We put a call-out to the women in Australian distilling to give us an insight into who they are, and why they chose this industry, here’s some of their responses!
DANIELLE COSTLEY
Director at SouWester Spirits, WA
HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU BEEN IN THE INDUSTRY?
4-7 years
WHAT SPARKED YOUR INTEREST IN THE INDUSTRY?
"I’m a wine writer and winemaker so it was a natural progression for me to also become a distiller."
YOUR MOST PROUD MOMENTS IN THE INDUSTRY?
"Being a single mum who has launched this distillery on my own and I’m still a one woman operation."
WHAT HAVE YOU FOUND TO BE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES IN THE INDUSTRY?
"It’s still a new industry so there hasn’t been a lot of support when wanting to learn about new products and botanicals."
WHAT WOULD YOU TELL SOMEONE THAT KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT AUSSIE CRAFT SPIRITS?
"Taste as much as you can. Learn what you like and why."
WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO TELL YOUR YOUNGER SELF?
"That third dram at the end of the night might not be such a great idea. 😁"
WHAT IS YOUR PARTY TRICK?
"I am a distiller, food and wine writer so I make perfectly balanced spirits at SouWester, that can be enjoyed neat. That is really important to me as I find there’s a lot of product out there that doesn’t have balance or substance"
WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU THE MOST IN YOUR CAREER SO FAR?
"I love how Kylie Minogue has created a brand for herself over the years and now has her own wine and sunglass brands, among many other things. She knows how to build a brand for longevity."