A podcast for lovers of wine, beer, liquor (incl. whisky, whiskey, bourbon, vodka tequila etc) and cocktails, Drinks Adventures hosts wine makers, brewing and distilling experts, sommeliers, bartenders & more.

Our guest this episode is Philip Moore, who in February 2022 became the first Australian inducted into the Gin Magazine’s Hall of Fame.

Now you might well ask, who is Philip Moore? He’s certainly not one of our highest profile gin distillers.

But he was actually the first Australian gin distiller to win a gold at the International Wine and Spirits Competition, and his distilling career stretches back to the very early days of contemporary Australian gin.

Prior to that, Philip studied and trained as a horticulturist and medical herbalist.

In the mid 1980s he started a specialist culinary herb nursery, Renaissance Herbs, which grew from a single greenhouse into the largest wholesale herb nursery in Australia, cultivating close to a million plants a year.

Meanwhile, Philip had developed a passion for wine and subsequently, distilled spirits including gin.

He exited the herbs business in 2005 and purchased a nursery site on the NSW Central Coast, where he subsequently founded Distillery Botanica and the Moore’s Dry Gin brand.

And together with Tom Baker, he co-founded the hugely successful Mr Black Coffee Liqueur, which we explored with Tom back in Season 8.

This is a wide-ranging interview with Philip about his career and the evolution of Australian gin.

He certainly doesn’t hold back with his opinions on the use of Australian natives by distillers.

He shares some tips on how to taste spirits more effectively, and you’ll also hear about Philip’s new venture, Terrigal Rum Company.

That’s all coming up in this interview with Distillery Botanica founder Philip Moore.

More must-listen episodes:

• Two Paddocks wine with Sam Neill, pinot noir obsessive: S6E6
• Wine critic Jancis Robinson on the changing world of wine: S4E4
• Brewing historian Tara Nurin, and beer sensory expert Briony Liebich: S11E6
• Cocktails meet coffee with Mr Black Spirits: S8E5

Tags: gin, distilling, distillery, distiller, liquor, craft spirits, distilled spirits, cocktail, cocktails, drink, drinks, wine, winemaking, winemaker, viticulture, beer, craft beer, brewing, agave, tequila, mezcal, bartender, bartenders, sommelier, sommeliers, cicerone, whisky, whiskey, cognac, bourbon, vodka, vineyard, mixology, bars, pubs, restaurants, hospitality