Cult gin distillery Four Pillars has unveiled its new home, ‘Healesville 2.0’, in Victoria's Yarra Valley. The $7 million dollar upgrade includes several new indoor and outdoor spaces for drinking, eating or indulging in immersive gin experiences. Importantly, the upgrade has also enabled the distillery to become certified carbon neutral.
The design of 2.0 was led by Melbourne’s award-winning, sustainability-focused Breathe Architecture. The new look includes Beth’s Bar (which is named after Four Pillars’ first employee's mum), lined with gin-flowing copper pipes which help cut down on glass waste. With all gins and tonics on tap, the distiller removes 800 kilograms of glass from the business each week.
Sit atop the high tables, or take advantage of the bar seating, banquettes are also on offer. In line with Four Pillars’ aim to become as sustainable as possible, the leather upholstery is made from pineapple husk (known as pinatex).
Beth’s Bar extends into Jude’s Gin Garden – an indoor/outdoor sanctuary – named after co-founder Stu’s mother). The Garden is filled with local natives and botanicals, and herbs and spices, which will be used in the distilling process. Both bars have portholes and windows into the new bottling area, to keep guests connected with distillation.
Dine al fresco in Jude’s Gin Garden on a gin-focused snack menu designed by chef Matt Wilkinson and Caro Gray of Made From Gin. Think duck liver pate paired with (the iconic) Bloody Gin Shiraz flavoured jelly, and bagels with Olive Leaf Gin-cured salmon, potatoes laced with gin, and dill croquettes. Still to come is the Four Pillars Tuck Shop, stacked with specials, and guests appearances from local chefs.
Another new addition is the Four Pillars Gin Shop, which features all the Four Pillars gins you know and love, plus small batch, rare, limited release and Healesville exclusives, as well as treats like orange marmalade and merch (merch!).
For the gin diehards, there are new blending and bottling line facilities and room for the brand spanking new 2000L CARL, expected to arrive later this year. Once it does, Four Pillars will be home to six handmade German copper CARL stills. This growth in production capacity means Four Pillars will be capable of producing one million bottles of gin per year.
For anyone looking to learn more about the process of distilling, you can book into a range of experiences like signature gin masterclasses, the Maker Session distilling class, and the famous G&T&Tasting where you can taste five award-winning gins.
Established in 2013, earlier this month Four Pillars announced itself as Australia’s first carbon neutral gin business. When it comes to making gin, carbon emissions include electricity, gas, water, packaging, and materials like raw spirit and botanicals. To be certified carbon neutral each of these emissions much be at zero. Four Pillars as an organisation and its products have achieved this status.
Four Pillars cofounder and distiller Cameron Mackenzie says he hopes 2.0 will be a place the local community loves, that Victorians visit and a place for gin lovers all around the world to experience. “This has been a true labour of love for so many people and we should especially thank our architects Breathe, builders Neverstop, the local, state and federal governments who have all made a contribution not just to our building but to the whole road and surrounds, and most importantly to my wife Leah, Four Pillars’ Experience lead, who oversaw the whole two year project."
Find out more at fourpillarsgin.com and @fourpillarsgin.
