Australians have long been known to appreciate a drink, so it's entirely plausible to think that the first free European settlers began distilling alcohol as soon as they arrived here in the late 18th century. Read on to learn about the fascinating history of whisky making in Tasmania.
THE FIRST END TO PROHIBITIONBack then, Tasmania was called Van Diemen's Land in honour of the governor general of the Dutch East Indies. The first non-natives settled on the eastern shore of the River Derwent at Risdon Cove in 1803. A year later, Lieutenant Governor David Collins moved the town across the river and the city of Hobart, Tasmania was born.RIVER DERWENT 1800'SBeer brewing was encouraged in colonial Tasmania, but the distillation of spirits was not. In fact, distilling was illegal until 1822, when then-governor Lachlan Macquarie acquiesced to the notion that people were going to distil spirits no matter what the law said. Macquarie also realised that legalising whisky would stimulate grain production and bring in a healthy amount of tax money, and small batch distilling was declared lawful.
In 1822, Thomas Haigh Midwood opened Australia's first legal distillery. Located in Hobart, Sorell Distillery started making whisky in Tasmania a full two years before Scotland's Glenlivet distillery. Once lawful, more than a dozen new distilleries followed in Midwood's footsteps. Thomas Haigh Midwood's personal success was short-lived, however, because he died in September 1823.
DISTILLING BECOMES ILLEGAL AGAIN, BUT ONLY IN TASMANIA
Unlike Scotland, where distilleries have been operating non-stop since the 19th century, the legal whisky business in Tasmania lasted but a few short years. In 1839, the Distillation Prohibition Act officially outlawed all distillation in colonial Tasmania, explains Monocle magazine. Lady Jane Franklin, the teetotal wife of then-governor, John Franklin, famously promoted passage of the Act when she proclaimed:
"I would prefer barley be fed to pigs than it be used to turn men into swine."
Oddly, the ban on small batch distilling did not extend to mainland Australia but lasted more than a century in Tasmania. In the meantime, Van Diemen's Land changed its name to Tasmania in honour of the first European to get a glimpse of the island we know and love today.
JOHN FRANKLINENTER THE GODFATHER OF TASMANIAN WHISKY
Prohibition in Tasmania endured until 1992, when a pioneering whisky maker by the name of Bill Lark successfully challenged the unfair and outdated law. Bill Lark was determined to distil first class whisky, but he wanted to do it legally.
While researching how to go about getting a distiller's license in Tasmania, he became aware of Australia's utterly antiquated liquor laws that pertained only to the island. In addition to the Distillation Prohibition Act of 1839, there was another perplexing law, the 1901 Distillation Act, which only permitted massive stills that were beyond the scope of small craft whiskey makers. Lark spoke to Tasmanian MP Duncan Kerr about the discriminatory laws. Kerr relayed Lark's concerns to Federal MP Barry Jones. Ultimately, both laws were amended, and Lark Distillery was established as the first legal Tasmanian distillery since 1882.
Many locals already wanted to make whisky in Tasmania, and lawmakers didn't put up a fight. In fact, the local customs office may have been as thrilled about the end of prohibition than the local whisky makers. As Bill told Scottish Field magazine:
"A lot of people ask me how much of a fight I had to go through, but there was no fight at all. I was pushing at an open door."
BILL LARK
IT TAKES TIME TO MAKE A GREAT WHISKY
Locally sourced barley, pristine water, Tasmanian Highland peat, and hand-selected oak casks are not the only things Lark used to produce the first above-board Tasmanian whisky in a century and a half. It also took time. In 1998, Lark Distillery released their first commercial --and legal-- distilled single malt whisky to exuberant public acclaim. In 2015, Bill Lark became the first distiller from the Southern Hemisphere to be inducted into the Whisky Hall of Fame and he is known as the Godfather of Tasmanian Whisky.
MODERN TASMANIAN WHISKY
The modern Tasmanian whisky industry that we know today started in the early 1990’s with Lark Distillery founded in 1992 and the Tasmania Distillery which founded in 1994 in Sullivans Cove. Tasmania Distillery changed hands in 1999 and renamed itself Sullivans Cove. The new owners prevailed upon Bill Lark to craft a high-quality single malt whisky. Lark's friend Patrick Maguire ultimately purchased the distillery from the second owners and moved operations to Cambridge. In 2014 Sullivans Cove won the prestigious World Whisky Awards, World's Best Single Malt and really put Tasmanian whisky on the map.
Tasmanian Whisky is spelt without the “e” pointing to its Scottish heritage whereas American and Irish Whiskey is spelt with the “e”. The caveat here is another story with Bill Lark at the start of the tale. In the 1990’s a land surveyor, Damian Mackey went to do some work for Bill Lark and Damian observed, and became fascinated by, those early years of the modern Tasmanian Whisky industry. In the early 2000’s Damian began making whisky but he honoured his own Irish heritage by making triple-distilled whisky (technically speaking: whiskey).
DAMIAN MACKEY
In 2007 Damian and Madeleine Mackey started Mackey’s Distillery in New Town. Eight years later, they and the Kernke family established Shene Distillery, where John Ibrahim later joined as a shareholder. John Ibrahim, whose friendship with the 'Godfather of Tasmanian Whisky,' Bill Lark, led the pair to travel to Scotland where they got a true 'behind the scenes’ look at European whisky making. John knew from that time his future and his legacy were tied to whisky making. John was already a partner with Bill Lark at Old Kempton Distillery before joining the Shene Distillery team.
In 2021 John Ibrahim was instrumental in the sale of Shene Distillery to Lark Distillery in a major win, win for the Tasmanian Whisky industry, providing Lark with a much-needed base and expanded distilling operation, and allowing John the time to focus on Callington Mill Distillery.JOHN IBRAHIMCallington Mill Distillery is a dream come true for John. When establishing the distillery, there were no existing turnkey distillery options available in Tasmania. Thanks to an exciting collaboration with Kolmark’s Mark Kolodziej, and a trip to Cardona Distillery in New Zealand, new equipment was developed specifically for Callington Mill Distillery. The latest Tasmanian technology has been utilised to bring about a new era in Tasmanian Whisky and create a distillery on a scale not previously seen in Tasmania.
‘We have built the Rolls Royce of Whisky Distilleries’ - John Ibrahim
CALLINGTON MILL DISTILLERYToday, there are more than 80 whisky distilleries located throughout Tasmania. Far from being rivals, Tasmanian distillers enjoy a collegiate brotherhood and inspire one another to create award-winning whiskies that are enjoyed around the world.
The fascinating history of whisky making in Tasmania is only just beginning. Callington Mill’s vision is to become a “world-wide recognisable brand” helping to take Tasmanian Whisky to the next level on the global stage.
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With so many awards in recent years, it's obvious that Tasmanian whisky makers are doing something very right. Is it the local water, or is it the barley? Could it be the climate? Actually, Taz boasts the ideal combination of location, weather, and locally-sourced ingredients that make it the perfect place for making whisky. Plus LOVE of course.
Tasmania's own Callington Mill Distillery practically swept the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition with eight awards for single malt whisky and additionally a medal for its incomparable Poltergeist Gin. Four of the awards for Callington Mill Single Malt Whisky were highly regarded Double Gold awards, identifying them as "among the finest products in the world."
ALMOST AS SCOTTISH AS SCOTLAND
Despite the lack of Hebridean gorse and the presence of local eucalyptus, Tasmania sometimes feels closer to Scotland than to Sydney, said The Guardian in a 2014 article that went on to extol the area's cool air, grey skies, lush countryside, local highland peat, and abundance of impeccably clean water that make Tasmania an ideal location for distilling spirits.
THE FORESIGHT OF BILL LARK
Heralded as the Godfather of modern Tasmanian whisky, Bill Lark was well aware of our favourite island's potential for producing world-class whisky years before bringing forth his first bottles.
As Broadsheet tells the story, Lark and his father in law were enjoying each other's company on a fishing trip in the highlands when the pair put forth the idea of using the local barley, water, peat, and climate to produce whisky that could rival Scotland. In 1992, Lark did just that, opening the first small, legal distillery in Tasmania in more than 150 years.
WATER
As whisky's main component, water has everything to do with the final product of any distillery. It is well known that the water that flows from the Tasmanian highland rainforests to the midlands to the Blackman River is some of the most pristine H20 anywhere on Earth.
Tasmanian Rain, a company that catches, bottles, and sells local rainwater, explains that the air currents that bring rain to Tasmania's western shores originate in Antarctica before traveling across thousands of miles of open ocean, resulting in water that is clean, refreshing, and without impurities.
Unlike England where water is generally hard, or high in mineral content, Scotland's water tends to be as soft as rainwater and just right for making whisky. The same can be said for Tasmania, where water hardness levels rarely exceed 10 mg per litre, explains Tales of Travelling Sisters.
Acidity, or pH of Tasmanian stream water typically ranges between 5.5 and 7.5 except for humic-rich Tassie lakes and rivers with a pH range of 4.0 to 6.5, explains the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania.
Even if you drink your whisky neat, you may enjoy diluting it a bit with spring water before imbibing. In fact, Scottish pubs always present a jug of the stuff whenever whisky is ordered, notes Whisky magazine.
BARLEY
One of the most famous phrases ever uttered about barley came from the lips of Lady Jane Franklin, wife of Governor John Franklin who exclaimed:
"I would prefer barley be fed to pigs than it be used to turn men into swine."
Today, whisky aficionados the world over appreciate the humble grain's contribution to adult enjoyment much more than Lady Jane Franklin ever did. She convinced her husband to outlaw the distilling of spirits in Tasmania.
Tasmania is perfectly positioned to take full advantage of the barley that thrives in our locale.
Hordeum vulgare (Barley) is a tolerant crop that tends to flourish in well-drained Tasmanian soils and does not require a lot of supplementary irrigation, explains the Australian Department of Natural Resources. Bill Lark described the traditional brewing barley he exclusively used to craft his superb whisky as advantageous due to its "big fat oily malt" flavour. Callington Mill is another Tassie distillery that only uses the locally-sourced barley that makes Tasmanian whisky a serious contender on the world whisky stage. Without it, a dram might be good, but it would not measure up to the award-winning bottles produced by local distillers.
CLIMATE
The maritime temperate climate of Tasmania with its long hot summer days, short cold winter days, plentiful sunshine, and generally low humidity is just right for distilling single malt whisky. Here in Tasmania, the air is as clean as the water. So clean, in fact, that the World Meteorological Organization–Global Atmosphere Watch maintains a Baseline Air Pollution monitor station on the island. To learn more about Tasmania's clean air see this article.
HIGHLAND PEAT
In the 20th century, Australian whisky makers relied on imported Scottish peat to dry and smoke locally-grown barley. It was not until the 1990s that Tasmanian highland peat was considered a viable option, when Lyn and Bill Lark became the first legal modern distillers in Taz. Today, some Tassie distillers employ Taz-grown peat to deliver the subtle, earthy smokiness that makes local “peaty” malt whisky such a delight.
COPPER STILLS AND OAK CASKS
Ingredients, climate, and water contribute mightily to Tasmanian whisky, but they're not the only factors that matter. The stills in which whisky is distilled and the casks in which it ages are also imperative to the quality of the final product.
Copper pot stills such as those used by Callington Mill are not only beautiful to look at, they interact in a positive way with vapour during distillation. Inside a copper still, fruity esters are developed and volatile sulfur compounds, including ethyl carboxamide, trimethyl-sulphide, and dimethyl trisulphide are removed, explains Scotch Whisky magazine. Another plus to copper stills is the way the natural element inhibits bacterial contamination.
Casks also figure into the final flavour of whisky. This is why Callington Mill matures exclusively in Oak casks sourced and crafted by our own Callington Mill Cooperage. Callington Mill’s Oak policy determines our whiskey profile - our final character - our DNA. We predominately use the best quality ex fortified wine Oak Casks from the Douro Valley in Porto Portugal and from the Sherry Triangle region Jerez de la Frontera in Andalucia Spain. We also source the best Australian ex fortified wines. This represents 80% of our Oak strategy. In order to add layers of diversity and complexity we source the remaining 20% of our oak program from the exotic regions of the world - France - Mexico - Jamaica - South America - US - Japan. We are also trying to secure Oak supply from regions never before used in whiskey making. This will remain a secret - so stay tuned.
Now that you understand why Tasmania is the perfect place to make the perfect whisky, we hope you will try it for yourself. If you have any questions about our ingredients, contact us and ask us anything.
Tasmania's own Callington Mill Distillery practically swept the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition with eight awards for single malt whisky and additionally a medal for its incomparable Poltergeist Gin. Four of the awards for Callington Mill Single Malt Whisky were highly regarded Double Gold awards, identifying them as "among the finest products in the world."
ALMOST AS SCOTTISH AS SCOTLAND
Despite the lack of Hebridean gorse and the presence of local eucalyptus, Tasmania sometimes feels closer to Scotland than to Sydney, said The Guardian in a 2014 article that went on to extol the area's cool air, grey skies, lush countryside, local highland peat, and abundance of impeccably clean water that make Tasmania an ideal location for distilling spirits.
THE FORESIGHT OF BILL LARK
Heralded as the Godfather of modern Tasmanian whisky, Bill Lark was well aware of our favourite island's potential for producing world-class whisky years before bringing forth his first bottles.
As Broadsheet tells the story, Lark and his father in law were enjoying each other's company on a fishing trip in the highlands when the pair put forth the idea of using the local barley, water, peat, and climate to produce whisky that could rival Scotland. In 1992, Lark did just that, opening the first small, legal distillery in Tasmania in more than 150 years.
WATER
As whisky's main component, water has everything to do with the final product of any distillery. It is well known that the water that flows from the Tasmanian highland rainforests to the midlands to the Blackman River is some of the most pristine H20 anywhere on Earth.
Tasmanian Rain, a company that catches, bottles, and sells local rainwater, explains that the air currents that bring rain to Tasmania's western shores originate in Antarctica before traveling across thousands of miles of open ocean, resulting in water that is clean, refreshing, and without impurities.
Unlike England where water is generally hard, or high in mineral content, Scotland's water tends to be as soft as rainwater and just right for making whisky. The same can be said for Tasmania, where water hardness levels rarely exceed 10 mg per litre, explains Tales of Travelling Sisters.
Acidity, or pH of Tasmanian stream water typically ranges between 5.5 and 7.5 except for humic-rich Tassie lakes and rivers with a pH range of 4.0 to 6.5, explains the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania.
Even if you drink your whisky neat, you may enjoy diluting it a bit with spring water before imbibing. In fact, Scottish pubs always present a jug of the stuff whenever whisky is ordered, notes Whisky magazine.
BARLEY
One of the most famous phrases ever uttered about barley came from the lips of Lady Jane Franklin, wife of Governor John Franklin who exclaimed:
"I would prefer barley be fed to pigs than it be used to turn men into swine."
Today, whisky aficionados the world over appreciate the humble grain's contribution to adult enjoyment much more than Lady Jane Franklin ever did. She convinced her husband to outlaw the distilling of spirits in Tasmania.
Tasmania is perfectly positioned to take full advantage of the barley that thrives in our locale.
Hordeum vulgare (Barley) is a tolerant crop that tends to flourish in well-drained Tasmanian soils and does not require a lot of supplementary irrigation, explains the Australian Department of Natural Resources. Bill Lark described the traditional brewing barley he exclusively used to craft his superb whisky as advantageous due to its "big fat oily malt" flavour. Callington Mill is another Tassie distillery that only uses the locally-sourced barley that makes Tasmanian whisky a serious contender on the world whisky stage. Without it, a dram might be good, but it would not measure up to the award-winning bottles produced by local distillers.
CLIMATE
The maritime temperate climate of Tasmania with its long hot summer days, short cold winter days, plentiful sunshine, and generally low humidity is just right for distilling single malt whisky. Here in Tasmania, the air is as clean as the water. So clean, in fact, that the World Meteorological Organization–Global Atmosphere Watch maintains a Baseline Air Pollution monitor station on the island. To learn more about Tasmania's clean air see this article.
HIGHLAND PEAT
In the 20th century, Australian whisky makers relied on imported Scottish peat to dry and smoke locally-grown barley. It was not until the 1990s that Tasmanian highland peat was considered a viable option, when Lyn and Bill Lark became the first legal modern distillers in Taz. Today, some Tassie distillers employ Taz-grown peat to deliver the subtle, earthy smokiness that makes local “peaty” malt whisky such a delight.
COPPER STILLS AND OAK CASKS
Ingredients, climate, and water contribute mightily to Tasmanian whisky, but they're not the only factors that matter. The stills in which whisky is distilled and the casks in which it ages are also imperative to the quality of the final product.
Copper pot stills such as those used by Callington Mill are not only beautiful to look at, they interact in a positive way with vapour during distillation. Inside a copper still, fruity esters are developed and volatile sulfur compounds, including ethyl carboxamide, trimethyl-sulphide, and dimethyl trisulphide are removed, explains Scotch Whisky magazine. Another plus to copper stills is the way the natural element inhibits bacterial contamination.
Casks also figure into the final flavour of whisky. This is why Callington Mill matures exclusively in Oak casks sourced and crafted by our own Callington Mill Cooperage. Callington Mill’s Oak policy determines our whiskey profile - our final character - our DNA. We predominately use the best quality ex fortified wine Oak Casks from the Douro Valley in Porto Portugal and from the Sherry Triangle region Jerez de la Frontera in Andalucia Spain. We also source the best Australian ex fortified wines. This represents 80% of our Oak strategy. In order to add layers of diversity and complexity we source the remaining 20% of our oak program from the exotic regions of the world - France - Mexico - Jamaica - South America - US - Japan. We are also trying to secure Oak supply from regions never before used in whiskey making. This will remain a secret - so stay tuned.
Now that you understand why Tasmania is the perfect place to make the perfect whisky, we hope you will try it for yourself. If you have any questions about our ingredients, contact us and ask us anything.