Readers of this blog will know that I am a big fan of Stone Pine Gin, so I couldn’t pass up the invitation to visit the distillery, could I? (yes, yes, geek, nerd, whatever).
Master Distiller Ian Glen, is a Scotsman (the name gives it away a little) but as he grew up in Bathurst, is a little bit Aussie too. After attending university and becoming a master brewer while living in Scotland, he returned to New South Wales with clear goal – to set up the first micro distillery in Bathurst.
Stone Pine Distillery opened in 2007 and is in the most picturesque spot behind the family home, a historic homestead dating back to the 1840s (it was even a hotel at one point). In front of the house is a beautiful Stone Pine tree, possibly as old as the house, from where the distillery gets its name. An illustration of the tree also appears on the bottles of Stone Pine’s spirits.
Ian’s aim was to create a distillery with the smallest carbon footprint possible. They use solar power and the spirits are cut with fresh Bathurst water collected from the roof that is then run through a carbon filter.
The still is from Tasmania, built to Ian’s exact specifications. He explains “I wanted a still with a degree of flexibility. I knew from day one that I wanted to make more than one product. Our still can be changed from a traditional pot still to a column still. (Column stills are used in the production of vodka). Stills come in a variety of sizes but we decided on 500 litres, which puts us mid-way in terms of micro-distilleries.”
Ian recently added spiced rum to his range of products. To order, or visit the distillery (by appointment only) go here.
You can follow Stone Pine Distillery on Facebook, twitter and instagram.
6 comments
I have visited Stone Pine Distillery on several occasions when staying with relatives nearby. Their gin is now my preferred tipple when drinking gin, it has an unique flavour that is extremely palatabe. I
have also painted a miniature of the old homestead!
That’s great to hear!
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