Everybody loves a hidden gem, especially when spirits are involved. Tucked away in Stansbury on the beautiful Yorke Peninsula is Lost Tide Spirit Co, a micro-distillery serving up premium small-batch gin, liqueurs and vodka with an Australian twist.
Founded and operated by Keira Lundgren and fiancé Bennett Joy in November 2023, what started in a shed by the beach has blossomed into one of the Yorke Peninsula’s favourite little watering holes.
With years of experience in the hospitality industry, both Keira and Bennett are passionate distillers and cocktail and mixology enthusiasts. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bennett was working in a NSW distillery. Now operating in South Australia, the pair have created a range of classic cocktails with a true blue Aussie spin and are developing new liqueurs and drink recipes for their thirsty customers.
Their cellar door opened in June 2024 and was met with a wave of popularity despite the winter off-season when business tends to slow on the Yorke Peninsula. During peak season, the small town of Stansbury swells to a population of 3000, but with only a license for 12 people it’s as exclusive as a bar can get.
All be it tiny, Lost Tide Spirit Co seems to remain a popular hotspot all year round.
The cellar door features an intimate tasting space where guests can meet the owners and taste their range of offerings. If you pop in for a tasting, you’ll be treated to three styles of gin, three liqueurs, plus seasonal fruit liqueurs and sneak previews of forthcoming products.
There will soon be an option to add a cocktail tasting to your experience. The team is also working on offering a gin masterclass where guests can blend their own gin to take home with them.
Tastings are only $10 per person and run for half an hour, and if you buy a bottle, you get your $10 back! Booking ahead is highly recommended.
One of their most popular drops is the Big Thyme Gin, a Mediterranean-tasting blend of rosemary, native basil, native thyme, juniper and coriander, which goes best in a gin and tonic with 50/50 soda or sparkling mineral water with cucumber and a fresh lime wedge. Or you could try their new Yuzu Vodka, a grain-based premium Australian Vodka with citrus flavours and bright, zesty notes.
Their range of other cocktail liqueurs include Chai Spice, Coffee Liqueur, and their Salted Caramel Liqueur.
Located inside the Oyster Bay Hotel, a historic building that dates back to the 1870s, the Lost Tide cellar door opens outward towards the St Vincent Gulf, which helped name the company due to its unique tidal movements. The Gulf is one of the only places in the world where “dodge” tides occur, which happens when the sun and moon face each other at right angles, causing weaker tidal movement.
“Dodge” tides result in day-long periods of slack water, during which the tide is “dodged” or “lost”, as described by Lost Tide Spirit Co. During “lost tides”, it’s common for fishing to be slow and surf to be flat, which sounds like the perfect time to sit down in Lost Tide’s cozy cellar door space with a G&T in hand.
Whether you’re a Yorke Peninsula local or a city slicker planning your next trip, be sure to check out Lost Tide Spirit Co in Stansbury. And if you can’t book in for a tasting because they’re busy, they have their products stocked in venues and stores all around the coastal town.
WHAT: Lost Tide Spirit Co
WHEN: Friday, Saturday and Sunday 12pm to 5pm | Private tastings by appointment
WHERE: 4a Anzac Parade, Stansbury, Southern Yorke Peninsula, South Australia 5582
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