Sandy Gray Whisky Company

Founded in '16, Sandy Gray is located on the Cradle Coast of North Tasmania, just outside of Davenport. Named after co-founder Niel Gray's Scottish father, who emigrated to Tasmania in 1967, it produces various gins and liqueurs, as well as single malt whisky that tends to sell out very quickly, given the small quantities produced. Following the classic Australian craft spirits model of low-volume, high-value products, a 500ml bottle of Sandy Gray gin will set you back around $65. But Sandy Gray does things its way, with products you won’t see from other distilleries like absinthe and blueberry gin, and there’s real attention to detail and a hands-on approach that’s much more than marketing. Labelled bottles with hand-written details like abv and batch number are always a nice touch when paying for craft, and the quality standard is generally very high. These folks are having a real crack, and it’s a great example of how careful consideration and creativity can align to produce great spirits. -FRED SIGGINS