• Playfair Gin has launched in Australia, a female-founded premium gin distilled in small batches on a McLaren Vale farm and sold direct to consumers through the brand’s website.
    Playfair Gin has launched in Australia, a female-founded premium gin distilled in small batches on a McLaren Vale farm and sold direct to consumers through the brand’s website.
Close×

Playfair Gin has launched in Australia, a female-founded premium gin distilled in small batches on a McLaren Vale farm and sold direct to consumers through the brand’s website.

The debut release from founder Anna Playfair-Hannay pairs juniper and wild thistle with coriander, cardamom and lemon, a botanical nod to her Scottish heritage. The brand describes it as a clean, crisp gin with subtle spice, citrus and floral character.

Playfair-Hannay, a Sydney-based food industry specialist who has worked on ingredient sourcing for retailers including Marks & Spencer and Woolworths, said the release set out to bridge two markets.

“I wanted to create a gin that was distinctly different, a genuine celebration of Scottish heritage and modern Australian living,” Playfair-Hannay said.

The gin is bottled at 40 per cent ABV with a recommended retail price of $85 for a 500ml bottle, available exclusively online at launch. Further releases are expected within six months, alongside an expansion into selected off-premise and on-premise retail partners.

Packaging News

Australia's environment ministers have declared packaging reform urgent and named soft plastics as an initial priority, but offered no firm timetable or regulatory commitments. SPSA has welcomed the soft plastics focus, while Boomerang Alliance and WMRR have raised concerns about the lack of concrete action.

Economic analysis commissioned by SPSA estimates national recycling reforms could deliver up to $278m in net productivity gains and stimulate up to $2.6b in capital investment each year.

A cross-sector open letter is urging national leaders to agree on a pathway for regulated producer responsibility schemes at the September Environment Ministers Meeting.