Sip Your Way Around the Best Distilleries in Melbourne & Beyond

If you have hit your limit with beer and need a break from hops and barley, why not switch things up with a smoother sip at Melbourne's top distilleries? From buzzing inner-city spots in Richmond and Port Melbourne to laidback gems in Dromana and Healesville, these venues produce some of the finest spirits - and you can sample them straight from the source.

Whether you’re after a crisp gin or smooth vodka or are looking to dive deeper into the whiskey scene, there’s no shortage of options. From boutique bars that offer tastings and nibbles to crowd favourites with award-winning batches, round up your friends and embark on an adventure to explore the best distilleries in Melbourne and beyond!

Little Lon Distilling Co

Tucked inside a tiny cottage in the CBD, you'll find Little Lon Distilling Co., a micro-distillery creating small-batch, craft gin. Licensed for just 20 people, they house a gin still in one room and fermentation tanks in another. Book in to secure a spot at their cosy cocktail bar or if the weather permits, the extended garden for a cheeky G&T or two.

For the full experience, opt for a masterclass with a tour of the digs and guided tastings of their various infused gins – think rhubarb and Violette, or fresh lychees.

17 Casselden Place, Melbourne

Brogan's Way Distillery

Brogan Carr has forged her path in this male-dominated distilling industry, growing from three gins in 2019 to an expansive collection of craft gin and vodka available today.

At Richmond-based Brogan's Way Distillery, you can join the journey with weekly tours, cocktail-making classes and gin-making workshops that’ll have you popping open a bottle and proudly declaring “I made this”. Alternatively, pop into the bar to sink a few G&Ts and nibble on delicious cheese and small bites.

61 North Street, Richmond

Starward Distillery & Bar 

The gorgeous renovations at Starward Whisky aren't the only incentive to come to check out this Port Melbourne distilling legend. A visit here provides a chance to dive deeper into the world of whisky with fill-your-own-bottle experiences, distillery tours, and masterclasses made for your next unique date. 

The award-winning distillery boasts an amazing food and drink offering, led by Head Chef Drew Traynor, formerly of Melbourne's Eau De Vie, and the cocktails are downright delightful.

50 Bertie Street, Port Melbourne

Dutch Rules Distilling Co.

A short drive east of the city takes you to the delightful Dutch Rules Distilling Co. in Mitcham, where gin-infused joy awaits under the passionate guidance of Danny Perera. With a deep fascination for the history of trade routes and European exports, Dutch Rules beautifully marries modern spirits with time-honoured traditions.

This distillery is perfect for a weekend escape, welcoming visitors from Wednesday to Sunday. Indulge in an absolutely brilliant menu of bar bites and cocktails that promise to keep the good times flowing.

With regular pop up events and collaborations with mixologists, ambassadors and hospo professionals, you'll want to keep an eye on their socials to keep up with the fun!

586 Whitehorse Road, Mitcham

Patient Wolf Distilling

Patient Wolf's shiny Southbank HQ is a playground of gin making, tasting and most importantly - drinking. After outgrowing their original Brunswick home, they moved south in 2019, fitting out a red-brick warehouse with towering copper stills and a swish new bar.

Cosy, sophisticated and seating up to 30 people, it’s fast become one of the best spots for gin tastings or a G&T in Melbourne, pouring everything from their summery thyme gins to oak barrel-aged numbers.

Distillery reopening October 31st, 2024

34-36 Market Street, Southbank

Brunswick Aces

Alcohol-free, vegan-friendly, gluten-free and all-natural ingredients, Brunswick Aces gin ticks many health-conscious boxes. Perfect to use in your favourite gin-based cocktails, this distillery created Australia's first zero-alcohol gin, a citrus-forward blend of premium botanicals for those times when you want something fresh and light.

If you've been off the drink for a while, need a break or are sober-curious, Ginny's Bar pours expertly crafted drinks from their menu of 0% alcohol beer, wine, cocktails and spirits. Alcoholic options are available for those looking for something a little stronger, and a range of bar snacks round out the experience.

124 Weston Street, Brunswick East

Naught Distilling

Taking home three golds and a silver at the 2024 New York World Spirits Competition for their Melbourne-made gin, Naught Distilling takes their spirits seriously. From a Sangiovese gin to a classic dry variety, these premium blends are best enjoyed by gin lovers who value quality.

Take the drive to leafy Eltham and step into an elegant 1920s-inspired bar, where you can savour the flavours of a tasting flight direct from the working on-site distillery. Stay a little longer to enjoy cocktails, cheese boards and jaffles, or opt for a gin masterclass and learn from the pros.

2/32 Peel Street, Eltham

Four Pillars

A short hour's drive outside of Melbourne will take you to charming Healesville, also known as the home of everyone's favourite gin distillery: Four Pillars. Once there, take a seat at the bar, drink in the scenic copper stills and order yourself a tasting paddle to sample this world-class fare. - just don't forget to pick a designated driver, first!

2A Old Lilydale Road, Healesville

Cloud Distillery

In pursuit of perfection, Cloud Distillery uses only the finest botanicals to craft award-winning classic and infused gin and vodka in the Macedon Ranges.

This isn't a distillery you can visit for a tasting, but the team work hard to partner with the best pubs, bars and venues around Australia to give you a taste of their spirit. If you prefer to make your cocktails at home, you're in luck! Partnering with Garden Street Gin Club just in time for spring and summer sips, their latest box (part of a handy subscription service delivering small-batch gin directly to your door) includes the Cloud Distillery Macedon Ranges Pink Gin!

Macedon Ranges, Victoria

JimmyRum

JimmyRum provides exactly what one would expect from a distillery on the Mornington Peninsula - a laidback, welcoming space where friends and family (including furry friends!) can relax amongst a working distillery and learn a thing or two about the process of spirit-making.

Rum is the specialty here, and the barrel wall provides a unique backdrop within the bar and restaurant space, where you can sample rum cocktails, local beer, wine and share plates. When the weather calls for it, the Rum Garden is perfect for weekend sips with friends, with live entertainment setting the vibe.

6 Brasser Avenue, Dromana

Fossey's Distillery

Crafting perfection in Mildura, Fossey's is the home of quirky fun and quality drinks, distilling small-batch spirits including gin, whiskey and vodka. The true definition of a boutique distillery, you'll need to head to the events page to find out where you can catch the team for a tasting, popping up at markets in Mildura, Yarra Glen and Horsham.

In great news for the gin lovers of Melbourne, Fossey's has opened a second venue a little closer to home in Carlton, where the bar offering brings the spirit of Mildura to Lygon Street. Elsie is home to nibbles, tastings, cocktails and a fully stocked bar.

209 Lygon Street, Carlton

If you loved our roundup of the best distilleries in Melbourne and beyond, there's more where that came from! From the best wine bars to the city's hidden gems, there's always a lively venue ready to satisfy your cocktail cravings.