Oz wine region becomes key brandy producer

Beverage producer Bickford’s Australia has established a new AUS$6.6 million distillery within the country’s most prominent wine region.

Bickford’s Australia has opened the doors to the 23rd Street Distillery, which will produce craft spirits under its own label as well as Australia’s second biggest brandy brand, Black Bottle Brandy.

Bickford’s bought the Black Bottle Brandy label from Accolade in 2011 and, until now, has been producing it at Beenleigh Rum distillery in Queensland.

The new site, in The Riverland, is located close to St Agnes distillery, the maker of Australia’s biggest selling brandy – making the region Australia’s brandy-producing hub.

Bickford’s group owner and managing director Angelo Kotses said: “We looked at the international model where Cognac all of a sudden became cool and consumption went up and markets such as Asia grew dramatically, so it was an ideal time to look at that whole category again.

“Suddenly Renmark has become the centre of brandy in Australia and what we want to do is build the pie rather than take a share from anyone else.”

The site houses three stills, and has the capacity to produce around 1500 litres – or 11 barrels – of matured spirit during each run.

The 23rd St Distillery label of craft spirits will include two brandies, a gin and a “hybrid” whisky.

Head distiller, Graham Buller, added: “Our brief is clear – so long as we continue to produce the existing products, nothing is off the table.

“Indeed, we’re being encouraged to be inventive and innovative, and in the process, reignite brandy, give it a healthy dose of cool and captivate new consumers with a drink they thought was only for their nanas.”