Distilling from grape to glass: crafting spirits from scratch

An urban distillery in the heart of Fremantle’s bustling West End, Republic of Fremantle was established in 2019 as a collective for the independently minded.

One of the few distilleries in the world crafting spirits from scratch, Republic of Fremantle uses innovative ‘grape to glass’ distilling methods to create its base spirit from locally sourced wine.

Sourcing Verdelho from 100-year-old vines in the Swan Valley, Republic of Fremantle Master Distiller Oliver Kitson carefully double distils the wine in the custom-built Müller copper still.

From here, the base spirit is crafted into its vodka and aromatic and full-bodied gin, a process that Kitson — who holds a Masters in Brewing and Distilling, and has more than a decade’s experience in the liquor industry — describes as a labour of love.

“Crafting our spirits is a true labour of love. We value master craftmanship and believe in distilling there is no greater challenge than making your own base spirit from scratch.

“The process requires skill, a steady hand and unwavering attention to detail. By creating our own base, we are then able to produce spirits that are silky smooth, filled with individuality, complexity and, most importantly, flavour,” said Kitson.

The concentrated sugar coming from the Verdelho grapes and the 36-plate column still allows Kitson to take the base spirit to 95% — the magic mark that allows the subtle fruit flavours and delicate floral notes of the grapes to carry through.

From this point, the double-distilled Signature Vodka need only be blended with pure water to bring it down to bottling strength, with no flavourings or ageing processes.

“When you’re tasting the vodka it’s the hints of citrus and delicate florals that make the drinking experience such a delight. Whereas [for] the Aromatic Gin you’ll notice lively lemon and grapefruit flavours in the aroma, with hints of fresh apricot and honeyed ginger, and for the Full Bodied we layer it with rosemary, red fruits and pink pepper, creating the long luxurious finish that’s perfect for vermouth-based cocktails like the Negroni,” said Kitson.

When it came time to finalise the flavour profiles of its range, the team were faced with a year of distilling, experimenting and tasting — a time that co-founder Jason Townes says was crucial in getting the product to where it is today.

“We really took our time ensuring each spirit distillation was exactly where we wanted it to be. We wanted to create a range that was not only perfect for a Friday afternoon drink at the bar, but that would also sit proudly in a home spirit collection — we wanted to create a product everyone could enjoy,” said Townes.

Republic of Fremantle’s Signature Vodka, Aromatic and Full Bodied Gin are now available to purchase online via republicoffremantle.com.