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

Darwin Distilling Co is a Northern Territory distillery founded by our guest this episode of the podcast, hospitality entrepreneur Rebecca Bullen. Originally from Victoria, Bec was lured to Darwin by the opportunity to open the city’s first wine bar, Stone House, which launched in 2016 and is still going strong today. She subsequently opened the gin bar and restaurant Charlie’s of Darwin in January 2020, with the distillery as its centrepiece. Carefully avoiding encounters with snakes and crocodiles, Bec forages local botanicals to create a uniquely Territorian range of gins and vodkas, with cane spirits also in the pipeline. I’m somewhat ashamed to say that I’ve never been Darwin, or the NT for that matter, so started by asking Bec about the appeal of living and working in this unique city. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

With more than 30 years’ experience in the whisky industry, Dr Rachel Barrie was the first female Scotch whisky Master Blender inducted into Whisky Magazine’s illustrious ‘Hall of Fame’. Also known as the 'First Lady of Scotch', Rachel studied chemistry before landing a job as research scientist at the Scotch Whisky Research Institute. She then moved into production at The Glenmorangie Company, becoming Master Blender in 2003. During that time Rachel also managed the stocks for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, before moving to Morrison Bowmore Distillers with Bowmore, Auchentoshan and Glen Garioch, and subsequently working with Laphroaig and Ardmore. Since 2017, Rachel has been Master Blender for Brown Forman’s Single Malt portfolio, comprising Glendronach, Benriach and Glenglassaugh – distilleries we previously explored on this podcast with global brand ambassador Stewart Buchanan in 2022. I’m excited to share this fascinating interview with Rachel that I recorded when she was in Sydney recently. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Established in 1884, the Melbourne Royal Wine Awards annually attracts around 2,500 entries from over 400 wineries from across the country. The Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy is the pinnacle of the competition. It’s awarded to the best one or two year old red wine as blind tasted by the judges. Last year, the winner was the 2021 Old Legend Grenache from Hentley Farm in the Barossa Valley. It was another milestone in the ascendancy of Australian grenache, which is something I’ve discussed recently on the podcast with both with Max Allen and Jane Lopes. Hentley Farm chief winemaker Andrew Quin joins us this episode with the trophy presentation for the 2023 Melbourne Royal Wine Awards coming up this Friday November 3. Wolf Blass once said the Jimmy Watson was worth a million dollars to the winning producer, so I started by asking Andrew about the significance of last year’s prize to Hentley Farm. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Renowned wine writer Huon Hooke previously appeared on the Drinks Adventures podcast way back in Season One, in an episode exploring Australians’ love affair with champagne. He’s finally back for this full-length chat about The Real Review Wine Classification, which launched in 2022 aiming to highlight the greatest wines of Australia and New Zealand that have an outstanding track record of a decade or longer. Huon and I discuss the fresh approach he’s taken to classifying wine versus other established frameworks; and how this helps bring emerging producers to the fore, as well as wine styles and regions that might be less fashionable, but are nevertheless extremely high quality. Case in point, the wineries of Langhorne Creek in South Australia; Bleasdale, Lake Breeze and Bremerton. The latter of those three wineries slipped Huon’s mind during our conversation, and he contacted me afterwards to see if this omission could be addressed. The Real Review was launched in 2016 to provide unbiased, independent reviews on wine. I started by asking Huon whether the classification has always been on the founders’ agenda. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Two Doctors is a whiskey company founded, as the name suggests, by Two Doctors; surgeon Jerry Schwartz and Professor John Rasko AO, a clinical hematologist, pathologist and scientist. Professor Rasko is with us this episode to discuss his epic side hustle, which utilises the brewing equipment at Sydney Brewery’s production facility in the Hunter Valley, NSW. The brewery and distillery are based at Rydges Resort Hunter Valley, one of several hotels owned by Jerry’s other business, Schwartz Family Company, which is the largest privately owned hotel group in Australia. Jerry’s backing has empowered Two Doctors to take an uncompromising approach to whisky production focused on premium single barrel releases aged for a minimum of six years, mostly in barrels supplied by local Hunter Valley wineries. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

In this edition of the news on Drinks Adventures: Top Shelf declares pathway to profitability; Cape Byron campaigns for tax relief with Excise Strength Gin; Business booming at McLaren Vale winery, Oliver’s Taranga; and New lease on life for Orange, NSW cider maker Small Acres. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Few Australian distillery launches in 2023 have been greeted with the excitement surrounding Waubs Harbour in Bicheno, Tasmania. It’s easy to see why. The distillery’s striking location in a former oyster hatchery on the rugged Tassie coast promises a true maritime expression of Australian single malt whisky. The founders bring with them some pretty impressive pedigree in both distilling and business generally. Head distiller Rob Polmear was previously head of production at Lark Distillery, and head distiller at Overeem. He’s banded together with our guests this episode – his brother Tim Polmear and Tim’s wife, Bec – who in 2015 successfully exited an e-commerce business, Flat Tummy Tea. Since our conversation, Waubs Harbour has revealed the identity of its distributor, Proof & Company, which also represents brands including Never Never Gin, Ferrand Cognac, Plantation Rum and more. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Renowned drinks writer Max Allen returns to the Drinks Adventures podcast this episode, three years on from our interview launching his last book, Intoxicating: Ten Drinks That Shaped Australia. Max’s new book that we’ll be discussing today is called Alternative Reality: How Australian Wine Changed Course. It explores the Australian wine industry’s rapid embrace of non-mainstream grape varieties over the last two decades, which can all be traced back to 2001 in Mildura, north east Victoria, where a group of visionaries launched the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show. And it includes comprehensive information about the 150 different grape varieties currently grown in Australia: what the wines made from these grapes taste like, and who the best producers are. It’s another engaging and enlightening conversation with Max in which we also consider whether these emerging grape varieties could ultimately challenge the dominance of mainstays like shiraz, chardonnay and friends in the top echelons of Australian fine wine. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

In this edition of the news on Drinks Adventures: Chris Malcolm slams Mighty Craft failures; Morris releases Tokay Barrel Whisky; and Introducing The Beer Drinker’s Toolkit, a new book by Mick Wust. And, on a personal note, announcing my new industry role as media & communications manager at Spirits & Cocktails Australia. This is the final episode of Season 16. I'm taking a short break to catch up on back of house stuff, so we can start anew in a few weeks’ time. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Western Australia’s Howard Park Wines featured on this podcast very early on when I interviewed then chef winemaker Janice McDonald, in October 2018. Janice has since moved on to focus on the Margaret River wine company she founded with partner Stuart Pym, Flowstone Wines, which we explored on Drinks Adventures in early 2023. In this episode we welcome Howard Park’s current chief winemaker Nic Bowen to the show, together with Natalie Burch, general manager and marketing director. Nic joined Howard Park in 2021 with strong pedigree as a sparkling winemaker, having worked alongside the legendary Ed Carr at House of Arras. Howard Park had won a major trophy for its Jete Brut NV even prior to Nic’s arrival, and in this episode he’ll share what the company is currently doing in the vineyard and winery to build on this early success. We also touch on some of the many other projects currently underway at Howard Park and sibling brands, like the recent embrace of grenache, and the low intervention wines released under the Mon Tout label. But first up, we go back to the beginning with Natalie Burch, who details how her family became involved with Howard Park 30 years ago, and the exciting evolution of its wine styles over that time. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Whisky production disappeared from New Zealand in 1997 with the closure of the Willowbank Distillery in Dunedin. But in 2009 Tasmanian entrepreneur Greg Ramsay brought together a group of investors to purchase Willowbank’s remaining stocks and re-launch New Zealand whisky to the world. Greg joins us this episode as we explore some of New Zealand’s little-known whisky-making heritage, and the whisky renaissance that’s now underway. His company, dubbed The New Zealand Whisky Collection, is currently preparing to launch some modern expressions, having begun production in 2021 at its own distillery installed at Speight’s Brewery in Dunedin. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

James Christopher of Sydney’s Brix Rum is with us again this episode, following his previous appearance back in Season Two. It was very early days for Brix when we last spoke in 2018, at which time the company was relying on imported spirit for the dark rums in its range. Brix has now come to market with a new core range of rums fully produced here in Australia, which have superseded the imported product, in beautiful packaging designed by podcast sponsor, Co-Partnership. It seemed a pivotal time to sit down with James for a chat about the intervening years, and some of the exciting developments at Brix – and in the Australian rum category generally – as the company enters a new phase. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Founded in 2005 in Beechworth, north east Victoria, Bridge Road Brewers is currently celebrating its 18th birthday. This is a significant milestone for any business, let alone a craft brewer. And it’s particularly momentous for Bridge Road, which is currently poised to open a brewpub venue in East Brunswick, Melbourne, following a successful $1.5 million crowdfunding campaign in 2022. Founder Ben Kraus is with us this episode for a really interesting discussion about the challenges of remaining relevant in a fiercely competitive market in which the drinker is always on the lookout for new and different. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

How to drink Australian is a landmark wine book by American sommeliers Jane Lopes and Jonathan Ross. Jane and Jonathan have intimate knowledge of the wine scene in Australia, having both worked professionally here; Jane as wine director at renowned Melbourne restaurant Attica, and Jonathan as beverage director at Rockpool Dining Group. Jane and Jonathan were so blown away by the wines they experienced during their time here that upon returning to the US in 2020 they founded Legend, a wine imports company specialising in Australian wine. Incidentally, the Legend roster includes a couple of producers that have previously featured on this podcast; Sailor Seeks Horse and Stargazer out of Tasmania. With their new book, How to Drink Australian, Jane and Jonathan aim to fill the void of quality literature on Australian wine. It features exhaustive analysis of every significant region, stunning and detailed maps, producer profiles and more, all curated with a reverence for Australia's first custodians. I caught up with Jane recently for this interview that I’m excited to share with you on the Drinks Adventures podcast. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

When Seb Costello opened the cocktail bar Bad Frankie in Melbourne in 2014, he did something that was almost unthinkable at the time; creating a drinks menu comprised completely of Australian craft spirits. Seb understandably became known as a champion of Australian distilling. This, coupled with his sensory skills and broad appreciation for different spirits categories, saw him appointed chief judge of the Australian Distilled Spirits Awards in 2020. At the time of this episode going to air, Seb and the other judges – led by new chief judge, Shaun Byrne – are preparing to appraise this year's entries to the ADSA, the only spirits competition endorsed by the Australian Distillers Association. This seemed like the appropriate juncture to have a long overdue chat with Seb about craft spirits in Australia. First up, we get his reflections on those three years as lead official of the ADSA. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

We previously met Holly Klintworth on the Drinks Adventures podcast back in March 2021. So if you’re keen to get the back story on Holly’s distillery, Bass & Flinders, head on back to that episode in Season 8. Holly’s back with us having recently returned from a six-week internship in Cognac, supported by a Churchill Fellowship. The trip had the objective of learning the art of brandy production from leading cognac producers, so that she could share her findings with the Australian industry. I wanted to find out how Holly got on in this endeavour. And coupled with that, how she’s settling in to her dual role as president of the Australian Distillers Association. Holly has only been in the chair since November 2022 and has already had to deal with some contentious issues, like the misleading usage of the term ‘single malt’ by some distillers, which I also discussed recently on the show with Tasmanian Whisky & Spirits Association president Cam Brett. We also cover the divisive debate around base spirit in gin, fuelled by a recent article in the mainstream media, and some controversy surrounding Australian distilleries and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. That’s all coming up in this interview with Holly. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

We’re joined this episode by Stone & Wood head brewer Caolan Vaughan, to get an update on recent goings on at the company. And as always, there’s plenty happening. Like the rebranding and reformulation of Cloud Catcher, now known as Cloudy Pale Ale; and the launch of its new Australian Hop Series, starting with the Hinterland Hazy. We get the latest on the Counter Culture label, reserved for left field and inventive beers. And I ask Caolan what happened to Forest for the Trees, the saison offshoot brand championed by Stone & Wood founder Brad Rogers. We get a progress report on Green Coast Mid, the clear bottle lager introduced in 2021 that was a pretty massive change in direction for Stone & Wood. And we find out the latest on redevelopment plans for its Murwillumbah production brewery. This is a special episode of Drinks Adventures, produced in partnership with Stone & Wood. First up in the interview – recorded a few weeks ago now – I started by asking Caolan how things have been going with the integration of Stone & Wood into the Lion business, following its sale in late 2021. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Tasmania is the birthplace of Australian whisky in the modern era, with unique positioning as the country’s only island state. For some time now its distillers have entertained the idea of protecting these attributes with a geographical indication or appellation ensuring that products labelled ‘Tasmanian whisky’ meet certain standards. Recently on the Drinks Adventures podcast we met Cam and Suzy Brett of Spring Bay Distillery in Tasmania. Cam is also president of the Tasmanian Whisky and Spirits Association (TWSA), and during that same interview Cam and I went down a bit of a rabbit hole talking about the GI for Tassie whisky, and other industry concerns. I thought that conversation deserved a separate episode, which starts with Cam updating us on how many distilleries there are today in Tasmania. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Welcome to another edition of the news on Drinks Adventures. Coming up this bulletin: Langtons Barossa wine auction nets $200K; Lark investors meet new CEO Satya Sharma; The Gospel unveils a tribute to Maryland-style rye whiskeys; and South Australian Parliament honours distillers on World Gin Day. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Established in 2015 at Spring Beach in Tasmania, Spring Bay Distillery is the realisation of a dream for whisky-loving owners Cam and Suzy Brett. We’ve actually heard from Cam a couple of times previously on this podcast; in one of my news bulletins back in 2021, and in the special Lark 30th anniversary episode in 2022. So it’s long overdue I invited Cam and Suzy on for an in-depth chat about Spring Bay. While it’s definitely single malt whisky that inspired their distillery, Spring Bay has also enjoyed success with its gin and vodka, the latter of which was the Australian champion varietal vodka at the World Vodka Awards 2023. Coming up, Cam and Suzy will fill you in on some of the other recent developments at the company. First up though, Suzy reflects on their pathway to owning a distillery, having shared a love of whisky for more than 20 years. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Speyside is the absolute epicentre of Scotland’s distilling industry, and now there’s a Speyside gin to complement the region’s famed whiskies. Created by wine and spirits company Stoli Group, Tulchan Gin is a small batch gin with distinctly local flavours inspired by the terroir of Tulchan Estate. Surrounded by 22,000 picturesque acres of lochs and glens, Tulchan is a famous sporting estate in Speyside long frequented by European royalty, US Presidents and titans of industry. This is a special episode of Drinks Adventures, produced in partnership with Tulchan Gin. While global brand lead Kara Anderson was in Sydney recently, we sat down for this conversation about Tulchan and the Scottish gin renaissance. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Chandon Etoile is a new ultra-prestige sparkling cuvee from Chandon Australia in Victoria’s Yarra Valley. It’s a multi-vintage blend comprised of eight Chandon Vintage Brut reserves – which together represent hundreds of base wines – rounded out with extended ageing. With us this episode to discuss the groundbreaking project is Chandon Australia winemaking director Dan Buckle, who has been guiding the company’s traditional-method winemaking since 2012. Through our conversation about Etoile, Dan and I naturally explore the evolution of Chandon Australia, one of six Chandon houses globally, which was founded in 1986. This fascinating chat was made possible by the support of Chandon Australia. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Allan Border’s Maiden Tonne is a limited edition shiraz released by the legendary cricketer in partnership with Sanguine Estate, the Heathcote, Victoria winery owned by the Hunter family. Allan is with us this episode along with Sanguine winemaker Mark Hunter. I’ll leave it to them to share the back story of this wine, which Mark hopes will elevate Heathcote’s reputation as a region synonymous with premium shiraz. Also in the interview, Allan reflects on his maiden tonne in cricket. I ask him whether drinking culture has changed in the Australian dressing room. And, with the Ashes starting on Friday, we get his thoughts on the Australians’ prospects in England. In fairness to Allan I should point out that the interview was recorded a couple of weeks ago, before Australia’s resounding victory against India in the WTC Final. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

The Bird is a new single malt Australian whisky created by renowned entrepreneur and media personality Mark Bouris in collaboration with Andrew Nugent and Paul Giles of Adelaide Hills winery Bird in Hand. Mark joins us this episode for what turned into quite a wide-ranging and insightful interview, starting with his personal journey of whisky appreciation that inspired The Bird. We talk about the decision to produce the whisky in partnership with South Australia’s Fleurieu Distillery, which you may recall got a massive rap from Dave Worthington of Boutique-y Whisky in my March podcast news bulletin. Mark and I also touch on his previous involvement with a pioneering but ill-fated beer company, 20-plus years ago now. We get his expert opinion on the nascent Australian craft spirits industry, and the challenges of selling luxury goods in the current economic climate. On that note, I should mention that this interview was conducted a few weeks ago now, before the RBA’s latest interest rate rise that Mark has absolutely slammed on social media. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Mark Bouris. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

The small Scottish coastal town of Campbeltown was once home to over 30 distilleries, and it was known as the “Victorian Whisky Capital of the World”. Today, Glen Scotia is one of three surviving distilleries in the region. And both Glen Scotia and Campbeltown are developing a strong reputation among whisky enthusiasts in spite of the region’s production output, which ­is tiny in the context of Scotch whisky. Today, Glen Scotia is owned by the Loch Lomond Group and a continuing program of investment has brought dividends for the distillery. In 2021, Glen Scotia 25-Year-Old was awarded ‘Best In Show’ at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Later that same year Glen Scotia named ‘Scottish Whisky Distillery of the Year’ at the Scottish Whisky Awards, making it the first distillery ever to receive both accolades, let alone within the same year. Iain McAlister is at the forefront of driving this recognition. The former engineer has been at the helm of Glen Scotia for fifteen years. Born and bred in Campbeltown, he is fiercely proud of the place he calls home, especially its community and its rich whisky heritage. Drawing on his background as an engineer, Iain has developed and enhanced production at Glen Scotia, whilst making sure to preserve the craftsmanship and traditional skills it values. I really enjoyed this conversation with Iain, made possible by the support of the Loch Lomond Group. We recorded this interview during Iain’s first ever visit to Sydney in February 2023. You can find Glen Scotia Single Malt Whisky exclusively in Vintage Cellars, Liquorland and First Choice Liquor outlets across Australia. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Banks and Bloom Distillery + Lab is a West Australian company founded by biochemist Elaine Darby and winemaker Trent Carroll. Trent’s name might be familiar to some of you from his earlier AFL career at Fremantle and West Coast. But it was Elaine’s background that caught my eye when a media release came through recently announcing that Banks and Bloom Ice Vodka had been awarded Doubled Gold in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Between 2015 and 2018, Elaine was managing director of Auscann, an Australian pharmaceutical company focused on cannabinoid-based medicines. She’s also had careers as a winemaker and a lawyer, but it’s the medicinal cannabis that is relevant to today’s episode. Banks & Bloom owes its origins to another business founded by Elaine and Trent called Aquila Black, which has developed THC extract technology that they believe will revolutionise the cannabis drinks market overseas, where recreational cannabis is legal. To create these cannabis drinks, Aquila Black pioneered new distillation methods to extract pure clarity of flavour from classic botanicals and native Australian ingredients. And as Elaine will explain to you in a moment, this R&D turned out to be applicable to developing an innovative new range of spirits – gin, vodka and RTDs – that can be legally enjoyed today, here in Australia. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

There’s been a groundswell of new Irish whiskey brands in recent years, which we explored in late 2022 in a special episode supported by the Irish Whiskey Association. Royal Oak Distillery predates many of the newcomers. It was founded in 2012 by the late Augusto Reina of Illva Saronno, the Italian company that owns renowned liqueur brands Disaronno and Tia Maria. Located on an 18th century estate in Ireland’s Ancient East barley growing region, Royal Oak is home of The Busker Irish Whiskey, which has recently arrived in Australia. In this episode, global brand ambassador Woody Kane will share with you the back story behind the distillery, and some of its signature production attributes that define The Busker. For starters, there’s the importance of local grains, and the fact that Royal Oak produces all three Irish whiskey expressions – malt, grain and pot still – under the same roof. And then there’s the marsala casks that are a fixture in its barrel store, thanks to parent company Illva’s ownership of Sicilian winery Cantine Florio. That’s all coming up in this special episode of Drinks Adventures, produced in partnership with The Busker Irish Whiskey. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Hawke’s Brewing was founded by advertising creatives Nathan Lennon and David Gibson, together with former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke, in 2017. Bob Hawke passed away in 2019 but his legacy lives on at Hawke’s Brewing through a unique arrangement that diverts his royalty share in the business to Landcare Australia, the environmental charity he founded in 1989. We’ll talk about that later on in this interview with Nathan and head brewer Brodie French, as well as reflecting on some key milestones for the business. Hawke’s brought production of its beers entirely in-house since commissioning its Marrickville brewery in late 2021. And soon after, the company entered the hospitality arena in spectacular fashion with the establishment of the Bob Hawke Beer and Leisure Centre, incorporating the Lucky Prawn Chinese Restaurant. We’ll find out a bit about Brodie’s brewing passions; Hawke’s evolution from a single SKU brand to a more diverse product offering; and its national expansion plans, including recent efforts to establish a beachhead in Melbourne. First up though, I asked Nathan about the significance to Hawke’s of the Marrickville venue, which just notched up 12 months of trading. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Season 16 of Drinks Adventures starts this week! Here's a sneak preview of some of the outstanding episodes coming up featuring all your favourite beverage categories: Wine, whisky, beer, gin, vodka and more.

Welcome to another edition of the news on Drinks Adventures, as we get Season 16 of the show underway. Once again, we’re catching up on the news from the last couple of months. ‘Insolvency armageddon’ hits drinks industry; Mighty Craft acknowledges difficult market; Hahn bets big on Ultra Low Carb beer; Fever-Tree overhauls Australian operations; and Brown Brothers launches Extended Lees Patricia Sparkling Wine. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Sydney’s Akasha Brewing Company was founded by former IT professional and passionate homebrewer Dave Padden in 2015. It has quietly grown into one of the inner west’s larger independent breweries, having quickly developed a reputation for high quality, hop-driven beer styles. The year 2022 was pivotal for Akasha. The company undertook a $1.7 million equity crowdfunding raise that supported its diversification into barrel-aged beers, as well as funding the addition of two hospitality venues; The Barrel Room in Leichhardt and The Edwards in Newcastle. It’s also ramped up its sports sponsorship program, becoming official beer partner of the Sydney Kings and Sydney Flames professional basketball teams. Exciting times all round then, for Akasha. But as Dave acknowledges in this episode, it’s against the backdrop of some very difficult trading conditions for small independent breweries. There’s been multiple casualties in this sector already in 2023. So later on in this interview, Dave and I reflect on some of that unfortunate news, and discuss some of the steps Akasha is taking to ensure its financial sustainability as a business. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

After almost five years and coming up to 200 episodes, perhaps it’s time for you to hear a little bit more about me, how I started Drinks Adventures, and where it might be headed. Recently Andrew Graham from Kaddy – the wholesale beverage marketplace – asked to interview me for its industry news pages, Kaddy Community. To which I said, ‘sure! But if we’re going to do it, we may as well record the interview properly so I can share it with my listeners’. So here it is, an edited version of that interview, with Andrew asking me the questions for a change. I hope you enjoy the chat! Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Kentucky-based Michter’s Distillery was named World's Most Admired American Whiskey and second Most Admired Whisky overall by Drinks International in 2022. We'll find out the story behind its incredible trajectory from master distiller, Dan McKee, in this interview produced in partnership with Michter's. Born and raised in Indiana, Dan McKee moved to Kentucky to pursue his dream of making whiskey, beginning his career as a distillery operator at Jim Beam. Two years later, he was promoted to distillery supervisor at the affiliated Booker Noe Distillery, where he worked for seven years, before following his boss Pam Heilmann to Michter’s. Dan succeeded Pam as master distiller of Michter’s in 2019. He’s played an integral role in assisting with the construction of the company’s Shively Distillery, and also its Fort Nelson distillery with the legendary pot stills and cypress wood fermenters from the original Michter’s Pennsylvania operation. I’ll leave it to him to explain the brand’s somewhat unconventional history, and its dedication to five key production values that he believes sets Michter’s apart from other American whiskies. We caught up while Dan was in Sydney recently, preparing to launch the 2022 edition of Michter’s groundbreaking Celebration Sour Mash Whiskey, which we also discuss in this interview. Australian listeners can find Michter’s in selected Dan Murphy’s, First Choice and independent retail outlets nationally. Look out for Celebration Sour Mash Whiskey in leading whisky bars in your capital city. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Jota Tanaka has worked for Kirin Brewery Company for 34 years, leading its whisky business as master blender since 2017. He’s had a really interesting career path through the Kirin business to arrive at his current role, including stints in winemaking, wine marketing and leading product development for Four Roses Distillery in Kentucky. We’ll get into some of that in this interview with Jota, who was inducted into the Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame in 2022, one of many career accolades he’s received in recent years. Today, Jota is pouring his passion, skills and experience into Kirin’s flagship whisky brand Fuji, which is produced at the Fuji-Gotemba distillery at the foot of Mount Fuji. Established in 1973, Fuji-Gotemba is one of very few distilleries producing both malt and grain whisky at the same site, which explains the unusual labelling – Single Blended – on the newest Fuji Whisky expression. This is a special episode of Drinks Adventures, produced in partnership with Fuji Whisky. Coming up, Jota and I explore the many different facets that make Fuji unique, including its unwavering commitment to releasing whisky when all the component parts have reached peak maturity, rather than at a certain age. He shares his experience working at the distillery when Japanese whisky was at its lowest ebb, versus the boom times of today. As Jota explains, it’s quite remarkable that Fuji-Gotemba survived the downturn at all, with another distillery, Karuizawa, famously shuttered during this period. Jota has also been actively involved in Japanese whisky industry activities to protect the integrity and reputation of Japanese whisky by assisting in the setting of labelling standards. We talked about those issues extensively with Dave Broom on the podcast in 2020. Now, Jota will update you on the current state of play, and I ask him whether the standards may have come too late for Japanese whisky, given the reputational damage that has already occurred. I’m really excited to present this interview that I recorded with Jota on his first visit to Sydney in March 2023. And if you’re listening in Australia, Fuji Whisky Single Blended is exclusive to The Whisky Club as its whisky of the month for April 2023. Fuji Single Grain is available in select Dan Murphy’s and First Choice Liquor stores nationally. There’s only 300 bottles coming into Australia of Fuji Masterpiece 2022. Look out for that one in leading whisky bars near you. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

James France is a 30-year veteran of the spirits industry in both Australia and abroad. In 2008 he founded the Sydney-based distribution business Vanguard Luxury Brands with the objective of bringing the best brands to the best bars, liquor stores, restaurants and hotels across Australia. He ultimately sold Vanguard in 2019 to Lion, which simultaneously acquired the biggest brand on Vanguard’s roster, Four Pillars Gin, as we previously explored with Four Pillars co-founder Cam Mackenzie on the show a few years ago now. After successfully managing that integration, James recently announced his departure from Vanguard. So I figured this was an appropriate juncture to invite him in for a chat about his experience distributing spirits over the last couple of decades, while the Australian industry was undergoing some massive changes. As you’ll soon hear… while the Vanguard story had the happy outcome of a successful exit for James, as is invariably the case, there were plenty of challenges and costly failures along the way. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

The news returns to the Drinks Adventures podcast for the first time since 2021! This first edition for 2023 is using the term ‘news’ a little loosely, as I’m catching you up on some of the stories that have been on my radar since the beginning of the year: Lark dismisses buyout talk; and Sullivans Cove speculation; Pernod Ricard's first new brand in 20+ years; Indie bottler Boutique-y returns to Oz; Australia gets its second Advanced Cicerone; and Bentspoke collaborates with Teeling Whiskey for St Patrick’s Day. Exclusive Drinks Adventures stories mentioned in the bulletin: Court lifts lid on Pirate Life distribution bust-up Lark launches IPA whisky, but ‘core range is king’ Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Steve Roennfeldt, better known as Steve the Bartender, has been sharing easy-to-follow cocktail videos on YouTube since 2017. He’s based in Adelaide, South Australia, but he’s built a global community of cocktail enthusiasts. As at the present moment Steve has nearly 700,000 subscribers, which means he’s the country’s leading cocktail Youtuber and one of the top cocktail-related accounts globally. His debut book, Steve the Bartender's Cocktail Guide, was released in 2022. And he also co-owns Threefold Distilling, a Adelaide craft gin company that he founded in 2019 with two bartending mates. I was introduced to Steve recently by a mutual friend and have been seriously impressed by everything he’s achieved. First up in this interview, I asked him about career background prior to becoming a professional YouTuber. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Melbourne’s Starward Whisky has released smaller batch experimental products ever since the very early days. And some of these, like the Ginger Beer Cask that we explored in depth with founder David Vitale in Season 13, have gone onto bigger things. In 2020, the company created the Small Batch Experimental Series as a home for its smaller one-off releases that haven’t reached the scale required for wider distribution; showcasing new flavours, specialty ingredients and unique barrels or distilling processes. In this special episode of Drinks Adventures ­– produced with the support of Starward – head distiller Sam Slaney will take you through some of the most recent Small Batch releases including Chardonnay Cask, Starward’s first whisky matured completely in white wine casks. It was also an opportunity for me to ask Sam some more general questions about the barrel program at Starward, which has mastered red wine cask maturation to great success, claiming the title of Most Awarded Distillery at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2022. I should point out that the Small Batch series discussed in this episode is currently available to Australian listeners only. If you are listening locally, the three most recent releases – Chardonnay Cask, Munich Malt and Toffee Apple – are all available to purchase direct from the distillery at starward.com.au. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Can you imagine buying what was supposed to be the exact same product – any product – and having it be different every time? And in some cases, that the product you purchased was outright faulty. It wasn’t fit for purpose. This is not an acceptable scenario in any category of consumer goods. But it’s exactly what was happening in the Australian wine industry 20 years ago, and through no fault of our winemakers. The culprit was dodgy corks, which were causing widespread issues with TCA – commonly known as cork taint – as well as sporadic oxidation, and even leaking. The inconsistency was a nightmare not just for consumers, but everyone involved in the wine trade. Twenty years ago, 14 Clare Valley winemakers had had enough. They joined forces, packaging their rieslings from the 2002 vintage under screwcap, and set about educating the trade and consumers about the benefits of using this closure. And in this special episode of Drinks Adventures – made possible by the support of Taylors Wines – you’re going to hear how it all happened, and what was the wider significance of the initiative, which drove widespread adoption of screwcap across Australia and beyond. Founded in 1969, Taylors was one of the 14 Clare Valley wineries that drove the screwcap initiative from the very beginning. Look out for the new vintages of Taylors St Andrews collection with the upcoming Family Flagship Release in July 2023. You can buy Taylors St Andrews wines direct from the company’s Clare Valley cellar door or online. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Maximilian Riedel is the 11th generation CEO of Austrian glassware company Riedel. The company was founded in 1756 and according to Maximilian it is currently facing some of the biggest challenges in its 267-year history. There’s been the covid pandemic obviously, but more recently, the war in Ukraine, which is hugely concerning for an energy intensive manufacturing business such as Riedel, given its reliance on Russian gas. In spite of these headwinds, Riedel recorded its most successful year of sales ever in 2022, and Australia was one of the top performing markets. With Maximilian at the helm over the last decade, Riedel has continued its innovations with glassware for specific grape varieties and occasions, and trending drinks categories like Japanese sake. Its new range Riedel Veloce has been made using a specially developed machine to create glassware that looks and feels as though it was made by hand, by a master glassmaker. I sat down with Maximilian while he was in Sydney recently for his first visit in many years. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Tarac is the largest distiller of grape spirit in Australia, supplying high quality neutral alcohol and brandy spirit for use in fortified wines since 1930. And, as the craft spirits industry has taken off over the last decade, Tarac has increasingly been supplying distillers with the base alcohol to create products including gin and vodka. Now, in a milestone move for the company, it has turned its hand to the production of new make whisky. Using existing infrastructure and technology, Tarac has the capability to produce new make single malt spirit in large production volumes, helping distillers supplement their existing whisky stocks and supporting the establishment of a blended whisky category in Australia. In this special episode of Drinks Adventures – produced with the support of Tarac – you’re going to meet chief executive officer Jeremy Blanks, and sales manager and project lead, Greg Jackson. You’ll get some insight into Tarac’s 90-plus year history of distillation in Australia and why Jeremy and Greg believe it can help the fledgling Australian whisky industry unlock its full potential. And in a fascinating aside, Jeremy tells us about the historic timber coffey stills that fell into Tarac’s possession some years ago, which could one day inspire the company to create a whisky brand of its own. Just to clarify, this interview was recorded in December 2022. So when Jeremy and Greg are referring throughout our conversation to things happening ‘next year’, they’re actually talking about 2023. At the time of this episode going to air, they have received and are currently installing their brew kit, as the whisky project continues apace. Click here to open episode in your preferred podcast player.

F1 questions were strictly off limits in this week's interview with Daniel Ricciardo about his DR3 collaboration with St Hugo Wines. Instead, I put some of those questions to James Baldwin from leading Australian F1 podcast, Lakeside Drive. James is a wine guy himself, so he gives me his thoughts on the DR3 partnership and Daniel’s F1 prospects in this bonus episode of Drinks Adventures. You can also catch me on the Lakeside Drive podcast speaking with James about my interview with Daniel and the DR3 wines.

He’s best known as an eight-time Formula 1 Grand Prix winner, but Daniel Ricciardo is now forging a reputation for his DR3 wines, produced in partnership with Australia’s St Hugo. After a strong critical reception and encouraging sales for the debut vintages, the project continues to evolve with the third consecutive release of Barossa Shiraz and Coonawarra Cabernet, this time from the celebrated 2021 vintage. The DR3 wines come in an eye-catching packaging created by specialist drinks design agency Co-Partnership that repositions the St Hugo brand for a new audience. And there’s new products coming into the range with more accessible pricing, like the Ric Red comprised of Daniel’s quote unquote – “Secret Sauce” – a mystery blend of grape varieties known only to him and St Hugo chief winemaker, Peter Munro. I got the opportunity to sit down with both Peter and Daniel at St Hugo in the Barossa recently, along with Eric Thomson, global marketing director at St Hugo’s parent company, Pernod Ricard. For the F1 fans among you, I did want to ask Daniel some questions about his future in the sport following the early termination of his contract with McLaren last year, but his management said F1 questions were strictly off limits in this interview. So instead, I put some of those questions to James Baldwin from the F1 podcast Lakeside Drive. James is a wine guy himself, so he gives me his thoughts on the DR3 partnership and Daniel’s F1 prospects in a bonus episode of Drinks Adventures coming out this week. Watch the podcast feed for that one, and you can also catch me on the Lakeside Drive podcast speaking with James about my interview with Daniel and the DR3 wines. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Collaboration between different drinks producers is vast these days, and in this episode you’re going to hear about one of the more interesting projects. Lark Distillery has just released Fresh IPA Cask, a single malt Tasmanian whisky finished in casks that have previously held Fresh IPA brewed by New Zealand’s Garage Project. How do you maintain the freshness and vibrancy of the Fresh IPA beers after filling them into a barrel, and then impart that into a whisky? That’s what I was trying to get my head around in this episode, produced in partnership with Lark. Head distiller Chris Thomson and assistant blender Josh Wilson will explain how they achieved this sorcery in just a moment. And you’re hear also from Pete Gillespie, co-founder of Garage Project, who gives us some background on the Fresh IPA series and explains why he’s so fond of collaborations such as this one. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

We’ve talked a lot on this podcast about how peoples’ drinking repertoires are expanding. We’re much more open to experiencing a wider range of quality beverages from different cultures that suit different occasions. This is something that Australia’s largest drinks retailer, Endeavour Group, is keenly aware of. The company has recently doubled the range of Asian beverages in its Dan Murphy’s and BWS stores as people seek out products they’ve sampled on their travels, or dining out, or perhaps in movies or TV series they’ve enjoyed. This is a special episode of Drinks Adventures, produced in partnership with Endeavour. Coming up, you’re going to hear about this trend from spirits category manager James Duvnjak and Asian Beverages sourcing manager Samuel Lam. They will enlighten us on beverages including Japanese sake, shochu and gin, and Korean favourites like soju and makgeolli. Click here to open this episode in your podcast player.

Dr Bill Lumsden is the head of distilling, whisky creation and whisky stocks at Glenmorangie and Ardbeg distilleries. The always entertaining Bill joins us this episode as we delve into some of his recent innovations with distilling and maturation in a rapid fire chat recorded while he was in Sydney, late in 2022. You’ll hear about his experiments with a raft of different wood types; a whisky made from barley kilned with woodland botanicals, and how he was inspired by Belgian lambic brewers on a recent Ardbeg release. Also on the agenda is Glenmorangie’s recent packaging overhaul; the launch of Glenmorangie X – a whisky specifically made for mixing, or so I thought – and the controversial, record-breaking sale of a single cask of Ardbeg whisky for 16 million pounds. And finally, we get Bill’s thoughts on the emergence of whisky production in new frontiers, such as Australia. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

Welcome back to the Drinks Adventures podcast for 2023. If you’ve been with me on the show since the beginning you’ll recall a brilliant chat back in Season One with winemaker and brewer, Janice McDonald, who at that time was chief winemaker at Howard Park in Margaret River. Janice recently joined her partner Stuart Pym at his boutique winery Flowstone, and they’re with us this episode as we hear all about the rekindling of their exciting winemaking partnership. Janice and Stuart previously worked together in establishing the quirky Suckfizzle brand and Stella Bella Wines in 1999. They were both key players in the establishment of Matilda Bay Brewing Co in the late 1980s before taking up winemaking roles at Voyager Estate and Devil’s Lair, respectively. At Flowstone, their proven partnership will continue to focus on small parcels from vineyards they manage and own. The lead varieties are Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon, supplemented by unexpected and experimental wines including Gewürtztraminer, Touriga and a Shiraz Grenache blend. Click here to open this episode in your preferred podcast player.

Coming up in the new season of Drinks Adventures, we'll meet Formula 1 star turned wine entrepreneur Daniel Ricciardo. Listen in for some of the other highlights you can expect as the show returns for another massive year in 2023.

Islay’s famous Laphroaig single malt Scotch whisky distillery has featured prominently already in this season of Drinks Adventures. Last episode, we heard how Mighty Craft’s head of distilling operations, George Campbell, got his start in the Scotch whisky industry as a tour guide at Laphroaig. And a few more episodes back we met veteran Scotch distiller John McDougall, who was Laphroaig’s distillery manager between 1970 and 1974. Following the departure of John Campbell in 2021 after 25 years at the company, Barry MacAffer was recently confirmed as the distillery manager who will take Laphroaig into a new era. He joins us this episode of the Drinks Adventures podcast, produced in partnership with Laphroaig. You’ll hear a bit about growing up on Islay and how Barry worked his way up to the top job at Laphroaig, where he started on the malt floors in 2011. We explore what makes Laphroaig unique from other distilleries on Islay; how its production has evolved over time; and some of the whiskies that are currently exciting Barry, like the limited release 10YO Cask Strength that I’ve since confirmed will be making its way to Australia in 2023. And then we get on to Laphroaig’s new Taste Trailblazers program, a global celebration of culinary pioneers pushing the boundaries of flavour. Inspired by Islay, Taste Trailblazers captures the stories of global pioneers who take their passion for taste into areas of salt, fire and peat, the elements that underpin Laphroaig’s singular flavour profile. Francis Mallmann – the world-famous Argentinian chef known for his Patagonian open-fire cooking – has been appointed Laphroaig’s Global Taste Trailblazer. You can watch a really cool documentary on the Drinks Adventures website capturing Francis's journey to Islay as he meets the Laphroaig distillery team and other Islay locals, learning about what makes Laphroaig unique and preparing a meal inspired by his experience. The Taste Trailblazers program is coming to Australia in 2023, and this documentary and podcast interview with Barry MacAffer will give you a little preview of what you can expect from these exciting culinary events. First up though, I asked Barry how it felt to join the distinguished line of distillery managers who have passed down Laphroaig’s whisky-making tradition since its beginnings in 1815.

Mighty Craft is an ASX-listed craft drinks company with investments in several distilling brands that have featured previously on this podcast: Hidden Lake Whisky, 78 Degrees and Seven Seasons Spirits. In this episode, we meet Mighty Craft’s head of distilling operations, George Campbell, who joined the business in mid-2021, bringing with him a strong pedigree from the Scotch whisky industry. George started his whisky career as a Trainee Site Operations Manager for Diageo, which comprised multiple leadership roles at distilleries including Talisker, Cardhu and Mannochmore. Most recently, he spent five years at William Grant and Sons, where he led the operations of the Balvenie and Kininvie distilleries for 18 months before moving to the flagship Glenfiddich Distillery. But whisky was kind of in George’s blood from the very beginning. He’s from Islay, for starters. And his first project for Mighty Craft led him to experience a very different kind of island life, leading the expansion of the Kangaroo Island Spirits distillery and helping establish its whisky program. You’re going to hear all about George’s adventures downunder in this episode, which was produced in partnership with Mighty Craft. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.