It’s no question that South Australia has become a popular destination for distillers and producers. After meeting by chance in Hong Kong, Adelaide boys and co-owners of Route 9, Samuel Brown and Rob Watt, have returned to SA to pursue a mutual dream of opening a distillery.
After launching its gin brand, Square1, Route 9 Distillery is now excited to announce that it will be opening a brand new cellar door and bar on Saturday 11 June. Which is, coincidentally, World Gin Day.
“That was absolutely not planned!” laughed Rob.
The new Balhannah-based cellar door will be “unlike anything done before”, doubling as a fully-operating distillery and curated whisky and rum bar.
“What we will have up here is a fully functional distillery on display, and it will be more than just a cellar door,” said Sam. “We’ll be a hybrid cellar door with a world-class bar and a phenomenal wine list and spirits collection. You’ll be able to enjoy more than tasting paddles of gin.”
“It’ll be unique – I don’t know anywhere that’s doing this at this level,” Rob chipped in.
Rob and Sam say that the Route 9 cellar door will be “raw, yet refined”, and will serve a mixture of local and international nips that will suit everyone’s tastes.
“It’s very much an industrial-style building, where you will be able to see every part of the distillery as you move around,” said Rob. “In some circumstances, you’ll be able to see working fermenters next to $300 bottles of whisky.”
“Nothing is hidden!” Sam continued. “The distillery will be in full function on Thursdays, literally producing the whisky. Everything will be very open to the public.”
Keeping in line with the raw and unfiltered theme, the cellar door will have charred hardwood lining the front bar, Tasmanian oak tabletops, and large American oak barrels in full view, filled with maturating whisky.
“We’re trying to make it not just a cellar door; it’s an experience,” said Rob. “Our whisky and rum bar will be displaying the best of Australian and international spirits – probably 70 whiskies and 45 rums. Particularly Australian whiskies. There will be a lot for people to chose from and lots of small producers that aren’t mainstream.”
The idea is, is that if you’re a gin drinker, you can try out the Square1 gin. If you’re a whisky or rum drinker, there will be plenty to choose from.
Many of the featured spirits are not the kind found at your local bottle shop – having come from Rob and Sam’s personal collections and sourced internationally.
“We’re also going to be launching our ‘near and far’ wine list,” said Rob. “The ‘near’ aspect will be a representation of the Adelaide Hills, while the ‘far’ aspect is the best of the rest of the world.”
“What we’re also trying to do is ensure our ‘far’ bottles are accessible with attainable prices – no huge mark ups,” he continued. “This is so people can experience something different and open a bottle they haven’t tried before.”
On Saturday 11 June, Route 9 will also be launching two new Square1 gin flavours, with a third flavour likely to follow in the Spring.
The new Route 9 cellar door is located at 37 Onkaparinga Valley Road, Balhannah 5242.
It will be open to visitors from Saturday 11 June between 12:00pm – 5:00pm.
To learn more about Route 9 Distillery and its affiliated brands, visit the Route 9 website or follow on Facebook and Instagram.
More News
