"We still want to challenge people’s perceptions of spirits, of what whisky can be."  

Starward founder Dave Vitale is one of the Australian whisky industry’s most daring and ambitious characters. Get him talking about whisky and what they do at Starward, from the triumphs right through to the mistakes, and it’s hard to get him to stop – as you’ll discover in this week’s podcast.  

In our extended interview with Dave, recorded over two sessions, we talk about the biggest challenges Starward have faced convincing consumers, bars, retailers and investors that not only their whisky, but Australian whisky as a category, is worth exploring and getting behind.  

Throughout a chat that also spans his earliest days in whisky in Tasmania through to the Starward co-ferments of today, we cover the ups and downs of the Diageo investment years, Dave's efforts to make it big in the US, and examine what the future now holds for Starward and Australian whisky.  

Start of segments: 

 * 1:04 – The Origin Story
 * 29:35 – Distill Ventures, Twofold & Taking Australia To America
 * 1:03:13 – Post-COVID, Post-Diageo & Post-Tradition

To find out more about partnering with The Full Measure, get in touch with craig@thefullmeasure.com.au.

Creating A Faster Horse: The Past, Present & Future of Australian Whisky 

Join us for a walk on the wide side – of Australian rum – as editor Luke McCarthy turns his attention to the funkier realms of the local industry. It’s the focus of his main feature [https://www.thefullmeasure.com.au/news/4208/do-we-want-the-funk-in-search-of-the-australian-rum-style] on the site this week, as well as an upcoming Tasting, and is a topic we delve into and beyond in the first half of this week’s show.

We also look at the impact on these shores of the ongoing trade war between the US and Canada as the former bans spirits imports from the latter, while discussing the two newest distillery listings added to The Full Measure Directory: Blue Sky Drinks [https://www.thefullmeasure.com.au/distilling-company/blue-sky-drinks], who are set to open a home for Sollos in the Whitsundays, and Bakery Hill [https://thefullmeasure.com.au/distillery/bakery-hill-distillery], with their home on the Kenzo Crawl [https://craftypint.com/news/3567/whisky-beer-and-rakia-melbournes-new-multi-beverage-crawl] helping bring more people into the world of whisky. (The job opening we mention in the show is here [https://www.thefullmeasure.com.au/job/2913/impressa-liquor-are-hiring-a-sales-rep-in-melbourne].)

If you’d like to join the growing number of producers on the site, or discuss working with us in other ways, feel free to drop Craig a line [craig@thefullmeasure.com.au]. And if you missed it last week, you can check out our look at some of the standout releases [https://www.thefullmeasure.com.au/tasting/a-taste-of-tasmanian-whisky-week-2026-part-2] highlighting new styles and ideas that were on offer at this year’s Tasmanian Whisky Week.

You can watch or listen either here or on all the usual podcast platforms. And if you enjoy what we’re doing, please like and subscribe, rate and review, and tell your spirits-loving friends.

The Full Measure Podcast: Funky Rum | Trade Wars | Blue Sky Thinking

It was a big week of awards and judging – for The Full Measure team and the wider world of Australian spirits – with Luke McCarthy in Sydney wearing his judge's hat and James Smith suited and booted for the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival’s Legends & Trailblazers awards [https://thefullmeasure.com.au/news/4194/the-crafty-pint-and-full-measure-founder-honoured-at-2026-mfwf-legends-and-trailblazers-awards].

In this week's show, Luke fills us in on his time in Sydney, during which he squeezed in visits to a few distilleries around Sydney Royal judging, while we also discuss the results of the inaugural Royal Tasmanian Whisky & Spirits Awards [https://thefullmeasure.com.au/news/4199/lark-win-big-at-inaugural-royal-tasmanian-whisky-and-spirits-awards].

After the break, the focus switches to gin as we drop a feature looking at the exciting and uniquely Australian world of wine grape gins – set to be followed by an upcoming deep dive into the equally fascinating sub-category of maritime gins.

If you enjoy what we’re doing, please like and subscribe, rate and review, and tell your mates as it will help us reach more people.

If you’d like to get involved with The Full Measure, whether that’s taking a listing in our Directory [https://thefullmeasure.com.au/directory] or putting your business or brand in front of our audience in other ways, get in touch with craig@thefullmeasure.com.au.

The Full Measure Podcast: Tastings | Travels | Judging | Gins

“Our job is to make brandy feel more exciting.”

For The Full Measure’s first in-depth interview, we’re thrilled to welcome one of the Australian spirits industry’s most respected figures.

Holly Klintworth is an award-winning second-generation distiller at Bass & Flinders in Dromana. Holly’s career began in wine marketing, but she progressively grew closer to the Bass & Flinders business her father Wayne founded in 2009 – the first distillery on the Mornington Peninsula.

When Wayne passed away in 2020, the Klintworth family rallied, and Holly took the reins of the distillery, becoming managing director and head distiller, and joining a select group of second-generation Australian distillers.

Since then, she’s expanded Bass & Flinders’ acclaimed gin range and designed a slew of new products, including a mistelle, wine grape gin, limoncello and fiery cinnamon liqueur.

But the project closest to her heart, as it was to Wayne’s, is Bass & Flinders’ fine brandies. In the chat, we discuss Holly’s progression through the distilling business, her multiple leadership roles, and explore the Australian brandy story.

Can brandy make a comeback? How is Australian brandy different to cognac? And what’s behind brandy’s fashion crisis?

Both Luke and Holly are passionate advocates for bringing brandy back, and they also offer up some brandy cocktail suggestions so you can play along at home and jump on the bandwagon.

If you enjoy the show, please like, subscribe, rate or review wherever you watch or listen – and feel free to send your spirits-loving friends our way too.

NB If you'd like to make a brandy cocktail at home, check out Luke's recipe for a Vieux Carré [https://thefullmeasure.com.au/news/4198/the-full-measure-podcast-brandy-the-rise-fall-and-revival] featuring a trio of Australian spirits. 

To find out more about partnering with The Full Measure, get in touch with craig@thefullmeasure.com.au.

Brandy: The Rise, Fall And ... Revival? – Holly Klintworth, Bass & Flinders

We kick off The Full Measure Podcast Weekly News shows with a look back at last week's launch, ten years of Tasmanian Whisky Week, Chris Hemsworth buying in to Archie Rose, the world of Australian XO Brandies, and more.

You can watch or listen here or on all the usual podcast platforms. If you enjoy what we’re doing, please like and subscribe, rate and review, and tell your mates as it will help us reach more people more quickly.

We’ll be back with the first of our fortnightly in-depth interviews on Friday, when we’ll be in conversation with Holly Klintworth of Bass & Flinders Distillery.

The Full Measure Podcast: Tas Whisky Week | Thor | Australian XO Brandies

Time to meet The Full Measure team!

Before we launch into regular programming – a blend of weekly shows covering the latest spirits news and fortnightly feature interviews – this episode is a chance to find out all you ever wanted to know, but were afraid to ask, about this new chapter in Australian spirits.

Founder James Smith and his Crafty Pint [https://thefullmeasure.com.au/] sidekick Will Ziebell joined The Full Measure [https://thefullmeasure.com.au/] editor Luke McCarthy in the studio for a chat about the Australian spirits industry and our plans to do justice to the amazing people, places and products that have made it one of the most exciting on the planet.

You’ll be able to watch and listen to each episode on The Full Measure itself, as well as all the key podcast platforms. And if you enjoy the show, please like and subscribe, rate and review, and tell all your mates about it too.

Cheers!

Welcome To The Full Measure

Behind every great spirit story is someone who knows where to find it.

Award-winning drinks writer Luke McCarthy has spent years exploring Australia's distilleries, uncovering the people, places and passion behind our thriving Australian spirits industry. As the author of acclaimed books on Australian whisky and Australian spirits, and one of the country's most respected spirits journalists, he's dedicated his career to documenting the evolution of craft distilling across Australia.

Now, alongside James Smith, founder of The Crafty Pint, Luke is bringing that expertise to The Full Measure, a new independent publication dedicated to Australian spirits.

From Australian whisky, gin, rum, agave spirits, brandy and vodka to distillery profiles, industry news, bars, bottleshops, events and in-depth features, The Full Measure will celebrate the people and producers shaping one of Australia's most exciting drinks industries.

Launching soon, The Full Measure is set to become the go-to destination for anyone wanting to discover, learn about and follow the Australian spirits scene.

Follow along as a new chapter in Australian spirits begins 🥃

#TheFullMeasure #AustralianSpirits #AustralianWhisky #AustralianDistilleries #SpiritsJournalism

Welcome To The Full Measure: Luke McCarthy

For the past 16 years, The Crafty Pint has been telling the stories of Australia's craft beer industry.

Now it's time for the next chapter.

Meet The Full Measure, a new independent publication dedicated to Australian spirits.

Founded by James Smith, together with award-winning spirits writer Luke McCarthy, The Full Measure has been created to do for the Australian spirits community what The Crafty Pint has done for beer: shine a light on the people, places and products shaping one of Australia's most exciting drinks industries.

From Australian whisky, rum and brandy to gin, vodka, agave spirits and everything in between, we'll be covering the stories behind the bottles, profiling distilleries, exploring Australia's best bars and bottleshops, sharing industry news, educational features, events and much more.

The goal is simple: to become the home of independent Australian spirits journalism and the go-to destination for anyone who wants to discover, learn about, and celebrate the country's incredible spirits scene.

We're almost ready to pour the first measure.

Follow along, share the journey, and be there when we launch.

🥃 Welcome to The Full Measure.

#TheFullMeasure #AustralianSpirits #CraftSpirits #AustralianDistilleries

The Full Measure Podcast