Limeburners and Giniversity, two of the biggest spirit brands from Western Australian Master Distiller Cameron Syme, are heading to a new home in the Swan Valley.
Cameron purchased Carilley Estate on Hyem Road, Herne Hill in late December and is refurbishing the venue to feature a 200-seat venue, including a restaurant, bar, cellar door and function venue. There will be Giniversity and Limeburners blending experiences and the menu, currently being tried and tested, will exclusively feature gluten free options.
Cameron says, “I have wanted to share my products in the city for a while now, but we had to find the right space. Carilley Estate had the perfect location and structure to work with. We now have the most beautiful garden setting and an ideal location within the Valley, allowing us to build a quality destination for people to visit and enjoy our internationally recognised spirits and experiences.”
Cameron’s has always been a champion of local products, and is known for sourcing as many as possible from Western Australia. In Porongurup he is installing a malt works onsite to process locally grown barley and has planted juniper trees to harvest the berries as the core gin botanical. He also works with First Nations Australians to source and purchase local indigenous botanicals.
He adds: “The Swan Valley is a unique food and beverage destination in WA that we’re excited to be adding to. With properties now in the Valley, the Great Southern and Margaret River were using some of the best produce in our state to continue making world class gin and whiskies. We’re excited to collaborate with our neighbours to showcase and enhance the region.”
Cameron is committed to ensuring he integrates with the Valley and is already working with wine barrels from local producers such as Kosovich Wines, Talijancich Wines and Olive Farm Wines.
He said: “We are looking for barrels which have produced quality wine and what better place to get that than our new neighbours in the Valley. We will use the flavours infused in the barrel, such as a delicious Verdelho, and draw them into the whisky or gin, imparting that unique flavour. Long term, we would like to do seasonal releases in line with winery releases. There are so many exciting times to come.”
Cameron was inducted into both the Australian Whisky Awards and the Australian Distillers Associations’ Halls of Fame in 2022, and the Swan Valley can expect a taste of that class at the beginning of June.
