I love Whisky, always have, always will. So when I came across a brand that also ticks the eco box I had to try it.

Whiskey done differently, Kinglake is shaking up the industry and paving the way path as an off the grid distillery producing Australia’s first certified carbon neutral whisky… well I knew I had to share this with everyone.

For starters there is no power, water, gas, or telephone lines to the Distillery, instead they use a mixture of solar and generator power for electricity, a tank for gas and onsite dam for recycling cooling water, making it completely off-grid.

Its surrounds comprise of deep forests, impenetrable bush, mountain streams, and national park. The Distillery is specially designed to take advantage of its bush setting and rural location. Situated on top of the hill, one of the mountain streams rises on the property and runs almost all year round. 

Located close to the Yarra Valley in Victoria is Kinglake Distillery, a relative newcomer to the whisky industry. Set up in 2018, their first single malt whisky was distilled at the end of that year, and they only released their first batch to the public beginning of this year. The Distillery has just announced its commitment to produce Australia’s first government certified carbon neutral whisky. This will be achieved by offsetting their carbon footprint, increasing the sustainability of their whisky making processes and undertaking rigorous auditing. Kinglake Distillery aims to produce their first certified carbon neutral whisky by the end of this year. They are also setting aside land for the re-planting of indigenous native forest.

Owners Sam Lowe & Chantal Daniels, who is a 3rd generation Kinglaker, handmake all their whisky in Kinglake, from scratch. They are in close contact with the whisky from the moment they grind the malt until the new spirit fills the barrel. The foundation of exceptional whisky is water. Their single malt is made from the mountain stream rising on the distillery property. The water has the perfect mineral content for making whisky – its natural, pure, and totally unfiltered. They know the provenance of everything that goes into their whisky. 80% of the barley is farmed and malted in New South Wales and each grower is known to them personally. Rather than focusing on single cask releases, the couple maintain a consistent line of the best malt they can make by vatting different barrels (typically small-format ex-bourbon barrels re-coopered in Australia). Smaller casks are perfectly suited to ageing conditions in the Kinglake Ranges. A 2500 litre copper pot-still was handmade for them by Tasmania’s premier still-maker, Knapp Lewer, and was engineered to produce a heavy, flavourful spirit. Nature influences every stage of the whisky distilling process, and the result is an exceptional whisky that can only be made in Kinglake.

Kinglake Distillery is set to become a genuine Victorian distilling landmark. With their commitment to produce Australia’s first certified carbon neutral whisky, they are dedicated to ensuring that drinking their whisky has no negative impact on the natural environment, which so heavily influencers the high quality of their product. https://kinglakedistillery.com.au/

Try something different with your Whiskey….

Wild Mr Kinglake

Ingredients
Little Wildling Co ‘Wild Mr (Earl) Grey’ – Infused in Kinglake Whiskey
 1 Little Wildling Co ‘Wild Mr (Earl) Grey tea bag
 1 cup Whiskey (choose your favorite) – infuse bag in Whiskey for 24 hours or 2 bags for 2 hours

Cocktail
 2 oz Infused Whiskey
 1/2 oz simple syrup
 2 dashes Angostura bitters
 2 dashes orange bitters
 Ice
 Orange to garnish

Instructions
To make just add simple syrup, both bitters, and infused bourbon your cup. Stir well. Add ice.
Enjoy!