Our Story

Capturing the harmony between carefree beach life and urban sophistication for which Manly is renowned, our Founders David, Vanessa and the Manly Spirits Co. team create Australian Gins, Botanical Vodkas and Whiskies that rival the best in the world taking much of their inspiration from the stunning surrounding marine environment of the New South Wales coastline.

MEET THE TEAM

Gin Tour, Gin Distillery - Manly Spirits Co. Australian Whisky

Research

During a beach camping trip up the
east coast of Australia, great outdoors lovers David and Vanessa had a late evening epiphany over a night cap: why didn’t a drinks brand that celebrated the great Australian coastal lifestyle exist?

Instead of sipping the same old international spirits, why hadn’t anyone bottled the nature, the beauty, and the way of life into products that Australians could enjoy, and we could take to the world?

Returning to Sydney, fixated on the idea, they quit their corporate jobs and pursued their vision to do just that.

Following intensive research exploring distilleries in the USA, Europe, UK and Scotland the pair committed to their plan and sought hands-on training from a leading distillery in Tasmania.

Two years later, Manly Spirits Co.
distillery was constructed and fully operational in April 2017 - launching its flagship Australian Dry Gin and Botanical Vodkas. Their single malt whisky brand COASTAL STONE was released 2021.

The inclusion of these marine botanicals and Australian natives ensures that the spirits we are producing celebrates the uniqueness of these ingredients and showcases what Australian spirits are all about.

Capturing nature in a bottle

The ethos behind each of our carefully crafted premium Australian Spirits supports a well known phrase that best describes Manly: 'seven miles from Sydney, a thousand miles from care'. There is no better place to house our urban distillery.

Creation

Our range of Australian premium spirits are created using artisanal methods in our distillery based in Sydney’s Northern Beaches. We may make it look easy but spirit creation is a complex undertaking that requires an in-depth understanding of the intricate distilling processes, native and traditional gin botanicals, chemistry, equipment and timing that our team pulls together to create the products you enjoy.

Innovation

As innovative Aussies, the Manly Spirits Co. team strive to keep things interesting and are always experimenting with new flavours, equipment and techniques to ensure we craft a distinctly Australian premium spirit. Our collaboration with renowned forager and chef, Elijah Holland, to sustainably source local marine botanicals for distillation in our white spirits is one example of this.