Renee Newton, David Woodruff and poodle Parker are the team behind Everyday Legacy. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Why do we put Grandma’s ‘good’ china in the cupboard and never use it? Why do we hoard the ‘best’ bottle of wine or whisky and save it for a rainy day or special occasion which may never come? A new distillery in Queanbeyan aims to offer opportunities to savour the good stuff, one sip at a time, even on a regular Tuesday.
Renee Newton and David Woodruff – along with poodle Parker – have started Everyday Legacy Craft Distillery to do just that.
“Whisky is for enjoying, not for saving in a cupboard forever,” David told Region.
Renee agrees.
“Australia sometimes has a warped culture of alcoholic excess, but we want to use it to build a ritual of connection. Tuesday is Tuesday, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy just a little drink of something while debriefing with your partner about the day.”
David’s uncle Paul Mills (L) handed the still over to David and Renee, before he passed away earlier this year. Photo: Everyday Legacy Craft Distillery.
The couple came to distilling through David’s uncle, Paul Mills, who ran The Ministry of Mead in Crookwell. He’d planned to start making spirits out of his meads, but ran into delays with council and decided not to go ahead as he was dealing with Parkinson’s disease. Paul passed away around Easter of this year, but Renee and David are forging ahead with those honey-tinted dreams.
They have set up the still in a warehouse in the industrial part of Queanbeyan, and named it Jeremiah after one of Renee’s ancestors who was a local councillor.
The couple is working on making gins, whisky and a honey spirit which uses mead as the base alcohol.
“Distilling mead is really interesting, because the spirit you end up with is really dry. It smells like honey, but it’s not sweet at all. So there’s almost a bit of disconnect in your brain about what you’re drinking,” David explained.
There’s not a lot of distilled honey spirits being made, so there’s lots of experimentation and testing to be done, and the pair want to make sure they’re offering a mix of mainstream beverages alongside the more experimental honey spirits.
The Everyday Legacy spirits are still in the development phase, but will be available at markets and online before too long. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
You can’t buy these spirits yet – they’re still finalising recipes and labels – but I was lucky enough to be an early taste tester. Their Australian Dry Gin is a juniper-forward spirit with a hefty dose of citrusy lemon myrtle. It’s fragrant, balanced and begging to be drunk with tonic on a sunny afternoon.
Their prototype honey spirit is also really delicious and unusual. They’ve mixed a little honey into the spirit post-distillation, which adds just a hint of sweetness. But the fragrance of woody, floral honey is so deliciously present.
They’re also keen to impart a little honey sweetness to whisky by aging it in mead barrels for a light, approachable drop. It’s exciting to witness a new business at the beginning of its journey, and to see what experiments the pair have planned, such as working with local farmers, swapping barrels with other distillers, and experimenting with different flavours.
“It’s a really creative space to be in, and we’ve also enjoyed learning from lots of other distillers who have been really friendly,” Renee said.
Currently working as a teacher, Renee hopes to add an educational offering that demystifies the distilling process and teaches people how to identify and discuss flavours. They’re also hoping to take advantage of their small scale to make bespoke spirits for corporate events, weddings or cocktail bars.
Jeremiah the still is able to handle whisky, gin, vodka, and whatever else Renee and David come up with! Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Once their first spirits are ready to launch, the pair plans to sell them at local markets and on their website.
Follow Everyday Legacy Craft Distillery on Instagram or visit their website.
