Four Pillars opens green distillery

Australian producer Four Pillars has opened the doors to its AU$7 million (US$5.2m) distillery, the country’s first carbon-neutral gin site.

The Healesville 2.0 distillery has opened to visitors today (26 April) in Yarra Valley, Victoria. Four Pillars began work on the expansion project in February 2021.

The new space comprises Jude’s Gin Garden; Beth’s bar, a crafted copper bar; events spaces; and a Four Pillars gin shop.

Four Pillars secured the carbon-neutral certification from Climate Active, an Australian government initiative, and all Four Pillars gins bottled on the new site will be certified carbon neutral as a result.

Designed by Breathe Architecture, the development involved more than a 1,000sqm expansion of the original site in Lilydale Road, Healesville, and has nearly tripled its capacity for visitors.

It was built using upcycled and recycled materials, including pineapple ‘leather’ upholstery. Furniture has been locally sourced, and solar power panels clad the roof.

Gin is ‘piped’ directly into the main bar to reduce glass waste, plus tonic is distributed by kegs. These two steps will result in the distillery saving 29 tonnes of glass per year.

The entire facility, incorporating the old and new buildings, is enclosed with 1,650m of raw copper tubing, and is being used as a natural heat exchange to cut energy consumption. The construction project has meant that the brand can produce more than one million bottles of gin a year and host between 150-200,000 visitors annually.

A range of craft-led experiences, including their gin masterclasses and gin maker sessions, will also be offered by the distillery.

Lion Australia, a subsidiary of Japanese drinks giant Kirin, acquired a 50% stake in Four Pillars Gin in March 2019.