Crafting good spirits is a labour of love that requires skill, a steady hand and unwavering attention to detail. This June, the award winning Western Australian distillery Republic of Fremantle have setup shop at the dimply lit late night cocktail bar Beneath Driver Lane for a special series of tastings, specialty cocktails and jazz. My plus one and I were fortunate enough to attend their launch to hear directly from the head distiller Tom about their approach, and have a few tasty cocktails.
Beneath Driver Lane is a renowned destination for craft spirits with a focus on supporting small, independent producers. With a 500+ bottle back bar, and a very special private cellar, the team here looks beyond whisky to celebrate the breadth of craft spirits available in Australia.
My plus one and I settled into a candle lit booth with a gin & tonic in hand, and were soon greeted by head distiller Tom who was visiting from Freemantle. He explained that Republic of Fremantle is one of only a few white spirits distilleries in the country to produce their own base spirit from wine. Working closely with Swan Valley winemakers, the grape to glass process is carefully monitored from their distillery in Fremantle and allows them a high level of control in the distillation process. It was great to sample some of the wine they produce from the same grapes, as well as their Eau de Vie which isn’t currently available to buy.
Making vodka from scratch is the ultimate challenge of distilling. With no additional flavours or aging processes to hide behind, you must be confident that your base spirit can stand alone hitting all the right notes. It’s quite a viscous and sweet vodka, perfect for sipping in a martini or straight up.
Next up we sampled their gins. Starting with their unique grape spirit, the process to distillation is much the same as their vodka but with carefully selected botanicals, sourced from around the world and distilled once more to create two gins, the Aromatic Gin and our Full-Bodied Gin, packed with flavour.
While their home is in Fremantle, the values reflected in their approach to distilling is something most Melbournians with a passion for food and drinks can get behind. If you’re interested in delicious cocktails, some excellent jazz and a romantic atmosphere, then be sure to check out the Republic of Fremantle bar takeover before it ends on June 25th and try the West End Sour (RoF vodka, coconut rum, lime and pineapple & cinnamon cordial) or the Sicilian Martini using their aromatic gin, lillet and Marsala Wine. Delicious.
-The Plus Ones
