If fresh oysters, gin cocktails and frozen tastings out of oyster shells sound like your dream weekend, then OysterPalooza is about to be your happy place.
Never Never Distilling Co. has announced the return of its all-time favourite oyster festival this August, with OysterPalooza taking over the distillery’s McLaren Vale homebase for a fifth consecutive year.
Timed to perfectly coincide with World Oyster Day, the event will run across the weekend of July 31st to August 2nd, bringing together the best of the best South Australia oysters, live music, oyster shucking, cocktails and a whole lot of Oyster Shell Gin. And yes, the iconic Shelly is making its return.
For those who might not know, the Shelly involves downing an ice-cold frozen pour of Never Never’s Oyster Shell Gin straight from a freshly consumed oyster shell. It’s equal parts chaotic and surprisingly classy, and over the years, it has become one of the event’s most talked-about traditions.
“Everyone’s heard of a shoey, well now we’re bringing back the Shelly,” shared Never Never Co-Founder and Brand Director Sean Baxter. “We take ice-cold frozen Oyster Shell Gin and pour it into a freshly consumed oyster shell. You then down it in one. The Shelly is an incredible way to sample our briny coastal gin, one that pops with bright salted citrus character.”
Held at the distillery’s picturesque McLaren Vale venue, OysterPalooza has grown into one of South Australia’s more unique winter food events, with last year’s festival selling out ahead of time.
This year’s program will include live music, oyster-themed cocktails, tasting experiences and mountains of fresh South Australian oysters, including premium produce sourced from Kangaroo Island.
A special menu curated by the distillery team will feature cocktails built specifically around Oyster Shell Gin, alongside fresh oysters served with carefully matched dressings and condiments.
Interestingly, the event actually began as a practical solution to a very specific production problem. “Originally, we launched OysterPalooza as a way of obtaining enough oyster shells to create our Oyster Shell Gin. We needed hundreds and hundreds to make the volumes required, far more than our production team was capable of consuming themselves,” says Sean.
The shells play an important role in the gin-making process, adding salinity, minerality and texture to the spirit. But this year, OysterPalooza is partnering with OzFish, with used oyster shells from the festival being recycled into shellfish reef restoration projects across Australia. “We want to ensure every component of the oyster is celebrated, and this partnership allows us to extend that philosophy even further,” said Sean.
To celebrate OysterPalooza turning five, Never Never is rolling ticket prices back to 2022 rates for early bird bookings made before the end of May.
Both the Friday night ‘Boom Shuck-Alaka!’ session and the weekend daytime deck sessions include oysters, cocktails, Oyster Shell Gin tastings and a Shelly as part of the ticket price. Considering the sell-out events in previous years, South Australia oysters and gin lovers may want to get in quickly.
OysterPalooza
When: Friday, July 31st, Saturday, Augst 1st, Sunday, August 2nd
Where: Never Never
Price: $40 early bird tickets before the end of May, then $59
For more information, click here.
