BREWERIES DISTILLERIES SPECIAL REPORT West Winds Gin Bar at Bill’S Bar BREWERIES DISTILLERIES and Bites in Leederville Within the Next Six Months
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BREWERIES DISTILLERIES SPECIAL REPORT West Winds Gin Bar at Bill’s Bar BREWERIES DISTILLERIES and Bites in Leederville within the next six months. “Bill’s is an existing bar in Leederville so we’ll be running FEATURE a separate bar down one end in a separate room and it’ll be open to the public on weekends,” Mr White said. “It’s a way for us to showcase our products and teach people about gin.” West Winds intends to set up a small distillery at the site to offer educational make-your-own-gin experiences to the public and host training events within the industry. Distillery in Freo The team behind Bread in Common, Strange Company bar and Ronnie Nights bar, all in Fre- mantle, has also caught wind of the potential of craft gin, and are planning to establish a gin distillery by the end of the year, called Republic of Fremantle. Long-time Fremantle locals Jason Townes, Matt Giudice and Locals develop John McVeigh plan to launch what will be the port city’s first distillery in part to reinvigorate the west end. a taste for Republic of Fremantle is expected to launch its first two gins by the end of the year, before distilling gin opening a bar and restaurant at the same warehouse location by late 2019, where it will offer Three WA distilleries are launching gin-making classes. “When I was 18 to 25 knock- new products, new venues and ing around in Fremantle, the high street was full of bars,” Mr raising capital as they seek to Townes told Business News. “But over the last few years grow the industry. I’ve found myself going out of Fremantle more and more to Northbridge and Perth.” DIRECTION: Paul White says he hopes to be able to deliver investors a return within three years. Photos: Attila Csaszar Mr Townes said he was inter- ested in bringing the small bar of provenance and willing to the back of a forecast increase build the business and raising experience back to Fremantle. experiment. in sales to $4 million in FY18, up the capital,” he said. “In our business plan we’re To ride the wave of enthusi- from $2.7 million in FY17. Mr White said distributing gearing towards exporting and asm for locally produced spirits, The offer went live last month, shares via Equitise was far sim- want to be a successful brand Paul White is in the midst of an with private investors able to pler than listing on the ASX, overseas, but I firmly believe equity crowdfunding campaign gain a stake in the business from involving fewer requirements you have to have a heart and soul to bolster marketing efforts and as little as $500. About $620,000 and lower overhead costs. wherever you are,” he said. working capital. has been raised thus far, with the “It’s a good way to increase “We’re from Fremantle and are Director of Margaret Riv- offer closing on July 17. brand awareness and gain a in Fremantle and want that to be Tori Wilson er-based The West Winds Gin, Mr White told Business News spread of investors, so in the the beating heart of the brand.” [email protected] Mr White said there was a surge he hoped to deliver investors event that we do decide to go Mr Townes said the trio had in craft spirits overseas matched a return within the next three public, we’ve got a spread to start been developing its recipes for 6-PAGE FEATURE by interest from larger distill- years. with,” he said. the past few years and would be eries in buying craft operators, “We want to ensure we con- Mr White said West Winds had using grape spirit as a base for its ESTERN Australia’s particularly in the US. tinue to build a profitable a few projects in the pipeline, gins, to be distilled using copper craft spirits market He expects a similar pattern business so there is potential for including two new gins – one to stills from Germany. W is showing early signs will likely develop in Australia. dividends down the track, or a be announced within the coming “The Republic of Freman- that it will follow the overseas West Winds is aiming to raise trade sale, or potentially an IPO weeks and the second to be tle is building on the legacy of experience and mature as con- $3.5 million through the crowd- (ASX listing), but at the moment released around Christmas. wine merchant pioneer Lionel sumers become more conscious funding platform Equitise, on the focus is on continuing to It will also be launching The Samson,” he said. FEATURE We’re from Fremantle and are in Fremantle, and want that to be the beating heart of the brand -Jason Townes “Founded in 1829, Samson’s busi- ness imported the first gins into Western Australia, and its subsidi- ary, Plantagenet Wines, is sourcing the wine required to produce base spirit for our gins and vodkas. “The range will celebrate the flavours of West Australian wine and feature botanicals from the Perth coastal plain.” As with the trio’s past three NEW: Jason Townes, Matt Giudice and John McVeigh plan to establish a gin distillery in Fremantle by the end of the year. ventures, Mr Townes said they would be commissioning the architect behind the Queen’s SEARCHENGINE Hotel and Shadow Wine Bar, Distilleries in WA ...your key to WA business Michael Petroni, to design the ranked by year established lofty warehouse-style venue located on Pakenham Street. Company name Year Established Great Southern Distilling Com- pany director Cameron Syme, Hoochery Distillery 1995 who began producing gin in WA 15 years ago, said he’d heard of a The Grove Distillery 1995 number of distilleries targeting Fremantle as a potential location Kimberly Rum Company 1996 to set up, which to him suggested a boom in local distilling. Harris Organic 1998 He said activity in Europe and the US showed there was ample Great Southern Distilling 2004 room in the Australian craft spir- Company its market for more competition, provided people were making quality products. Old Young’s Distillery 2008 “We had some research done that says, in the US, craft spirits The West Winds Gin 2010 supply 2.5 per cent of their domes- tic consumption,” Mr Syme said. Gidgie Distilleries 2011 “In Australia we’re at 0.25 per cent. See BNiQ www.businessnews.com.au/List/distilleries “I think there’s an opportunity for massive growth within the craft spirits market as people want to know more about where company and half a whisky com- Great Southern will launch a can be now, on the cutting edge their products are made and pany,” he said. new hemp gin on World Gin Day of what botanicals you are using what’s going into it and that sort $ “A lot of it really is about this week (June 9), following the and what distillation methods,” of local provenance.” m education and I think tradition- legalisation of hemp as a food Mr Syme said. Great Southern Distilling Com- 3.5 ally Australians haven’t really product in Australia and the About 15 years into the business, pany sought to leverage WA’s WEST WINDS’ understood spirits, and this establishment of local producers. he said Great Southern Distilling tourism potential when shifting CROWDFUNDING (Giniversity) is all about helping It will also be introducing a Company was making profits but its gin production to Margaret people to understand what you new distillation method called wouldn’t consider a trade sale in River mid-last year. GOAL should be looking for in a gin and vacuum distillation, which allows the future, having already turned Mr Syme said since rebranding gin had experienced phenome- what goes into making it.” the alcohol and botanicals to be down two major spirits companies its gin to Giniversity and estab- nal growth. Mr Syme said consumers had boiled at a much lower temper- interested in taking a stake. lishing a make-your-own-gin “Giniversity is now pushing begun to ask what was coming ature (28º Celsius) to produce a “We’d like to keep this as a hub by the same name, Great 50 per cent (of sales) with Lime- next, following the success of higher-quality extract. Western Australian family owned Southern Distilling Company’s burners, so we’re now half a gin Giniversity. “That’s really where I think gin business,” Mr Syme said. FEATURE BREWERIES AND DISTILLERIES Provenance and innovation key as local brewers get crafty Brewers are releasing increasingly innovative products as they aim to stay ahead of the game in a marketplace where competition is intensifying. INNOVATION: Pia Poynton says Nowhereman will soon be releasing a limited edition honey beer produced in collaboration with Fremantle’s Bib and Tucker restaurant. Photos: Attila Csaszar Tori Wilson well, but we will also have a proximity, an ongoing collabora- media engagement and expected helps put them on the map and [email protected] bi-monthly degustation, where tion with the distillery could also to sell out within a week, he said. right in front of people’s faces I’ll probably bring out something be in the works, he said. Mr Daley said Feral Brewing when they’re releasing those WESTERN Australian breweries new that I’ve brewed. was the first local brewery to boundary pushing brews.” are developing a reputation for “We’ll also show people beers Product innovation produce packaged beers that Beer Farm’s native Australian their creative approach to their that inspired us and what’s out Sour beers, food-based bever- pushed the boundaries, but beer series is produced in col- craft, and new entrant Bright there.” ages and creative collaborations newer players such as Rocky laboration with native pop-up Tank Brewing is no exception.