Distillery Opens in Ballarat, Unveiling New Gin and Vodka Launch
Set to ignite the heart of Western Victoria’s distillery scene, the long awaited Itinerant Spirits distillery has finally opened its doors to Ballarat locals, out-of-town travellers and spirit enthusiasts alike.
Housed in the heritage listed 160-year-old Ballarat Goods Shed, Itinerant Spirits is a proudly independent, family-friendly multi-spirit experience like no other. Paying homage to the historical roots of the Ballarat region, the vast yet cosy spaces, and adventurous nooks and crannies are encompassed by the charming bluestone walls and high ceilings of the retained Ballarat Goods Shed shell.
An impressive cocktail bar is adorned by an on-display, world-class distilling operation, ready for the large-scale production of Itinerant Spirits’ Gallivanter Gin, Vansetter Vodka and Wayfarer Whiskey, all produced using locally-grown grains, botanicals and natural volcanic spring water.
In addition to Itinerant Spirits’ own range of spirits and cocktails, the 140-seat venue also offers an extended curation of spirits, distillery door, pizza menu, cheese and charcuterie boards, sharing plates from the neighbouring Atlantic Group restaurants, Nolan’s and Boomtime dumplings, as well as regular ticketed masterclasses.
The new regional venue has the capacity to produce a staggering 1.2 million bottles per year; decked out with a 3000 litre vodka and whiskey producing German Kothe still, 650 litre gin still and 24,000 litre on-grain brewhouse. All spent grain from production is reused for local animal farm feed.
Gallivanter Gin and Vansetter Vodka have both launched alongside the Itinerant Spirits distillery and venue, while the star of the show, Wayfarer Whiskey matures in ex-bourbon barrels awaiting its future release.
The wildly elegant Gallivanter Gin, is juniper-forward with a creamy lemon palate balanced with sweetness and warm spice, punctured with notes of bright citrus and hand-foraged botanicals straight from the grounds of Western Victoria. Creamy notes of native Lemon Drop Wax from the Grampians region are complimented with cinnamon myrtle, star anise, nutmeg and aromatic pepper, leaving a well-rounded mouthfeel and extremely smooth after taste.
Vansetter Vodka is a perfectly smooth vodka distilled with precision by diligent and industrious distillers who strive for balance and purity with every batch. Full of malted wheat, barley and rye distilled on-grain with complimenting aromas of wheat, straw, spice, pepper and rye, Vansetter Vodka is subtle with candied hints that intertwine with the bold grain flavours, leaving a lingering taste of toasted and warming rye spice.
Itinerant, meaning to travel from place to place, encapsulated the story of Itinerant Spirits Founders Brad Wilson (advertising creative and Little Lon Distilling Co. Founder) and Craig Ryan (Ex-Quest Apartment Hotels Chief Commercial Officer), each having travelled extensively, working and living across all corners of the globe.
Ex-Four Pillars distilling guru James Fairlie joins Brad and Craig as Itinerant Spirits’ Head Distiller. James brings with him a knowledge, having grown up in a passionate family of whiskey distillers who in 1957, revived the Glenturret Whiskey distillery in Scotland and ran the business for almost 25-years.
Brad and Craig joined forces in 2020 to begin their biggest and most rewarding journey to date - launching a locally-minded, sustainable Ballarat-based distillery with a vision to produce gin, vodka and whiskey that stands tall amongst the best in the world.
“The heart of Itinerant Spirits is in Ballarat, and both Craig and I are honoured to be part of this community. It’s a place where independence, optimism and character runs deep, which speaks to the core of why we started out on this journey in the first place.
“We’re proud to be providing a valuable addition to the Ballarat region’s already amazing offering of must-visit destinations and are looking forward to being a part of Western Victoria’s esteemed tourism industry,” said Brad Wilson.
“We can’t wait for people to visit Itinerant Spirits and have adventurers, travellers and spirits enthusiasts experience Gallivanter Gin, Vansetter Vodka and Wayfarer Whiskey over conversations of travel and global experiences,” said Craig Ryan.
Itinerant Spirits is open 7-days a week, and is now taking bookings via itinerantspirits.com.
