Meet The Melbourne Distiller Leading A Moonshine Revival

If the first things that spring to mind when you hear the word "moonshine" are Prohibition speakeasies and grizzled hicks in the Deep South, you're clearly not in the loop on the boutique renaissance this much-maligned hooch is currently enjoying. Andrew Fitzgerald is the man behind one of the best brands on the market, Melbourne Moonshine.

What have been the biggest challenges for you bringing out what is considered a pretty a niche spirit? 

Two and a half years ago, when we first launched, we realised pretty quickly that we needed to educate people on what exactly moonshine is - if I'm pouring someone a glass and I don't get asked, "Does it make you go blind?" then it's a shock! It's fair to say we had our work cut out for us convincing people that moonshine is every bit as high quality as the premium brand vodkas and gins and whiskeys out there. And in fact, when you go into the technicalities of how moonshine is made, it's actually a lot more complex than making whiskey, for example.

What first gave you the idea to revive this little-known liquor?

Ben [Bowles], my business partner, is from South Carolina and he introduced me to moonshine and I thought, "Fuck that's delicious!" So, I knew if we could bring it to Melbourne, people would love it. But then the challenge from there became about getting people asking for it. Not being a gin, not being a whiskey, not being a vodka, you know, not many people are walking into a bar and saying, "Can I get a moonshine and coke?" So, what we've relied on is our relationships with bars. Melbourne has one of the best bar scenes in the world, and we've been really lucky to have some really great bars support us. Once a bartender is behind you and you get on the cocktail list, people are more likely to give it a shot, for novelty value if nothing else.

There are a few novelty moonshines on the market at the moment - including a bubblegum flavoured one. That's not the vibe of Melbourne Moonshine though...

We have put so much passion and energy into making something really high quality, we wanted the spirit to be taken seriously. So, we spent a lot of time and energy on the branding, we didn't want it to look like it was in a jar, prohibition style, or for it to be crazy colours. We didn't want it to be pitched as a drink for rednecks or hen parties, ya know! We sort of went more upmarket — maybe it's for a redneck in a tuxedo.

And now you're branching out into other areas at your Melbourne distillery?

Our focus for the last little while has been distilling a lot of whiskey, and we're also bringing out a gin too later this year. Moonshine is a great, fun brand for us that keeps the lights on, and there aren't a lot of boundaries to it. But we care a lot about the craft of our distilling, and this is a way for us to show everything we have to offer. It's a competitive marketplace for sure - when we first started, every time I heard about somebody else starting a distillery I was like, "Oh for fuck's sake!" But it's all good now. We're really confident in the quality we put out there and we're excited for what's coming up.

Find out more at melbournemoonshine.com