Overview
From Four Pillars to Archie Rose and Poor Toms, Australia is home to some of the world's best gin. Now, a new player is about to emerge, with a new distillery set to open in the shadow of the Sydney Harbour Bridge later this year.
Hickson House Distilling Co is the new distillery opening in The Rocks this June. The distillery is the new venture from Mikey Enright and Julian Train (The Barber Shop, The Duke of Clarence), as well as former Manly Spirits distiller Tim Stones.
The distillery's first products will be a range of gins made using all locally sourced ingredients, including native botanicals from The Loch farm in Berrima. As well as creating gins, and eventually whiskies, aperitifs and specialist spirits, Hickson House will also be open to the public for a range of tours, tastings and dining experiences.
A render of Hickson House
You'll be able to purchase bottles of the house-made spirits from an on-site store or visit a cocktail bar, which will sit above the distillery floor, serving tasty creations that champion the Hickson House spirits alongside a complementary menu of botanical-inspired food. While the menu for the bar and dining experience is yet to be revealed, we've been told it'll feature Enright and Train's take on modern Australian cuisine.
The 450-square-metre warehouse is the former parking garage of the advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi. The garage is currently being transformed into the bar and distillery with the garage roller doors proposed as the planned entrance. Designed by Sydney agency Steel + Stitch and UK designer Sara Mathers, the bar will feature twin chandeliers and will retain much of the aesthetic nature of the original warehouse.
Hickson House Distilling Co is slated to open on Hickson Road, The Rocks in June 2021.
Top image: Mikey Enright, Julian Train and Tim Stones