Tell us about yourself and what you do at the EPM
Hey guys! JP, Chris, Sarah & Kate here, and we are That Spirited Lot Distillers, a small batch spirits distillery in Seaford. Inspired by our home on the Mornington Peninsula and worldwide travel experiences, That Spirited Lot Distillers aims to produce hand crafted, quality spirits made from the best ingredients sourced from locally and abroad. We also produce a range of mixer syrups (Peninsula BLVD.) and tonic syrups (Tonic X Distillers) using leftover fruit and botanic material from producing our spirits so even the most clueless home mixologist can bust out a delicious cocktail. Our motto is that we are “proudly and stubbornly independent”. We are super excited to be bringing our range to the people of EPM and LB!
That Spirited Lot Distillers began as a wild idea between brothers JP and Chris Willigenburg in 2016. They had worked long careers in IT and the wine industry and were both looking for a change. It was a lifelong dream of theirs to work together on a project that captured their love for tastes and flavours and distilling offered the perfect outlet. Along the way, sisters Sarah and Kate Barton also joined the boys on their crazy ride and now we all spend our days creating amazing flavours!
When did you first know you wanted to create a distillery?
The moment when JP & Chris decided to start a distillery....back in 2016! The idea rapidly gained momentum and on Christmas Eve of 2018 a copper still named Doris (after the brothers’ late grandmother) arrived in our little warehouse in Seaford. We spent a few months experimenting and launched our first product Ninch Dry Gin in May 2019, a tribute to the Mornington Peninsula or 'Ninch' where we all grew up.
Describe a lesson you learnt from a creative failure...
It’s all about trial and error! Not all first recipes work out first go... part of the fun and challenge is experimenting and figuring out which flavours work together.
What's the scariest movie you have ever seen?
Ghostbusters! The lady ghost in the library at the start!
What’s the best advice anyone ever gave you?
Follow your passions and interests. Success is a by product of happiness (and hard work)!
What's your favourite tunes to get you in the creative mood?
We love chucking on a 2000's punk playlist that reminds us of all the bands we have gone to see over the years!
What do you love most about the EPM + LBM?
We love market shopping and have always loved attending Emu Plains and Little Beauty Markets as a group to find delicious foods, local drinks, and gifts. We are so excited to be a maker this year, we love supporting local creators who have dedicated their lives to being producers of foods, drinks and hand made crafts.
Where do you see your business in the next 5years?
We say: “From cooking a meal and enjoying a well selected wine on countless Friday nights to debating the profile and balance of a new product or the improvement of a current one, it all feels the same to us. We just want to be recognised for being great as what we do and enjoy each other’s company doing it.”
