FURNEAUX DISTILLERY

Welcome to Furneaux Distillery

Taste the beauty and ruggedness of the island spirit with a visit to Furneaux Distillery.

Infused with the westerly winds off Bass Strait, fresh sea spray and smoked peat from the island itself, the maritime gin and whisky of Furneaux Distillery is created by distillers, engaging all the senses.

The ancient craft of whisky making is a tale of time and terroir - combining raw, natural ingredients with the particularities of the surroundings to create a drink that is more than the sum of its parts. At Furneaux Distillery, currently based in the small town of Whitemark (one of Flinders Island’s two settlements) there is a real sense of place - both in the end product and the process. Housed in the Flinders Wharf, on the beach between the sea and the island’s mountains, the Distillery bottles the essence of island life.

Flinders Island is the largest of the windswept Furneaux Group, a gathering of approximately 100 islands at the eastern end of Bass Strait, between the north-eastern tip of Tasmania and Victoria. The islands are known for their natural beauty, rich farmland and abundance of produce. Flinders Island’s relatively mild climate makes it ideal for days filled with bushwalking, swimming or kayaking, followed by nights spent beside the ocean or a crackling log fire with a dram of first-rate whisky.

Making Furneaux Distillery

In 1838, the then-governor's wife Lady Jane Franklin declared she would “prefer barley be fed to pigs than it be used to turn men into swine.” And with that, the Tasmanian distilling industry was put out of business – until 1991, when Bill Lark successfully fought to have the archaic law overturned. Since then, whisky has proliferated in Tasmania, making it a top destination for the golden spirit.

Furneaux Distillery has been crafting its gin and whisky on the island since 2019, after founders Damien Newton Brown and Howard McCorkell recognised Flinders Island’s potential as a base for excellent whisky. The pair had been inspired by a trip to Islay – an island off Scotland’s west coast in the Southern Hebrides with a cloudy, oceanic and mild climate. Such favourable conditions for renowned Scottish whisky were mirrored on the opposite side of the Earth on Flinders Island: where wind lashes the coastline and whips pure seawater into the air, and the salty, earthy scent of peat hangs in the atmosphere.

Building the distillery required some logistical gymnastics from the founders: goods and equipment made their way to the isolated island on a barge once a week and in small planes. Early batches of spirit were shipped from Launceston to Flinders Island along with barrels and stills to be used by the head distiller, Tom Ambroz, whose distilling techniques have a low impact on the pristine Flinders Island environment.

Visit Furneaux Distillery

The Furneaux Distillery production facility is a tall, neat and narrow space, lit by windows with views to the old wharf, the wild ocean and outlying islands. Three gleaming copper stills of various sizes are put to work distilling 200 litres of whisky and 100 litres of gin each week. Here, the London Dry-style gin is infused with local botanicals including kunzea – a native herb that has similar qualities to rosemary with aromatics of citrus, eucalypt and the sweetness of honey. Other botanicals in this gin include wild fennel and native rosemary which are stored along with other aromatics in large glass apothecary jars that line the walls. There are also shelves laden with “research material” – bottles of whisky, gin, brandies and liqueurs.

Tours of the distillery are available on weekdays, subject to the production schedule. Call in advance to organise a suitable time and spend an hour with head distiller Tom Ambroz as he explains the distillation process and the story of the Furneaux Distillery. The tour includes a full tasting of the Distillery’s gin and whisky offerings, which include unpeated and peated varieties. Enjoy a few drams and let the complex flavours wash over you – from the smooth and sweet, to the smoky and spicy. Although the method is the same for each batch, much like a wine vintage, each release is unique as it relies on natural conditions and ingredients.

In June 2023, the Distillery will move to a new distilling and brewing facility on a farm at Sawyer’s Bay just north of Whitemark, where barley crops are cultivated to be used in the whisky-making process, along with pristine rainwater which is collected on-site in tanks. The bay is home to white sand beaches strewn with boulders lapped by clear waters, backdropped by the imposing Mount Strzelecki to the south when skies are clear.

Accessibility

Flinders Island is accessed by regular light plane flights from Hobart, Launceston and Essendon, Melbourne. Public transport on the island is limited, so if it’s a viable option given your circumstances, you are best to hire a car that can be collected at the airport on arrival. Many of the roads on the island are unsealed, so be prepared for a slower drive. If travelling by car isn’t an option for you, there is a transfer service that will pick you up from the airport and deliver you to your accommodation. Be aware that the only shops on the island are at Whitemark and Lady Barron, with the only supermarket at Whitemark.

Dog guides are welcome on Flinders Island, and Furneaux Distillery is wheelchair accessible.

The Flinders Island Wharf offers a larder of pre-made meals that can be ordered online for collection on arrival. These easy-to-prepare meals use island produce to create mouth-watering dishes that let you spend time relaxing and exploring the island, while also enjoying its fresh flavours.