Travel books gush about the boom in distilling and brewing in Tasmania. I had to try some whisky…read moreduring a brief stop in Hobart. Without any prior planning, I stumbled into Lark Distillery. The location of the distillery makes it ideal for stumbling into-- it's right by the water surrounded by various tourist hot spots. I ordered the whisky flight and was promptly served 3 small pours. I remember the price feeling a bit high but generally reasonable. What really struck me was the lack of introduction or explanation about what I was about to drink. I had to ask for a bit of information at which point I was told the history of Bill Lark and the uniqueness of each pour. It was quite interesting and helpful but I wish it had been offered as default. I sat outside and had a quiet and relaxing few moments.

Let it be known that I am not traditionally a whiskey drinker (unless it's been beaten with an egg…read morewhite and lemon or served in a shot glass) however I knew, on this particular trip to Hobart, that today was the day. Lark Distillery is home to Lark Whiskeys - a Tasmanian born and bred, very fancy and very delicious whiskey. But what this venue is better known for is it's whisky tasting tray. For 20 clams you can try three of their best whiskeys and get a whiskey educational all-the-while sitting in a delightfully cosy space. For some extra dollars, you should most definitely get yourself a cheese platter to go with. It features locally made cheeses and quince with freshly baked bread. I promise you, Whiskey Tasting + Cheese Platter = match made in heaven. You CAN do a tour of the distillery and get a more serious educational, which will take up a few hours of your day, but really, all you need to do is get a chair at the bar and chat to the incredibly knowledgeable staff.

Who knew Tasmanian whiskey was a thing?! We certainly didn't. But when I saw road signs for a few…read moredistilleries while driving through Tasmania, I decided to investigate. We managed to squeeze in a whiskey tasting at Sullivan's Cove and it was excellent!

Very informative tasting. We didn't do the full tour, but instead walked in to find someone who…read morecould give us a taste of some of the worlds best whiskeys (including a one time winner of world's best) that you can't find anywhere else, while explaining the history of the distillery and whiskey generally in Tasmania. The decor is charming, and we had the place all to ourselves (I think other guests do the tour). It's possible it gets crowded, as it's a little small, but with a small group it's quite pleasant.

As a gin lover and advocate, I believe what Tasmania needs is more gin distilleries, particularly…read morewithin a day's drive from my house. Thank you, Nonesuch, for acquiescing. The distillery can be found around half an hour out of Hobart, just past Sorell. Nonesuch currently exists as a humble wee thing of a shed on a working farm, but there are a whole hoard of expansions on the horizon. I need no more than a shed, a still, and a whole bunch of gin to be pleased, so I was sorted. Nonesuch first hit my radar a few months back at a little whisky house, hidden over on the small gin shelf (which I made a beeline for, of course). The surprising thing for me was that Nonesuch's champion product is their sloe gin, not just dry gin. They've finally come out with bottled dry gin as well but the sloe is still the hero of the day. Deliciously sweet and perfect on its own over ice! You'll also find a unique sloe MALT for sample and sale at Nonesuch, it's basically a dessert whisky and it's DELICIOUS. Rex the head distiller will take you through all of Nonesuch's offerings and if you're extra lucky you'll get to see the yokel bar, to boot! Keep an eye out for the resident goat.

Rex makes a fantastic Gin! Very informative tour! If you are going to buy Tasmanian Gin, buy it…read morehere!