This week on The Full Measure Podcast, we’re excited to welcome Dervilla McGowan and Sebastian Reaburn, the co-founders of Anther Spirits [https://thefullmeasure.com.au/distillery/anther-geelong-distillery]. Our timing couldn’t be better, as Anther celebrated their tenth anniversary over the weekend at their Geelong distillery and cellar door.

In the chat, we cover their extensive backgrounds in hospitality and bars, their progression to distilling and consulting, and look back on the highlights from the first decade of Anther Spirits.

We also discuss our recently-published Australian agave spirits feature article, which has been going off on socials, drawing in readers from across Australia and around the world. The timing is exquisite, with Sebastian and Dervilla about to release their own Wild Agave spirit, so they talk us through the arduous process they undertook to make it, and discuss the wider development of the Australian agave spirit scene.

Plus, we touch upon a big week of industry news, including the impending departures of Lark’s Chris Thomson and Australian Distillers Association CEO Kylie Lethbridge, the launch of The Gospel’s Bonded Rye Whiskey [https://thefullmeasure.com.au/news/4246/the-gospel-release-bonded-rye-whiskey-an-australian-first-bottled-in-bond], and the upcoming Queensland Rum Day [https://thefullmeasure.com.au/event/14219/queensland-rum-day-2026] celebrations.

And mid-show, we have our second Bar Shout, in which we celebrate another of the country's great bars in partnership with Nil Desperandum [https://thefullmeasure.com.au/distillery/nil-desperandum], the Sunshine Coast-based producers of award-winning rums.

Start of segments:
 * 1:22 – Dervilla & Sebastian on Anther's tenth, Australian gin, and community events
 * 19:57 – Bar Shout: Shaman [https://shamanbar.com.au/], Brisbane
 * 21:21 – Dervilla & Sebastian on agave, plus Luke's news in brief

If you’d like to find out more about working with The Full Measure, feel free to drop Craig a line at craig@thefullmeasure.com.au.

The Full Measure Podcast: Anther At 10 | Wild Agave | Bonded Rye | Lark Exit

Ahead of the 2026 edition of Whisky by the Bay, the spectacular celebration of Australian spirits taking place at The Whiskery – home of Bellarine Distillery [https://thefullmeasure.com.au/distillery/bellarine-distillery-the-whiskery] – on October 24, we’re delighted to have co-owner and head distiller Craig Michael join us as guest host on our Weekly News podcast.

As well as discovering what they’ve got lined up for the festival, we touch upon the ethos driving the distillery founded by Russ Watson and the late Lorelle Warren, their approach to making award-winning whisky and gin, and their love of community.

Craig and Luke also reflect on our recent feature on additives in spirits [https://thefullmeasure.com.au/news/4230/whats-in-your-australian-spirit] – complete with an interview with Sebastian Reaburn of Anther Spirits – while chatting about the charms of Fleurieu Distillery’s [https://thefullmeasure.com.au/distillery/fleurieu-distillery] whiskies, Papa Salt Gin [https://thefullmeasure.com.au/distilling-company/papa-salt-distillery] and maritime gins as a whole.

Start of segments:
 * 0:09 – Nil Desperandum [https://nildesperandum.com.au/] promo
 * 1:07 – Luke & Craig: Bellarine Distillery & Whisky By The Bay
 * 20:54 – The Full Measure Directory [https://thefullmeasure.com.au/directory] Discounts
 * 21:51 – Luke & Craig: Additives In Spirits, Fleurieu Distillery & Papa Salt

If you’d like to find out more about working with The Full Measure, feel free to drop Craig a line at craig@thefullmeasure.com.au.

The Full Measure Podcast: Bellarine's Whisky By The Bay | Additives | Fleurieu | Papa Salt

“I said I have opinions, right?”

There are lives half-lived. And then there are lives lived fully enough to last several lifetimes. And James Young’s definitely belongs in the latter category.

With the caveat that this list is not comprehensive, prior to entering the world of distilling, he’d coached the Lithuanian women’s hockey team, led netball and swimming associations in WA, amassed multiple degrees, and worked in graphic design and advertising.

Since entering distilling under the Old Young’s banner – after abandoning an earlier plan to make gin in Gingin – he’s picked up many of the world’s most prestigious trophies, drawn up plans for a Cathedral of Gin in the Swan Valley, been in and out of administration following a wildly successful crowdfund, and has been releasing a new gin every month for more than five years and counting.

As such, we didn’t struggle for topics to discuss when we sat down with James at the Australian Distillers Conference in Adelaide earlier in the year – and neither did this thoughtful, charismatic, heart-on-his-sleeve guest disappoint.

One small note: the interview was recorded in an office space kindly donated to The Full Measure (before we’d even launched) by the conference hosts, so sound and vision isn’t quite up to the standard of our usual studio.

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

Old Young's And The Evolution Of Australian Gin

The Full Measure Podcast: Sullivans Abroad | Australian Gin Awards | St Agnes | VineHop

We always intended to invite guests to join us every now and then on the weekly editions of The Full Measure Podcast, but we didn’t expect it would happen this soon. However, we're delighted it has, with Fred Siggins heading into the studio for a chat about his new cocktail book [https://www.thefullmeasure.com.au/news/4218/fred-siggins-equal-parts-cocktails-reminds-us-theres-beauty-in-simplicity], Equal Parts Cocktails: The Simple Ratio for Spectacular Drinks, and the week’s news.

As well as dipping a toe into his 25-years-and-counting career spanning pretty much every facet of the drinks industry (but leaving plenty to discuss for future occasions) and hearing more about the book, Fred and Luke look back at the winners from this year’s Sydney Royal Distilled Spirits Show [https://thefullmeasure.com.au/news/4216/marionette-and-reckless-win-best-in-show-trophies-at-sydney-royal], the discussions sparked by our recent feature on the funkier side of rum – soon to be accompanied by a Tasting feature on some of Australia’s finest examples – and the story of The Gospel [https://thefullmeasure.com.au/distillery/the-gospel-whiskey], one of the distilleries already signed up to our Directory.

We’re also delighted to launch Bar Shout, a celebration of the very best bars across Australia in partnership with Nil Desperandum [https://thefullmeasure.com.au/distillery/nil-desperandum]. Luke selected the first winner, Bar Bellamy [https://barbellamy.com/] in Carlton, and you’ll find out why in the middle of this week’s episode.

If you've got a favourite bar you believe is worthy of a shoutout next time around, we’d love to hear from you. Either shoot us an email or tell us about your favourite bar here [https://www.thefullmeasure.com.au/nil-desperandum-bar-shout].

Please enjoy the show, feel free to like, subscribe, rate and review, and if you’ve got any feedback, we’d love to hear from you too.

If you’d like to find out more about working with The Full Measure, feel free to drop Craig a line at craig@thefullmeasure.com.au.

Cover image by Kristoffer Paulsen.

The Full Measure Podcast: Equal Parts Fred | Awards | Rum | Gospel

"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