Australian Whisky

About Australian Whisky

For the majority of the 20th century, the Distillation Act of 1901 prevented small-batch distillers from obtaining licenses to distil Australian Whisky. Luckily in 1990, Bill Lark successfully lobbied the government to amend this restriction- allowing him to open the Lark Distillery in 1992. Thanks to Bill, the Aussie Whisky industry was born and has been going from strength to strength ever since.

Australian whiskies are produced in a similar way to Scotch whisky, using the same double pot still method widely used in Scotland for distilling single malt whisky. However, Rye, wheat, and blended whiskies are also produced in Australia.

In 2014, Australian whisky gained global attention when Sullivan’s Cove French Oak single cask won the world’s best single malt whisky at the World Whiskies Awards.

Australian Whisky Requirements

With no deep customs or traditions surrounding its whisky, Australia can produce a wider variety of whisky than found overseas, with no rules or restrictions governing what styles are produced.

Explore Australian Whisky by region

Australian Whisky is mainly produced in the southeast of the country, with cooler temperatures providing a more stable environment for aging- the Aussie heat already accelerates the rate that whisky develops flavour in barrels.

Discover the best Australian Whisky distilleries

Australia is home to some of the best whisky distilleries in the world such as Sullivans Cove and Archie Rose, who have both won World Whiskies Awards.