THE SPIRIT OF MELBOURNE
- NOW IN A BOTTLE -
OUR STORY
Little Lonsdale, this once 'notorious' north-east corner of Melbourne, was a sight to behold in the 1850s. Its colourful past -specifically, a deep shade of harlot red- made it a magnet for the debauched, where wanton wenches and liquored-up larrikins lurched down its lamp-lit lanes.
Fast forward 144 years, and here we are. Little Lon Distilling Co. A gintrified establishment commemorating the rich history of Little Lon with a range of characterful, small batch Melbourne gins that raise a tipple to the delightful deviates that once trod these lurid laneways.
It’s our double-distilled tribute to a hood once heaving with bordellos, bohemians, dance halls, opium dens, and gangsters and whose history is receding into the mists of time. It’s our way of keeping Little Lon’s spirit alive. Experience a true Melbourne gin masterclass and gin tasting experience in our historic CBD cottage.
Come for the gin. Stay for the stories. It's the spirit of Melbourne - now in a bottle.
OUR DISTILLERY
We're makers, and we're proud to distil our spirits using the finest of Australian malted barley and good old fashioned Melbourne water. We believe making our own base spirit, whilst extra work, imparts to our Melbourne gins a glorious and very eminently sippable flavour.
With mashing help from friends at Bricklane Brewery to produce a malted barley wash, we then distil our base spirit in the showpiece of our distillery, a 200-litre copper column still we've named 'Yokohama' after Little Miss Yoko, the Oriental temptress, who once 'plied her wares' out of this humble abode.
Come by and say hello to the lady, experience a true Melbourne gin tasting and get up close and personal
with a distillery tour and gin masterclass.
OUR HOME
Built in 1877, 17 Casselden Place is the last remaining single story house in Melbourne's CBD.
If its walls could speak, they’d relate tales of delightful debauchery, for it was once a house of ill-repute. Today it’s our home, one which we hope to make a home of gin-repute. Listed with Heritage Victoria, we’re grateful for the opportunity to establish our Melbourne gin brand, distillery and intimate cocktail bar within its historic walls. We also claim the city's most intimate gin tasting and gin masterclass experience. Enjoy the spirit of Melbourne - in a bottle.