Here’s Looking At You Kid

Fans of the movie ‘Casablanca’ will be familiar with Humphrey Bogart’s famous line: “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.”

So ‘Here’s looking at you, kid’, another iconic Bogart line, seemed like the perfect name for Liz Beach’s gin distillery in the heart of North Melbourne.

The boutique distillery is housed inside a light-filled two-storey Victorian terrace house, with an elegant blue and white interior inspired by the colours of the Scottish flag. It is where you’ll find Liz testing, tasting and teaching people all about distilled spirits.

“In 2015, I was travelling with my daughter in Scotland, and I booked into a gin-making course,” explains Liz. “I was normally a whiskey drinker but happily went on to learn how to make gin. I just fell in love with the whole concept.”

Liz noticed the gin and cocktail boom in the UK and America and knew that soon after, Australia would follow the trend. After her travels, she decided to give up her career cooking on Bass Strait oil rigs to pursue a new direction - spirit distillation.

Liz travelled to Louisville, Kentucky, to learn the science of distilling at the appropriately named Moonshine University. She gained her licence to manufacture alcohol, and brought her knowledge home along with a Vendome copper pot still, lovingly nicknamed Eliza Jane.

“I purchased her second-hand from Louisville. I told the owner I was going to call her Eliza Jane after a song that my dad used to sing to me, so they engraved the name on the front. Now she takes pride of place in the front window on Errol Street.”

As well as running the distillery and the cellar door tastings and bottle sales , Liz offers gin masterclasses in the upstairs space for individuals or groups looking for a fun and memorable activity. The whole venue can also be hired for events.

Liz started her distillery in Mordialloc but chose to move to North Melbourne for its proximity to the city and destination appeal. She loves the community so much that she’s even named a gin after it.

“Our most popular gin in the Errol Street Blues; it has deep floral and citrus flavours and a nice finish,” says Liz. “It is blue because of the butterfly pea, and when you add a tonic, it turns a pretty violet colour.”

Five different gin blends and two vodkas are now on offer regularly, including the Christmas gin for spicing up the festive season. Corporates, bridal parties and other groups can have the gin customised for them as Eliza Jane can produce relatively small amounts.

As a chef by trade, Liz also offers catering for functions from their commercial kitchen. Her partner Nev and three children, Jack, Eloise and Harry, join her in the business helping in social media, masterclasses, and bottling.

Liz loves the fact that as a gin distiller, you have influence over the different botanicals and flavours that are added into the mix.

“Unlike whiskey or bourbon, you don’t have to age gin in barrels. You can get it to the taste that you want it to be, add in flavours, run it through the still, and it's ready to drink. I also love experimenting with botanical blends and balancing flavours in order to create a uniquely North Melbourne product.”

Words by Joyce Watts & Photography by Anna Encio