Anne Gigney

The Distillers Institute

Business EN ↓ 7 episodes

The Distillers Institute has the only dedicated distillery set up courses for Australian and New Zealand distilleries. Our courses have been specifically designed to help you plan, start and grow your distilling business. The courses guide you through the steps needed to successfully open your distilling business and take your product to market. They are delivered online and supported through a network of distilling professionals. The courses will help you de-risk the choice to start a distilling business. They guide you through the costs involved; equipment needed; set up and compliance requi...

Author

Anne Gigney

Episodes

James McPherson of JimmyRum: From Marine Engineer to Australia's Rum Pioneer — Visiting 70 Distilleries, Scaling to 11,000 Bottles a Year, Eyeing Global Exports and Building a Thriving Mornington Peninsula Community. (Episode 7 - James McPherson) 26.11.2025 52:52

In this episode of The Distillers Institute Podcast, host Anne Gigney interviews James McPherson , founder of JimmyRum , shares his remarkable journey from marine engineer to one of Australia's leading rum makers. He talks about visiting 70 distilleries across the world before launching his brand, building a thriving distillery and venue in Mornington Peninsula, and producing over 11,000 bottles a...

From Rugged Bluff to Global Acclaim – Chris Fraser on Launching Bluff Distillery, Winning UK Product of the Year & Using Wild Seawater to Cool the Still in His Bold Mission to Craft the World's Most Distinctive Gin. (Episode 6 - Chris Fraser) 12.08.2025 48:50

In this episode of The Distillers Institute Podcast, host Marcel Thompson interviews Chris Fraser , founder of Bluff Distillery , shares his remarkable journey of building a premium gin brand in the remote fishing town of Bluff, New Zealand. From launching in 2024 to winning Product of the Year in the UK, Chris unpacks the grit, strategy, and innovation behind their success—including using wild se...

Cam Mackenzie of Four Pillars Distillery on Growing from a Yarra Shed to Global Gin Fame: 3x Intl Gin Producer of the Year, Hall of Fame, & Building a Fun, Innovative Aussie Brand with Award-Winning Spirits. (Episode 5 - Cam Mackenzie) 04.07.2025 1:13:31

In this episode of The Distillers Institute Podcast, host Anne Gigney interviews In this episode of The Distillers Institute Podcast, host Anne Gigney interviews Cam Mackenzie , co-founder of Four Pillars Distillery . Cam reveals how he turned a bold idea into Australia's most awarded gin brand, taking Four Pillars from a small Yarra Valley startup to a global sensation crowned International Gin P...

Kyle Skene of Strange Nature: How a 'Happy Accident' Turned Sauvignon Blanc Into Award-Winning Gin, Disrupted Global Spirits, and Scaled to $54/L Value with Just 2 Staff and a Bottle That Sells Itself. (Episode 4 - Kyle Skene) 11.06.2025 53:27

In this episode of The Distillers Institute Podcast, host Marcel Thompson interviews Kyle Skene , founder of Strange Nature Distilling , who shares his remarkable journey from a decade in the spirits industry to pioneering a distinctive gin crafted from Sauvignon Blanc ethanol. By distilling this unique base with juniper, the result is a premium gin that commands a retail value of $54 per liter—su...

From Kitchen Bench to Whisky Pioneer: Rob Auld MD of Auld Farm Distillery shares how they turned a 100-year-old family farm into a whisky haven with a bold "seed to sip" approach and nine grains grown on-site in Southland, NZ. (Episode 3 - Rob Auld) 07.04.2025 28:58

In this episode of The Distillers Institute Podcast, host Anne Gigney speaks with Rob Auld from Auld Farm Distillery . Rob shares the story of how their kitchen bench idea in 2015 evolved into a significant distillery in New Zealand, highlighting their unique "seed to sip" approach as both a farm and distillery growing nine different grains. They discuss their product range, including whisky, gins...

Brad Wilson on Scaling Itinerant Spirits: From 20K Bottles Sold in Year One to 30K, with a Distillery Capable of Generating 1.2M Bottles Annually — Building Bold Brands & Crafting a World-Class Spirits Experience in Australia. (Episode 2 - Brad Wilson) 05.04.2025 35:11

In this episode of The Distillers Institute Podcast , host Anne Gigney speaks with Brad Wilson , founder of Itinerant Spirits , a distillery based in Ballarat, Victoria. Brad shares his journey from advertising to building a distillery in a heritage-listed venue. He discusses producing gin, vodka, and whisky with a capacity of 1.2 million bottles annually. Brad highlights the importance of stor...

Patrick Maguire's Journey: From Winning World's Best Whisky with Sullivans Cove to Launching Maguire & Co Distilling – Crafting Australian Whisky and Expanding Globally with Passion, Innovation, and Expertise. (Episode 1 - Patrick Maguire) 13.03.2025 58:13

In this episode of The Distillers Institute Podcast , host Anne Gigney interviews Patrick Maguire , Director and Production Manager of Maguire & Co Distilling . Patrick shares his journey from leading Sullivans Cove to winning the World's Best Whisky Award in 2014 to opening the doors of Maguire and Co. He discusses the challenges of building a new distillery, his vision for Australian whisky...