78 Degrees Distillery

About the distillery

78 Degrees Distillery is located in the Adelaide Hills in South Australia, and is a modern Australian spirit house with a restaurant and cellar door at Lot 100. It started with gin, but today also includes whisky, vermouth, vodka, and other spirits—all with clear use of Australian raw materials and a distinct local identity.

History

78 Degrees Distillery was founded in 2014 by winemaker Sacha La Forgia. Already the following year, he launched 78˚ Classic Gin, which quickly gained a reputation as a small-batch gin with distinctive Australian characteristics. In 2016, Steve Dorman and Toby Kline from The Hills Cider Company came onboard, and that gave the business a new boost in both product range and production. In December 2018, the distillery moved to Lot 100 in the Adelaide Hills, where it gained a new home with both distillery, restaurant, and space to further develop the business. Here, 78 Degrees shares the area with several other South Australian producers, and the site is designed as a combined destination for food and craft beverages.

Ingredients and production

Production is based on small-batch processes and a custom-built copper still. For Classic Gin, a vapour-distilled method is used with a unique column and basket distillation, so the delicate aromas are preserved. The distillery works with 78°C as a central temperature principle in gin production, where botanicals are extracted at that temperature to provide lighter and more precise notes. Twelve botanicals are central in the gin, chosen for their purity and quality, and the company places emphasis on using native Australian produce alongside high-quality ingredients from both Australia and abroad. In whisky production, South Australian barley is highlighted as GM-free and 100% rainwater fed, pointing to a clear local raw-material base. At the same time, the house works broadly with sustainable and circular principles in operations.

Maturation and cask types

The whisky includes a release that finishes in muscat casks, which had been in muscat for 20 years before refill. In the other spirits, maturation in old oak and stainless steel is also used, particularly in vermouth production, where cask and steel are used to balance fruit, spice, and structure. This gives the impression of a house that uses maturation and finishing deliberately and in varied ways, rather than relying on a single fixed standard.

Whiskies

The current range is broad, but the whisky part is focused around Australian Whiskey, Muscat Finish Whiskey, and the 2023 Native Grain Whiskey. Australian Whiskey is the most basic expression and ties in with local South Australian barley. Muscat Finish Whiskey adds a vinous and cask-influenced dimension through finishing in muscat casks. Native Grain Whiskey is the most distinctive of the three and is based on weeping grass, which the distillery describes as Australia’s answer to rye. Overall, the range shows a producer that works both classically and experimentally, but always with an Australian angle.

The style and tasting profile of the whiskies

The whiskies point toward a style where grain and cereal are clearly present, and where especially weeping grass provides a brown rice-like character, apricot kernel, and toasted chocolate. Muscat Finish Whiskey adds another dimension with muscat finishing, which pulls the profile in a more vinous and rounded direction. Overall, it gives an expression that is grain-based, lightly roasted, and with subtle fruitiness rather than heavy smoke or pronounced peat.

Visit the distillery

78 Degrees Distillery can be visited at Lot 100 in the Adelaide Hills. The site includes a distillery, restaurant, and cellar door, and tours and tastings are offered for visitors. There is also the option to make reservations, which fits the venue as a combined destination with food, drinks, and guided experiences. The visit is therefore not only a look into the production, but a full experience of the distillery’s universe.
See times and book a visit.

Philosophy and craftsmanship

78 Degrees works with a distinct Australian profile and uses both native Australian produce and selected international ingredients. Quality, innovation, and sustainability come up again as clear values, and the company describes a closed loop approach to as many parts of operations as possible. At the same time, the distillery wants to push beyond traditional boundaries and raise the bar for craft spirits.

Sustainability

Closed loop approach to as many aspects of operations as possible.
Sustainability at the forefront of our mind.

Awards and recognition

• Gold (2024, Gold Winner, Classic Gin)

• Gold (2021, Gold, Australian Vodka)

• Gold (2023, Gold, Bitter Orange)

• Gold (2023, Gold, Desert Gin)

• Double Gold (2023, Double Gold, Sunset Gin)

• Bronze (2023, Bronze, Sunshine State Gin)

• Gold (2022, Gold, Rosso Vermouth)