Wondering why a California native founded his own award-winning distillery in Tasmania? The simplest answer is love; both of a Tasmanian woman, and of high-quality spirits. Justin Turner met his Tasmanian-born wife while working on Wall Street, and after growing tired of the corporate grind, the duo moved back to her homeland.
Turner has always had a passion and interest in making booze, having grown up in the world-famous wine region of northern California where his family operated a winery and a distillery. So in a full-circle moment, he started Turner Stillhouse in 2017 and has been churning out spirits that masterfully combine Tasmanian ingredients with American distilling techniques.
Gin's popularity is still on the up and up, and while there's no shortage of Tasmanian gins on the market, Turner is setting itself apart with the production of a small-batch series called Three Cuts. It derives its name from the use of three cuts of fresh and locally grown Tamar Valley roses in the distilling process, which also uses a premium grape base, pure Tasmanian water and a blend of botanicals. The result? A delicate yet aromatic rosy flavour that layers well with juniper, coriander seed, green cardamom, white peppercorn and more.
And unlike the Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin, a dark red and richly flavoured spirit produced by steeping gin directly in macerated shiraz grapes, Turner has opted for a more subtle process of marrying gin with wine. Turner takes its founder's release gin and rests it in Tasmanian pinot noir and chardonnay barrels, providing a subtle colour and an aromatic pinot or chardonnay influence.
Across its range of four gins, Turner has received accolades including golds at the Australia Gin Awards, International Wine and Spirits Competition and the American Distilling Institute Judging of Craft Spirits. Keen to get a taste of these award-winning spirits? Swing by for a tasting or for a few cocktails at the bar. During the colder months, you can warm yourself up from the inside with a soothing Hot Toddy.
Gin isn't the endgame for Turner who, along with distiller Brett Coulson, is currently working on producing a series of American-style whiskeys. If you take a tour of the distillery, you'll notice American copper stills and racks upon racks of barrels, where the several-year aging process is taking place.
