Love gin? Ever wanted to see how this magical liquid is made? Well now’s your chance, because Melbourne’s gin-lovers will soon get a behind the scenes look at a boutique distillery that’s been quietly producing small batches of the good stuff right on their doorstep.
Since launching six months ago, Patient Wolf has been steadily cementing their place in Victoria’s craft distilling scene, and are now ready to open their Brunswick doors to the public for a one-off cellar door tasting event.
On Saturday 26 August, visitors can tour the distillery, enjoy free tastings (say no more) and sample G&T specials, and if you like what you see you’ll be able to purchase a bottle straight from the cellar door.
Photograph: Supplied
Patient Wolf is the culmination of three years’ work by founders and firm mates Matt Argus and Dave Irwin, who say they’ve invested massive quantities of “time, jet lag and hangovers” in bringing their 230-litre, custom-made Müller copper still all the way from Germany.
Their Premium Dry Gin has already won some early fans, appearing at polished establishments such as the Everleigh and Cumulus Up as well as more buzzy neighbourhood joints like Howler and the Penny Black.
To finalise the recipe they sought advice from Anders Bilgram, the master distiller at Nordisk Brandery in Denmark, and an early batch returned home with a bronze medal from the San Francisco Spirits Competition. It’s described as a “contemporary interpretation”, using both native and exotic botanicals, including the uncommon choice of tonka beans from South America.
Argus hopes that Saturday’s opening will show the local gin-loving community what sets them apart - “we’re different from the others and we want to show people how,” he says.
The Patient Wolf distillery will be open on Saturday 26 August from midday-6pm, 243C Albert St, Brunswick.