26 Aug 2025
Celebrate world-class whiskey, rum, gin and vodka with the Inner West Distillery Trail
Sip, savour, learn about and get a behind-the-scenes look at some of Australia’s most awarded whiskey, rum, gin and vodka on the brand new Inner West Distillery Trail, which will be officially launched by Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne at a special event at Red Mill Rum on Wednesday night.
Distillers from Marrickville and the Balmain-Lilyfield districts have joined together with the council to establish the initiative, in a bid to shine a light on the burgeoning industry and introduce more people to the world-class drinks that are being made in Sydney’s very own backyard.
There are nine distilleries to explore on the trail, from Blackwattle Distilling Co to Ester Spirits, Eureka Distilling, Lily Fields Distilling Co, Moonshiner Distilling Collaboration, Otter Craft Distilling, Poor Toms, Red Mill Rum and Unexpected Guest Distillery.
Cr Byrne says the runaway success of the Inner West Ale Trail inspired the council to work with the distillers to replicate it.
“By creating the distillery trail, we’ll make the Inner West a mecca for spirit connoisseurs looking to explore the range of flavours on offer, and get a behind-the-scenes look at the distillers’ art,” he says.
You won’t find a more welcoming and vibrant group of world-class distillers anywhere else in Australia.”
Blackwattle Distilling Co co-founder Kieren Doyle started distilling gin and vodka during the pandemic, and then established the distillery at the heritage-listed White Bay Steelworks on the Balmain Peninsula, where visitors can see firsthand how the spirits are made.
Doyle says he thinks people will be surprised to learn just how many distillers are dotted throughout the densely-populated area, which is located just a few kilometres from the Sydney CBD.
“We all offer something a little bit different, from the drinks we create through to the spaces we’re housed in, from tasting rooms and bottle shops to cellar doors, bars and heritage-listed warehouses,” he says.
“Much like the brewery trail, the distillery trail is a great way for people to experience the melting point of culture that is the Inner West.”
Hospitality gurus Felix Clark and Corinna Kovner started their distilling journey more than a decade ago, as part of their request to create the perfect negroni.
After officially launching Ester Spirits in 2020, the couple’s strong gin went onto win Best in Show at the Australian Gin Awards that same year, while in 2021 the brand took out the title of World’s Best Navy Gin at the World Gin Awards.
Clark says the breadth of award-winning and quality distillers in the Inner West has been well-known within the industry for years, but not outside of it.
“We’ve been the Dannii Minogue to the breweries’ Kylie,” he says.
“A lot of people don’t know the difference between brewing and distilling, so for us this is about increasing awareness to showcase that we’re also here, and doing great things.”
Otter Craft Distilling (OCD) co-founder Eduard Otter agrees and hopes the Inner West Distillery Trail will become a destination for Sydneysiders and tourists alike.
“Australia punches well above its weight when it comes to producing award-winning spirits, but people tend to think about the big brands, many of which are no longer owned by the people who founded them,” he says.
“At OCD, we are committed to sustainability and traceability across all our ingredients, with a strong focus on Australian botanicals. From grain to glass, every element at OCD is crafted in-house — from distilling on our hand designed stills, to bottling and labelling our internationally award-winning OCD single malt whiskey, vodkas and Mary St gin and gin liqueurs.”
Clark says he also hopes it will help elevate the standing of the area across both Sydney and NSW.
“Collectively, we have received some of the greatest global awards in spirits,” he says.
“There’s an amazing strength in numbers to be able to amplify our voices and brands on the Australian and world stage”.
The Inner West Distillery Trail is free, with guests able to select their start and finish points from the interactive map on the website.
To celebrate the launch, distillers are slinging a range of specials this opening weekend, including $12 cocktails and 20 per cent off all bottles.
Visit www.distillerytrailinnerwest.com.au for more information, or keep up-to-date with the trail on social media on Instagram and Facebook.
ENDS