The first distillery from Nowra, in the Shoalhaven region of the New South Wales, is releasing its first gin on 30 October. Tara Distillery’s inaugural gin - Tara Pot Still Gin - won a bronze medal at this year’s Australian Gin Awards.
The gin contains classic gin botanicals with locally foraged sea lettuce and mountain pepper leaf from nearby Braidwood in the Budawang Ranges.
The distillery team come from Australia, Newfoundland, Canada and Ireland and are drawing on their cultural roots and local history for their spirits.
Tara’s copper pot stills, fermenters, and mash tun were handmade in Griffith NSW by renowned stillmaker Mark Burns. It also exclusively use NSW grain, harvest their own rainwater, and provide spent grain to local cattle farmers as feed.
For its maturing whiskey the distillery is using barrels that once contained Australian Tawny and Apera.
As well as gin and whiskey, Tara is soon to release an Australian Poitín, a white grain spirit similar to moonshine. Now legal, Poitín (pronounced Potcheen) has a history of illegal distillation in the region.
Founder and owner Alarna Doherty said: “As far back as 1882, the Cambewarra ranges that overlook Tara Distillery were notorious for their illicit stills. Illegally distilled spirit from the Shoalhaven region was renowned throughout Australia for its quality. Even newspapers reported that illegal shipments regularly left Berry and Bomaderry. There was reportedly much sadness when these renegade distillers were hauled into Nowra Police Court.”
Tara Pot Still Gin will be available from 30 October.
