Imagine us in 2016: living on 40 acres of country, and me, tinkering away in my lean-to shed—madly trying different botanical iterations for soft yet full flavoured gin. Between Cass, myself and our two dogs, Pepper and Molly, we were busy making Laceys Hill what it is today, the home we love and the home of the spirits we’re so proud of.
One day, my neighbour wandered down to introduce himself. We became mates and spoke about the region’s botanicals like lemon myrtle, davidson plum, strawberry gum and desert lime. As it turned out, his wife could procure some lemon myrtle for my gin. And, low and behold, it was an instant hit.
It was also the moment that sparked the final decision to found Laceys Hill Distilling Co. At the fabled opening party of 2018, our neighbours celebrated with us into the frosty early hours of morning.
A moment from the party that goes down in legend is when the temperature dropped below 0°C. Suddenly, our Hungarian neighbour marched through a group of 70 friends. He was carrying an axe and looking like John Jarret. Anxiety levels skyrocketed but when he started chopping wood for the fire, gratitude at the party reached an all-time high.
It’s the quirky, one-of-a-kind, fleeting moments like these that go down in the history books. You just can’t replicate the DNA of this place. And, it’s because of this community, the beautiful region we live in and the craft of slow, handmade spirits that we can create these small batches of beauty.
We’d love for you to experience it for yourself. Taste your first drop of the region. Learn more about Lemon Myrtle Dry Gin.
— John, Cass, Pepper & Molly
