KING ISLAND DISTILLERY

Welcome to King Island Distillery

Way out in windswept Bass Strait, washed with wild ocean flavours and the rich aromas of farm country, King Island really is the king of islands. The air is clean here, the rain is pure, and the sea is a constant companion: a fertile recipe for distilling fine Tasmanian spirits.

Roughly the size of Tahiti, King Island is around 1000 square kilometres of beaches, cliffs, fields and bushland, and is home to just 1500 islanders – most of whom live in the unhurried little town of Currie on the west coast.

Island produce has been garnering legions of fans in recent decades – particularly local beef, crayfish and cheese from the famous King Island Dairy. Make some time to visit the tasting room while you’re here: enjoy a cheese platter or baked brie paired with matching wine or beer as you soak in the relaxed island ambience. Golf has also become an essential King Island experience, with the spectacular oceanside Cape Wickham and Ocean Dunes courses regularly featuring on lists of Australia’s best.

Visitors can also check out the 48-metre-high Cape Wickham Lighthouse, built in 1861 and Australia’s tallest; explore the wrecks of dozens of ill-fated ships along the coast; surf some wild Bass Strait waves; wander among crazy limestone features in a calcified forest; or simply stroll the sands at Martha Lavinia Beach with a rolling ocean soundtrack.

Another island highlight is a tour and a tasting at King Island Distillery in Currie, run by passionate distiller Heidi Weitjens. A nip of ocean-infused gin, whisky or vodka is the perfect way to round out a breezy King Island afternoon.

The Distiller

Distiller Heidi Weitjens grew up on a King Island dairy farm and has the island’s natural environment written into her DNA. Driven by a desire to create spirits that she could actually enjoy herself, Heidi set up King Island Distillery in 2014 – and, with a few pointers from Bill Lark, the grandaddy of Tasmanian distilling, started bottling up the good stuff. She was just the tenth registered distiller in Tasmania at the time – a number that has since swelled to more than 50. It’s fair to say that King Island Distillery is a real trailblazer in the spirited Tasmanian spirits scene.

Heidi’s approach is down-to-earth and ‘local’, all the way. Her spirits utilise locally harvested rainwater – the distillery is perhaps the only one in Australia to do so – and hand-picked botanicals from along King Island’s rugged, salt-washed shores. Rather than getting too technical, Heidi brings instinct, balance and humility to the distilling process – plus a healthy serve of fun. Her aim is to please the visitors who wander into the tasting room, rather than international gin judges or offshore whisky experts. In Heidi’s opinion, what’s in the tasting glass in front of the visitor is just as important as what ends up on the bottle-shop shelves around the world.

The Distillery

On King Island, things move at a different pace. Life here is informal, unpretentious and above all, relaxed. It takes most visitors a day or two to jump off the hectic mainland treadmill and shift down a gear into island time. And once you have, make sure you book your visitor experiences here in advance. That way your hosts will know that you’re coming, and won’t be off fishing, surfing, or out the back sticking labels on gin bottles.

King Island Distillery offers two tasting experiences at their craft distillery in Currie.

In the bright and inviting tasting room you’ll find shelves and wooden tables laden with bottles of distilled spirits, along with a barrel and two small, shiny stills against the wall. If you’re tight on time, a quickfire meet-and-greet with Heidi Weitjens is for you, including a tasting of her Native Gin. Complex, smooth, subtle, satisfying… All qualities that might come to mind when you take your first sip of Heidi’s flagship product – best taken ‘neat’ with no ice and no tonic, so you can let your senses swim out into the heady flavours of juniper, coriander, cardamon and cassia bark botanicals.

Or, if you’ve got a lazy hour up your sleeve, book a tasting session delving into the stories and flavours of eight different artisan spirts, including single malt whisky and ruby grapefruit vodka. Heidi’s limited-edition whisky is a King Island confluence of her own distilling enthusiasm and some whisky-making knowhow from the team at Callington Mill Distillery in Oatlands in Tasmania’s midlands. The result is a characterful, small-batch product, deeply infused with the flavours of Tasmanian malted barley.

All King Island Distillery tastings can be booked from 1pm, Wednesday to Sunday.

Accessibility

Unless you know someone with a yacht, the best way to get to King Island is to fly. King Island Airlines and Regional Express wing into King Island Airport at Currie from Melbourne. Sharp Airlines accesses the island via direct flights from Hobart, Launceston and Burnie.

Once you’re on the island, the easiest way to get around is to hire a car at the airport and go exploring. Beyond Currie there are few formal footpaths, and there’s no public transport on the island – but several local companies provide door-to-door private and group transfers, or can show you around on guided tours. These include King Island Coach Tours, King Island Tours and King Island Pleasure Tours. Tour options range from single-day escapes to multi-day adventures which are customisable and cater to a wide variety of interests ranging from golf and fishing to ‘meet the maker’ experiences and unique wildlife encounters. Guided tours typically include audio commentary from knowledgeable local guides, helping to familiarise visitors with the island and its hidden treasures.

Ask your airline and accommodation hosts in advance if you have any particular access requirements or questions, including information on dog guides. The King Island Visitor Information Centre, located in the KIRDO Building at 5 George Street, Currie may also be able to assist with enquiries. They are open from 11am-3pm Monday to Friday and 10am-12 noon Saturday.