewers who have a lot of money tied up in kegs, which they must be able to access in a timely fashion to supply their customers. Clearly, it's the last thing that the brewing industry needs right at the moment. The extent of the problem has been uncovered by Konvoy's technology that tracked the missing kegs to a handful of scrapyards, giving police the evidence they needed to bring the offenders to justice. And as a result, Konvoy has been able to reduce the incidence of missing kegs in its fleet to less than one per cent. Wade and I discussed these and other benefits of Konvoy's tracking technology in this special episode of Drinks Adventures, produced in partnership with Konvoy Kegs. You'll hear how the tracking beacons can inform brewers how quickly their products are turning around in venues, so they can be confident that we consumers, are enjoying their beers in the best possible condition.

We're joined this episode by Cam Hines, co-founder of pioneering Australian craft brewer Mountain Goat. Cam exited the beer industry after the sale of Mountain Goat in 2015 to Asahi, which was one of the first in a series of craft beer acquisitions by the major brewers over the last decade. I was pretty intrigued when I learned that Cam had returned to entrepreneurship as founder of Southern Seagreens, a business farming seaweed on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. So, as we take a little bit of a tangent from our usual programming, Cam shares how he transitioned from brewing to aquaculture, initially inspired by a Tim Flannery documentary on the environmental benefits of seaweed. First up though, Cam reflects on his 18 years building the Mountain Goat Beer brand and shares his thoughts on the current state of the Australian beer industry. For more on Mountain Goat Beer as it is today, make sure you check out the episode I recorded in 2022 with current head brewer Alana Rees.

We’re joined this episode by Kristy Lark-Booth, founder of Killara Distillery in Tasmania. Kristy is a second-generation distiller, following in the footsteps of her parents Bill and Lyn Lark, who of course pioneered the modern Australian craft spirits industry when they opened Lark Distillery in 1992. Kristy founded Killara Distillery in 2016 and is now making an eclectic line-up of quality spirits at a 26-acre property in the Coal River Valley. She’s established her own gin garden where she is growing her own juniper and other botanicals; recently planted a trial crop of barley that would enable a grain-to-glass whisky; and has ambitions of planting a vineyard for an estate brandy. Those are just a few of the projects currently underway for Kristy, who is also the new president of the Tasmanian Whisky & Spirits Association. So, coming up later in the interview we get a general update on Tasmanian industry is faring, and we get an update on the TWSA’s quest for technical standards that will properly define and protect the different categories of spirits produced in Tasmania.

We’re joined this episode by Trina Smith, chief winemaker of white wine and sparkling wine for Pernod Ricard Winemakers. Sparkling is one of the top performing wine styles in Australia, with current economic conditions driving many of us to choose more affordable wine alternatives to champagne. This scenario has been a boon for Mumm Terroirs, the range of sparkling wines produced in collaboration with the renowned champagne house G.H.Mumm. Comprising cuvees from Tasmania here in Australia, Marlborough and Central Otago in New Zealand and Napa in the United States, the Mumm Terroirs range is growing strongly, with plans afoot to continue its expansion. This is a special episode of the Drinks Adventures podcast, produced in partnership with Mumm Terroirs. Coming up, we discuss the philosophy behind the Terroirs range; the unique characteristics of each region; and the evolving preferences for drier sparkling wines in Australia. That’s after we find out a little bit more about how Trina found her way to Pernod Ricard and the additional role of committee chair for the Australian Sparkling Wine Show.

Veteran drinks industry executive Nick Boots returns to the Drinks Adventures podcast, having just taken on a new challenge as CEO of Gold Coast, Queensland-based brewery Black Hops Brewing. This follows a 12-month stint consulting with craft breweries in Australia and New Zealand under the company name The Business Of Beer, prior to which he was general manager of Stone & Wood Brewing Company. Nick took the reigns at Black Hops shortly after the company emerged from voluntary administration with a new ownership structure. It seemed timely to catch up for a chat about recent challenges in the brewing industry, and his plans to rebuild the Black Hops business.

In this opening episode of Season 19 we meet Alex Munch, co-founder of Denmark’s Stauning Whisky. Stauning was founded in 2005 by nine friends with diverse career backgrounds, none of them related to the drinks industry. But what they didn’t know ultimately took them down a path of craft whisky production that was quite distinctive and on trend; showcasing locally grown barley and rye that they floor malt in-house at the distillery. Coming up, Alex explains how the endorsement of Denmark’s famed Noma restaurant helped catapult the brand onto the international stage. And we discuss the landmark investment from Diageo-backed Distill Ventures, which enabled Stauning to scale up operations while steadfastly maintaining the traditional production methods that have come to define its house style.

In this episode we meet Derek Charge, who is CEO of Hellyers Road Distillery in Tasmania. Hellyers Road was founded in 1997 by a group of dairy farmers who decided to diversify their business into the production of whisky. At the time of this episode going to air, the company is in the final stages of an equity crowdfunding campaign that has already generated almost $3.5 million worth of investment. I've never known much about Hellyers Road beyond what I've heard anecdotally from people. So, this juncture seemed like the perfect opportunity to catch up with Derek and satisfy my curiosity about a significant player in Australian whisky that up until now, has flown a little bit under the radar.

In this episode, we meet Richard Jeffares, founder of the gluten-free brewery Two Bays, which recently won a gold medal for its Session Ale at the World Beer Cup. The World Beer Cup is often referred to as ‘The Olympics Of Beer’. It's held in America every two years and unlike most of the other drinks competitions around, there is only one gold, silver and bronze medal awarded in each beer category. It's frightfully difficult to win a medal, especially for breweries on the other side of the world, which naturally face logistical challenges getting their beer in front of the judges in peak condition. As such, there's only been a handful of Australian breweries that have ever won medals in the World Beer Cup, with 9300 beers entered this year from 2060 breweries in 50 countries. Two Bays founder Richard Jeffares and head brewer Kristian Martin were in Las Vegas to collect the award. And when I caught up with Richard on his return to Australia, it was also a chance to hear about other developments at the company, which continues to impress with its mastery of beers made from a base of millet, buckwheat and rice.

We're joined this episode by Rod Berry of Amber Lane, a whisky distillery based in the Yarramalong Valley, north of Sydney. Rod’s longstanding enthusiasm for whisky gradually evolved into an obsession while working in his previous career as a lawyer. Ultimately, Rod joined forces with friend and fellow whisky enthusiast Phil Townsend to set up the Amber Lane distillery on Phil’s property in the Central Coast hinterland. Since leaving the legal pro behind, Rod has been fine-tuning his craft, inspired by his passion for sherried Scotch whiskies, and applying some maturation techniques that are more commonly utilised in the production of cognac. Already with an impressive array of gold medals to its name, Amber Lane has developed a reputation for quality, which Rod believes is crucial for craft spirits producers to be able to prosper in the current competitive and economic landscape.

In this episode we return to Beechworth in High Country Victoria, after having Ben Kraus from Bridge Road Brewers on the show last year. This time we’re joined by chef Michael Ryan from the highly acclaimed Beechworth restaurant, Provenance, to discuss Beechworth Bitters Company, his side project dedicated to amaro and cocktail bitters. A few years ago I brought you an episode about Italian amari, produced in partnership with The Italian Cultural Institute. This episode puts an Australian angle on this lesser known spirits category, as Michael explains how he created his own library of extracts from roots, leaves, flowers and bark, and blended them into this distinctive range of bitters that speak clearly of their Beechworth provenance.

Ihana Wine is a boutique wine brand launched by Finnish Formula One driver Valtteri Bottas in partnership with sixth generation McLaren Vale wine company Oliver’s Taranga. A ten-time race winner currently driving for the Kick Sauber F1 team, Valtteri shares with us his longstanding passion for wine, and specifically South Australian shiraz, which has been crystallised through his relationship with South Australian Tiffany Cromwell, the professional cyclist. Listen in as Valtteri opens up about the blending process, collaborating with Oliver’s Taranga winemaker Corrina Wright, and how he balances his interests in wine, coffee and gin with the demands of the F1 season. We find out what he thinks of the DR3 wines created by Australian F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo, who we had on the show in early 2023. Later on this episode I talk again with Corrina who gives her perspective on one of the more unlikely celebrity wine partnerships that I’ve been able to share with you on the Drinks Adventures podcast.

We're joined this episode by the founders of Sydney’s newest craft brewery, Chuck & Son’s Brewing Company. And yes, we’re talking about Chuck Hahn, who is sensationally making a return to the brewing industry in partnership with his son Scott. Chuck notched up 50 years in the brewing industry in 2021, which we celebrated on this podcast with this special documentary episode. I naively thought that would be a footnote to his incredible brewing career. But it turns out Chuck has unfinished business. Together with Scott, the next chapter begins May 2024 at a new brewery in St Peters in the inner west. However, it is of course an exceedingly difficult market to launch a new brewery, even if you’re Chuck Hahn. We’ll address some of those challenges later on in this interview with Chuck and Scott.

Rollo Crittenden is general manager, winemaker and vineyard manager of Crittenden Wines in Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula region. Mornington Peninsula is synonymous with premium quality pinot noir and chardonnay, and Crittenden certainly excels at making wine from those varieties. But when it comes to differentiating the winery from its peers, Rollo has an ace up his sleeve. Since 2011, Crittenden has been making a rare Australian example of the white wines made from savagnin grapes that are unique to the Jura region of France. Known as ‘vin jaune’ wines in Jura, they’re aged for years in barrel under a layer of flor yeast, similar to how fino sherry wines are made in Spain. And the results are quite extraordinary, as I experienced myself late last year when Rollo presented a retrospective comprising six vintages of Crittenden’s Cri De Couer savagnin wines. Coming up, you’ll hear how this project has evolved from an accident into one of the most celebrated wines on the contemporary Australian scene. NB: This interview was recorded following the event late in 2023, right before I took an extended break from the podcast. Keep that in mind when we reference the upcoming pipeline of releases during this interview.

The Australian Distillers Association is the peak body for the 700 craft distillers that are now spread across the country, up from just 40 a decade ago. I work pretty closely with the ADA and its chief executive Paul McLeay in my day job as media & communications manager of Spirits & Cocktails Australia. In this bonus episode, Paul and I catch up for a quick chat about the ADA Conference coming up in Brisbane on April 28 to 30, 2024, which is the association’s 20th anniversary year. I know quite a few of you are in the distilling industry, so Paul and I will hope to see you there. Since we were already sitting down for a chat, I took the opportunity to ask Paul about the latest global accolades for Australian distillers at the World Whiskies Awards, and how his members are coping in the challenging economic environment. Register for the ADA Conference here.

Last year I reported on the worrying spate of insolvencies in the drinks industry, particularly among craft brewers. And things have gotten even worse so far in 2024. Dave Padden of Sydney’s Akasha Brewing was pretty open with us last year on the show about the difficulties his business was confronting. Sadly, Akasha last week became the latest brewery to enter voluntary administration. In this episode I’m joined by Dale Meddings, joint CEO of Bintani, Australia’s leading supplier of ingredients to the brewing and distilling industries, and a long-term sponsor of the podcast. Coming up, Dale shares with us the impact this brewing industry turmoil has been having on his business, and we get a health check on the emerging craft spirits sector. Dale reveals what are some of the hottest ingredients currently on the market that will shape the drinks of the future. And you’ll hear why, in spite of everything that’s going on, he is still optimistic about the future of independent brewing in Australia. Where to here for local beer? (Crafty Pint article)

Back in early 2023 we met Jeremy Blanks and Greg Jackson of Tarac, the largest distiller of grape spirit in Australia, which is diversifying into the contract production of whisky. Twelve months on, Jeremy and Greg return to the show having recently had their first trial whiskies come of age. I’ve had a chance to taste these whiskies that have been column distilled from malted barley, and was really impressed with them. Don’t take my word for it though, if you’re a distiller and heading to the Australian Distillers Association Conference in Brisbane at the end of April, you can try these whiskies for yourself at the trade show. See you there! In this special episode of Drinks Adventures – produced in partnership with Tarac – Greg and Jeremy update us on all the developments in their whisky program since we last spoke. The company’s first commercial batch of whisky will reach maturity in August 2024. And based on the level of interest from distillers thus far, this milestone should mean we start to see some more blended whiskies coming on to the market in Australia. Does Australian whisky have the appropriate regulations to accommodate these products? That’s something Jeremy, Greg and I explore a bit later on in today’s conversation. Click here for more information on Tarac's Australian single malt whisky offering.

We’re joined again this episode by Andrew Caillard MW, one of Australia’s leading authorities on wine. Andrew was last on the show in November 2020 discussing the debut of two Australian wines on the prestigious international wine marketplace, La Place de Bordeaux. This time Andrew joins us to discuss his magnum opus, The Australian Ark, the most extensive history of the Australian wine industry ever written. First up, Andrew and I discuss the challenges involved with getting a book of this scale and ambition off the ground. We then explore just a handful of the individuals and events that have shaped the wine industry as told by Andrew in The Australian Ark, such as: Who was the real father of Australian wine – it’s not James Busby as I previously thought; How colonial wine evolved from a cottage industry into a booming export industry spearheaded by the Emu brand of Australian burgundy in the late 1800s; and The Australian Wine Canon – Andrew’s list of the most influential Australian wines of all time, starting with the Rosehill Red Wine produced in Parramatta in 1792. Trigger warning: This episode which includes some pretty confronting discussion about the displacement of First Nations people that sadly occurred as part of this story, and which Andrew doesn’t shy away from in his book. I'd like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this podcast is produced – the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation – and pay my respects to their Elders past and present.

Satya Sharma is the new CEO of Australia’s pioneering whisky company, Lark Distilling. Sash – as he prefers to be called – has only been on deck since May 2023. But already, he has put his stamp on the Lark business. The frenzy of special releases has been dialled back in favour of a clearly defined core range. Export deals have been announced for several markets in South East Asia. 700ml bottles are on the cards, and as you just heard, the business has committed to greater transparency about the provenance of whiskies that carry the Lark name. Sash joined Lark following ten years with William Grant & Sons, most recently in Singapore, where he played an integral role establishing export markets for its iconic brands including Glenfiddich and The Balvenie. We’ll explore that career background and Sash’s vision for Lark coming up in this extended interview that gets the Drinks Adventures podcast underway for 2024. If you haven’t already, make sure you listen to the special episode I did for the 30th anniversary of Lark Distillery in 2022. I’ve linked to it from the show notes. First up this episode, I asked Bill Lark his thoughts on the new leadership, which signals the beginnings of another chapter for the business he founded back in 1992.

Victorian winery Seppelt today is probably best known for its exquisite table wines. I’m talking about St Peters Shiraz from its home region of the Grampians, and chardonnay, riesling and pinot noir from the esteemed Drumborg Vineyard in the cooler climes of Henty. Perhaps lesser known to some of us is Seppelt’s rich heritage in sparkling wines. In 2022, the company highlighted that pedigree with two new cuvees named in honour of Charles Pierlot, the Frenchman who in 1890 made Australia’s first traditional method sparkling wines at Seppelt’s Great Western winery. Pierlot also pioneered one of Australia’s most unique wine styles, sparkling shiraz. Seppelt Show Sparkling remains the benchmark for this style today. And Seppelt winemaker Clare Dry argues it deserves to be consumed more broadly than the traditional occasion of Christmas time. In this special episode of Drinks Adventures, produced in partnership with Seppelt, I started by asking Clare about the story behind this unique wine. Later in this interview, you’ll find out a little bit more about how sparkling shiraz is made, and we’ll explore the new vintage, 2012 Show Sparkling, released this year. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Dr Tim Jones is undoubtedly one of Australia’s top cider makers. After starting his drinks production career making industrial cider in Cascade Brewery, Tim joined Willie Smith’s as head cider maker in 2014. He stayed in that role until 2020 and during that period of almost six years, Willie Smith’s won a stack of trophies for its ciders showcasing the complexity offered by heirloom English and French cider apple varieties. Tim’s new venture is Wild Mother Tasmania, a vinegar company that like Willie Smiths is based in the Huon Valley, Tasmania. Wild Mother is dedicated to minimal intervention, unfiltered and unpasteurised vinegars from apples and cherries, some of which have been aged in casks that have previously held bourbon, port and Tasmanian whisky. And more relevantly to this podcast, there are also some liqueurs and apple brandies in the pipeline that you’ll hear about, right after Tim explains how he first became interested in exploring the world of craft vinegar. Click here to open episode in your podcast player

Five years ago when I started this podcast I never thought I’d see small craft brewers making products like hard seltzers, low carb and non-alcoholic beers, or “cervezas” that to me look very much like the macro lagers they originally railed against. But these are interesting and challenging times in the drinks industry. All producers are currently grappling with a plethora of economic headwinds and the need to cater for increasingly health conscious consumers. Chris Moschos, who is innovation director at Lion, is better placed than most to speak about these trends. Prior to joining Lion – Australia’s second biggest brewer – in February 2022, Chris worked for almost 14 years at spirits company Diageo Australia. In this interview, Chris and I speak about a couple of Lion’s big bets in 2023. James Squire Stride, the first low carb beer released by the pioneering craft beer brand in its 25-year history. And Kirin Hyoketsu, a premix vodka lemon sour that’s been phenomenally successful in Japan, where it’s been available since 2001. This is a special episode of the Drinks Adventures podcast, produced in partnership with Lion. And given Chris’s job title, I started this interview by asking what the word ‘innovation’ means to him. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.