MELBOURNE | Brogan’s Way is a Richmond distillery opened in 2018, when father and daughter duo Simon and Brogan Carr decided to try their hand at distilling. The first batch that Simon distilled was not particularly great, To succeed, they were going to have to do things more scientifically, and with a lot more research. Cue Brogan with three years spent touring distilleries around the world under her belt, linked to a laboratory science PhD. Clearly, the best way to make gin at the new distillery was to do it Brogan’s Way (boom tsh).
Five years on, you can find Brogan’s Way gins across Australia. For the best way to experience their gins, however, the distillery/bar is the way to go. You can pop in for a drink and bite to eat, and partake in one of the several experiences they offer. I was recently invited in to take a look.
There’s distillery tours, usually run by Simon or First Employee (yes that’s his official title), and font of all knowledge, Ben Ogden. You can do tasting flights, gin and cocktail masterclasses and, if you get a group of friends together and book far enough in advance, make your own gin from scratch.
I did the gin tasting masterclass and wholly recommend it. Simon and Ben ran the class, and their passion for what they and the small team at the distillery are doing, shines through. The gins themselves are brilliant. All with a unique set of traditional, native Australian, and quirky botanicals, depending on the one you get. You learn not just about the intricacies of each gin, but also how to pair them with food, and what difference different sodas and mixers make to the tasting profile. It’s all very interesting, and delicious, stuff.
For something neat, or on the rocks, the Hearts Afire, a warming spice driven gin, is quite unique and delicious. It’s also available as a barrel aged negroni). Also try a Strawberries and Cream gin G&T. It legit tastes like strawberries and cream, with an underlying creaminess.
For food, it’s a small menu of bar snacks that go well with gin. Things like chorizo, cheese and charcuterie, flammekueche (an Alsatian flatbread, pizza like creation), and bread with dips.
Brogan’s Way Distillery
61 North Street
Richmond
Victoria 3121
Australia
Telephone: (03) 9428 8173
E-mail: [email protected]
Website
Open
Thu: 5:00pm to 10:00pm
Fri: 5:00pm to 11:00pm
Sat: 1:00pm to 11:00pm
Sun: 1:00pm to 7:00pm