Echuca Distillery
About the distillery
Echuca Distillery is located in the historic river port town of Echuca Moama in Victoria and works in small batches with gin, vodka, agave, and whisky. Here, flavour science meets the family’s experience in aroma and flavour production, along with a clear interest in local ingredients. The whisky expression is still young, but the distillery already has a clear signature with its 2025 single malt release and a whisky liqueur with River Red Gum honey.
History
The first whisky release followed in 2025.
From flavour science to distillation
David and Fiona De Vries worked for more than 20 years in a company focused on flavour and fragrance production before retiring to the Murray River. Here, their interest in gin and the botanical possibilities that the spirit contains grew.
Three years of research and experiments
The couple spent three years researching and experimenting, and visited distilleries in Australia and around the world. The technical experience from flavour and aroma work was combined with respect for tradition and innovation.
A family-driven business
Today, the distillery is run by the sons Peter and David De Vries, who build on their parents’ vision with a focus on quality and innovation.
Raw materials and production
The distillery describes its production as small-batch and highlights the use of pure ingredients, carefully balanced botanicals, and time-honoured techniques. Several of the spirits show a method where flavour and aroma are built up through infusions and clear raw ingredients: the agave spirits are made with premium agave nectar, and the Chilli Lime Agave Spirit is double-distilled with ancho chillies, capsicum, and lime. In the gin range, the craftsmanship is also clearly visible when the Maidens Butterfly Pea and Passionfruit Gin is hand-distilled in the Lavender copper still. It is a production where flavour is not decoration, but the starting point itself, and where the distillery uses its background in flavour work to shape the spirit directly in the still and through infusions.
Maturation and cask types
The whisky area is still sparsely described, but the product pages show a 2025 release single malt whisky and a whisky liqueur that builds on single malt whisky. The most concrete cask-aging story in the material is not tied to whisky, but to another product in the range, so the whisky’s cask maturation is left without details here. What can be seen clearly, instead, is a tendency to work with blending and finish through extra ingredients such as honey when the whisky is used in liqueur form.
Whiskies
The whisky range is small and centered on the distillery’s Single Malt Whisky 2025 Release, which is also available in a personalised version. Next to that is Honeycomb Whisky Liqueur, where single malt whisky meets caramelised River Red Gum honey. This creates a whisky profile that is more focused than broad, but that already spans from pure single malt to a sweeter, more decorative liqueur for those who want their whisky in a softer form.
| Whisky | Type / series | Alcohol | Flavour profile | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whisky - 2025 Release, | Single Malt Whisky | 44 % | The 2025 edition of the distillery’s single malt whisky, bottled at 44% and sold as a 500 ml bottle. | Current; Core range |
| Personalised Whisky | Single Malt Whisky | 44 % | Personalised edition of the distillery’s Single Malt Whisky 2025 Release with space for text and an optional image on the label. | Current |
| Honeycomb Whisky Liqueur, | Whisky liqueur | 33 % | Liqueur made with single malt whisky and caramelised River Red Gum honey. | Current |
The whisky style and flavour profile
The whisky profile can only be sketched in broad strokes from the products described. Honeycomb Whisky Liqueur points to sweet honey and caramelised River Red Gum honey, while the whisky itself is set up as a pure single malt at 44%. Taken together, this gives an expression where malt, honey sweetness, and a soft, dessert-friendly direction are the clearest markers.
Visit the distillery
Echuca Distillery can be visited, and the address is 555 High Street in Echuca, Victoria 3564. The daily operations for the warehouse and administration are open Monday to Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, while Bar Lee @ Echuca Distillery offers guest opening hours Wednesday through Sunday with longer hours on Thursday and Friday-Saturday. Monday and Tuesday the bar is closed, and on public holidays, times may vary. The visit is therefore especially tied to the bar, where you can meet the distillery’s products while they’re in operation and enjoy them during opening hours.
The listed opening hours are: Distillery Admin & Warehouse: Monday–Friday 9.00 AM - 5.00 PM. Bar Lee @ Echuca Distillery: Monday–Tuesday closed, Wednesday 12.00 PM - 4.00 PM, Thursday 12.00 PM – 9.00 PM, Friday–Saturday 12.00 PM – 10.00 PM, Sunday 12.00 PM - 6.00 PM. Public Holiday hours may vary.
Philosophy and craftsmanship
The distillery’s philosophy is clear: quality, authenticity, creativity, and community go hand in hand with technical skill. They build on many years of experience from flavour science, and use that knowledge to experiment with botanicals and flavours without letting go of the craftsmanship. At the same time, local roots, pure ingredients, and respect for time-honoured distilling methods are emphasised.