Big things are coming for the little town of Quorn in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges, with a brand-new distillery geared to launch in June this year!
Flinders Gin will be the newest addition to the already vibrantly rich Flinders Ranges, and it’s set to be the perfect encapsulation of flavours throughout the region.
The new distillery––complete with its own distillery dog, Ernie––is set to launch in a recently restored historic stable and farriers building just a few streets away from director Leah Trotta’s paternal grandmother’s Quorn birthplace, alongside her husband and master distiller Alby.
The couple are planning to infuse locally foraged quandongs, wattle seeds and other local botanicals as key native ingredients in the limited released batches of Flinders Gin.
The distillery will also be offering a local interpretation of the traditional London-style gin, which will be known as the “Farrier’s Gin” in recognition of the building’s past.
Alby, once a qualified baker and expert advisor in product development, export and cold chain management, has now turned his artisan skills to producing hand-made small batch gin – a craft he learned from family in Italy and later mastered during a masterclass for gin in London.
“My family worked in harmony with the land in Italy, using seasonal local herbs and aromatics to infuse flavour. The Flinders Ranges is home to some unique native foods, and I wanted to incorporate those flavour profiles into Flinders Gin,” says Alby.
Distilled using traditional alembic methods, Alby plans to offer Flinders Gin from local venues as well as from the company’s unique “travelling cellar door,” a restored 1950s caravan that was once home to family friend Howard Haycock who once lived in it on the property.
Leah says that Howard’s van continues to bind their connection with the region and allows the distillery to offer a unique cellar door experience to visitors of the area.
“We’ll be able to drive our ‘cellar door’ to key tourist spots such as the Pichi Richi Railway or regional markets and events, adding colour and interest,” says Leah.
“We have both always had a deep connection to regional South Australia and the Flinders is particularly special because of my grandmother’s connection to the Flinders and outback, and producing Flinders Gin is a way for us to commemorate both sides of our family heritage and bring focus to the natural beauty and vibrancy of the regions.”
Flinders Gin is set to officially open on 5 June 2021 and will be hosted at local venue, Tickle Belly Hill, ahead of a town-based event in Quorn on the June long weekend.
Keep up with Flinders Gin on Facebook for more details and the release of their address here.
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