May 2025 | King Island Distillery Bass Strait Coastal Gin

April 28, 2025

May 2025 Featured Gin of the Month

Written by Kat Chrisoulis

This month, we’re taking our tastebuds to King Island; a windswept frontier where the raw power of nature shapes the land, sea, and everything in between. Perched in Bass Strait, halfway between Tasmania and the mainland, King Island is known for its world-class produce and fiercely independent spirit. It’s a place where nature calls the shots – and where King Island Distillery Bass Strait is capturing that wild essence in their Coastal Gin.

About the Distillery

If there was ever a place built for distilling world-class spirits, King Island is it. It sits directly in the path of the Roaring Forties, a band of relentless westerly winds that circle the globe between 40- and 50-degrees latitude, racing unbroken across the Southern Ocean before colliding with the island’s rugged coastline. These Antarctic-charged winds carry some of the cleanest air on Earth, untouched by pollution, and as they gather moisture along the way, delivers pristine rainwater so naturally soft and pure that it requires little to no filtration.

The land itself is just as remarkable. Rich volcanic soil and thriving pastures have made King Island world-renowned for its premium beef, dairy, and seafood. With 164 kilometres of coastline, the island is shaped as much by the ocean as it is by the land, its remote location and untamed environment fostering a rare kind of ingenuity and resilience – qualities that husband-and-wife duo Vaughan and Katrina O’Connor embraced when they set out to build a distillery unlike any other.

For Vaughan, the idea for King Island Distillery Bass Strait took hold during his surfing trips to the world-renowned Martha Lavinia break. Originally from the northwest coast of Tasmania, he was captivated by the island’s natural beauty and thriving local food scene, but beyond that, he saw an opportunity to create something lasting – something that could stand alongside King Island’s iconic beef and dairy industries with the same world-class reputation.

But bringing that vision to life was no easy feat. Building a distillery in one of the most remote locations in Australia meant tackling logistical nightmares at every turn. Shipments of stills and raw materials had to be carefully coordinated, with supply chains at the mercy of unpredictable weather and limited transport options. Even sourcing ingredients required creativity and local collaboration. Rather than relying on mainland suppliers, Vaughan and Katrina built relationships with King Island’s farmers, fishermen, and foragers.

As if the challenges of setting up weren’t enough, King Island had one test of resilience in store for Vaughan – one he will never forget.

On one of his early visits to the property where the distillery now stands, Vaughan set out to fetch water from an old dam. As he criss-crossed the paddocks, he wisely tested every fence he came across to ensure it wouldn’t zap him.

“When he finally reached the dam to fill up the bucket, he was thumped with a bull shock from the water itself, that unbeknownst to him was electrified by a nearby fence,” the team recalls. “He was knocked out cold for seconds before the cold water resuscitated him.”

It was a brutal introduction, one that quite literally shocked him into understanding the grit that this environment often demands.

Fortunately, grit is something Vaughan has in abundance. With a background in marketing and business management, he spent years managing advertising for global brands before adding distilling to the skill set. But he wasn’t just interested in making spirits – he wanted to produce them from the ground up. That commitment to provenance led him to grow his own barley on the site where the distillery now stands, ensuring that every step of the process, from grain to glass, is a true reflection of the island.

Sustainability was part of the plan from day one. Vaughan and Katrina have successfully trialled an innovative way to upcycle a by-product of one of the island’s most iconic exports – dairy. King Island’s renowned cheese production generates whey – and rather than letting it go to waste, they saw an opportunity to transform it into something remarkable. Through small-scale distillation trials, they explored the potential of using whey as a base spirit – with the aim of reducing waste, lowering the carbon footprint, and creating an exceptionally smooth, creamy texture ideal for both gin and vodka.

While those trials proved successful, commercial production has been on pause due to the sale process of King Island Dairy by Saputo. Now that the dairy has been secured by new Australian owners, discussions have recommenced. The hope is to move from trial to production – using locally sourced whey to craft spirits with a true taste of King Island.

With their distillery firmly established and rapidly gaining recognition, Vaughan and Katrina expanded their team, bringing on passionate locals and industry experts like Jason Forbes, Nathan Hendricks, Jake Freeman, Adam Suckling, and Tristan Warren. Today, King Island Distillery Bass Strait has grown from an ambitious idea into one of Australia’s most exciting boutique distilleries.

About the Gin

This is a gin that feels like a deep breath of coastal air – brisk, invigorating, and unmistakably fresh without erring into the novelty of extremes. Crafted with ultra-pure rainwater and foraged coastal botanicals, Coastal Gin delivers bright citrus, a crisp juniper backbone, and a whisper of the sea. But getting it just right took some fine-tuning. The first recipe tipped the balance too far toward the salty influence of the coast, so the team refined it to complement their unique neutral spirit – pulling back just enough to create something beautifully smooth and nuanced.

This gin carries the essence of the ocean without overpowering the palate. Bull kelp and rock salt, harvested straight from the island’s shores, introduce a gentle minerality – not overly salty, but subtly grounding. Native saltbush and waxflower bring earthy herbaceous depth and soft floral notes, while vibrant citrus keeps everything crisp and lifted.

Thanks to King Island’s pristine rainwater and their carefully-crafted spirit, the mouthfeel is exceptionally smooth, allowing each botanical to shine with clarity. On the nose, bright citrus leads, followed by juniper and the faintest trace of ocean air. The first sip is fresh and bracing, opening with zest and soft herbal notes before revealing a delicate coastal character that lingers just long enough to pull you back in for another sip. For those that embrace a salty, savoury edge, we highly recommend the addition of a flakey salt rim and fresh rosemary to immerse yourself even further.

We drink first with our eyes, and we are happy to note that the outside of Coastal Gin is a shining reflection of the quality gin inside. Its weighty glass, minimalist white label, and smooth, organic lines evoke the serenity of King Island’s untouched landscape, while the cool, vibrant hand-painted abstract waves crash against the glass in deep, moody hues – an echo of the fierce Southern Ocean. It’s a bottle that feels just as good in the hand as it looks on the shelf, offering a sensory experience before the first sip, and beyond.

Every element of King Island Coastal Gin – its botanicals, its balance, its bottle – has been meticulously crafted to capture something rare: a spirit that is as fresh, clean, and exhilarating as the island itself.

FEATURED IN THE GIN CLUB

King Island Coastal Gin is featured in May 2025's Gin Subscription box!

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