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Great drops have partnered with select Australian Artisans (small batch independent distillers) to develop their version of an aperitif, digestive, or liqueur, inspired by the makers own cultural heritage and life experience.These creations are named Minello, and the first has been made with blood orange by Wayne Bourke from Bathtub Gin Company. His inspiration is found in Australia’s multi-cultural roots and late teenage years, where several nationalities (Italians, Greeks, French, Chineses and German) would visit the family home bringing gifts. His father, literally, used to call their house the UN, and during this time Wayne got exposed to cultures and traditions behind great food and drink.Pre-order your bottle of 165 here....!This Original Blood Orange Minello delivers the sweetness you would expect from a liqueur, blended with a light kick of alcohol, which gives it an almost digestivo character. Finally, Blood Orange - flavour and colour - is layered on top.#sharegreatdrops #minellochallenge #originalminello

On the Mornington Peninsula, more specifically in Dromana, you'll find the JimmyRum Distillery. The team has refurbished an industrial building into a distillery and bar, with priority to the grand old lady 'Matilda': a 7m tall, 1500 liter column still, which is the star of the show. James McPherson (main ideas man and founder of the brand) spared no expense in creating a stylish bar environment and uses approximately 70 barrels as a room divider and to age all his rum in barrels.Stumbling across JimmyRum's Silver Can Spirit was not only an experience in texture but also an absolute pleasure in aromas and smells enticing the palate. The first sip starts with a bit of an alcohol punch, and it might throw you back if you're not used to drinking spirits straight. But as the liquid works through your body and heat your chest, 10-15 seconds later, you'll get what James calls "the rum cuddle". Butterscotch, vanilla, butter, caramel, and grass is what we experienced in this wonderful base spirit product. Only one ingredient (molasses) is used in reaching this flavor combination, with the result which is attested to James and Matilda working in harmony.If you haven't found your excuse to explore rum here is your perfect bet. It is non-offensive and really smooth - get your bottle of Silver Cane Spirit here, to see what a white can spirit can do to impress you.JimmyRum Distillery uses molasses from Australia's last family-owned sugar company and is in no rush to bottle any spirit unless it is just right. James has stared a 70-barrel program where all of his products are aged. He is both methodical and stubborn in his approach, which is a good thing for us consumers, as we're guaranteed never to have mediocre or below-average products whenever our support goes to JimmyRum's beancounter.

In Mansfield, at the end of the town down a couple of kilometers of dirt road, sits Swiftcrest Distillery. After driving through a tree-filled landscape, you drive up a crest where Hank (the Distiller) awaits you. He then guides you on the last stage to the top of the crest where you see a picturesque landscape with rolling hills for miles. At the foot of that crest sits the distillery...Sometimes when you go to a distiller's door, you have this one product in mind that you think will be awesome. And since we all love apple pie, the Dutch Apple Pie Moonshine was a no-brainer. This gorgeous combination of high-quality cinnamon biodynamic apples, made by following Hank's grandmother's recipe for dutch apple pie, nails it on the first sip. That sip is a warm fuzzy feeling that hugs you and sends memories of Christmas, family, and good times to your brain. This is a winner!Get your bottle of Dutch Apple Pie Moonshine here, and tuck in to sit comfortably in front of the fireplace (a real one or a TV fire).Swiftcrest Distillery is all about sustainability and zero-waste. They use wood from their property to fire a steam boiler that runs the distillery, which also means they are completely off-grid. The mash gets fed to cows on their property and to the animals at Mansfield zoo. Water is taken out of a natural spring on the property. They source world-class Australian ingredients, e.g., vanilla from Queensland, biodynamic apples from a neighbouring farm, and the list goes on. They are a family-run operation through and through, where everything is "made by us", i.e. Hank, his wife Carrie and their daughter Bella.

On a trip upstate Victoria, we arrived mid-day to Milawa, where we met the family behind Hurdle Creek Still - Wendy (the mom), Alex (the son), and Simon (Wendy's partner a & Head Distiller). Their Dark Cacao Distillers Liqueur was what drew us up there in the first place, but as Simon took us through a tasting, another of their products caught our attention: the Powder Monkey Navy Strength Gin.Even though we love many gin varieties, a cautious look is usually on our faces when a gin includes the words 'navy strength'. This particular monkey, however, took us by surprise. Its fresh Australian juniper berries combined with Hurdle Creek's signature grain spirit blew our minds away. Not because of the 58%, because let's face it; that is too high for many lovers of regular gin, but because the flavours overpowered the alcohol. And that's normally the other way around. Dave - our team's biggest gin fan - has put the Powder Monkey in his personal top 5 of all gins he has ever tasted. And his list is far from short.Get yourself a Powder Monkey here - especially if you've never had a good Navy Strength gin.Running small batches and using only the best ingredients, often from their property or neighbouring farms, and an approach to zero-waste the product coming our of Hurdle Creek Still each has its personality. On the episode, Simon and Alex take us through their journey of starting the distillery. From Simon's brewing background to buying every single gin, they could to find their own signature taste, to asking Safe Work Victoria to install a massive gas burner in a barn.Love Negronis? Well, this Powder Monkey is perfect for our Negroni Mandarin Sour - find the recipe here.

On a beautiful Monday Melbourne autumn morning, we met up with Shaya Rubenstein, Head Brewer from Urban Alley Brewing in Docklands, VIC. The 2019 American Barley Wine is what Shaya, currently, is the proudest of. And we get why he takes so much pride in this beer; it is an impressive experience. Although titled 'wine', it is a beer and boy, is it a big one. A whopping 9.9% in 500ml bottles immediately compels you to spend a good 2-hour session by yourself. Even if you share it with someone (not our recommendation), this is a challenge and a half for your palate. It is big, and it is bold; it is the insane beautiful chaos of chocolate, toffee, caramel, oak, hops, and malt, changing with every sip and every swirl. It's a beer you smell as much as you drink, while it heats up in that big red wine glass resting in the palm of your hand. Heck, it's probably the first beer we had that we could pair with a cigar.Get yourself a set of the 2019 American Barley Wine before they sell out - only a handful of bottles left.As always, we seek the story and passion behind the people making a beverage to create a deeper and more meaningful connection. That day at 10 am, albeit too early to drink, we went the whole nine yards - story, passion, and product in harmony. We sat in a perfect moment too; we sat in the sun, birds chirped, and not a wind was blowing. Those situations always makes us question whether the beverage was only enjoyable then. But after trying it again under different circumstances, this time a dark podcast studio, it did not disappoint. In fact, more flavours started to emerge and another beautiful experience enjoyed.If you're looking for inspiration on how to enjoy more moments in life, here is an article for you.This episode takes you on Shaya's journey from living all over the world, to meeting his wife from Melbourne, to how he went from doing 30 Litres a month home brewing to 10.000 Litres per week, from one day to the next. He gives a bit of himself through his life philosophy, and our hosts take you on the journey of how yet another great Australian drop came to be.

We sat down with Wayne Bourke, the owner of Bathtub Gin Company in Brunswick VIC. What should have been a regular chat on gin quickly turned into a personal conversation... We discussed why women have better palettes than men, and why people should try gin straight before even mixing it with tonic. In this episode, Wayne also coined 'The Vegemite theory' when tasting, well.... anything. One day, Wayne greeted his wife as she came home from work. As a courteous husband, Wayne asked his wife, "How was your day?". The wife said, "Oh, BEST DAY EVER! Nothing went right. This didn't work out, and that didn't go as planned. I need you to make me a gin!". Although a gin and tonic were served at that moment, Wayne (literally) made her a gin.Treat yourself with the Best Day Ever gin right here.And so the Best Day Ever gin was born. Its unique flavour comes from a secret Apple blend and being rested 4-6 weeks Australian cherries from the South Melbourne market. With the company's usual approach to "sparing no expense" on Juniper, this all-around gin was designed to have in gin and tonics after long days at work. On our team, many of our wives have absolutely fallen in love with this gin, calling it their go-to-gin.Here is an article on how you can discover your Gin & Tonic Groove.If you have arrived home from a long day at work, here is your chance to enjoy 45 minutes in the company of Wayne and our hosts.

A little over a year ago, Bodriggy Brew Pub moved into their own facilities in Abbotsford, Melbourne. Around the same, they launched a hazy session Indian pale ale called 'Speccy Juice'.Pete Walsh, the owner of Bodriggy Brew Pub, often visit 'The Old Bar' up in Johnston Street up in Fitzroy. One day as he sat at the bar, a local pub football team called 'The Unicorns' entered. The players call beer speccy juice and swear to drink it before a game. The team believes it to gain unfair advantages against their opponents.It was a no-brainer for Bodriggy, and immediately, the Speccy juice was born. Since then, it has been a crowd favorite amongst the locals. We have had the Speccy Juice numerous times since its inception and it has earned a place on our fridge shelves.Get yourself the Speccy Juice Hazy IPA right here.We sat down with Pete to understand more about his company and the philosophy behind their wonderful hazy and cloudy beer styles. Kick back your feet and relax for the next 35 minutes with this first episode of 'the great drops review'.