Adelaide Hills, South Australia
We take our craft seriously. Not ourselves.
Crafted small-batch, organic spirits designed to be shared over conversations worth having.
Founded 2020
Nairne Distillery · Adelaide Hills
The spark
It started with a forgotten port barrel.
As a teenager, Stuart MacKenzie watched his godfather, the Penfolds and Hardy's export manager, with rosy cheeks and a great story for every bottle, fill an old, empty port barrel that sat on the family kitchen counter.
Years passed. Everyone forgot about it. Then Stuart found it again, poured himself a glass, and tasted the results of years of magic.
It was the best drop of port he had ever tasted. And it lit something in him that never went out, a fascination with the alchemy behind the barrel, the still, and the blend.
At eighteen, he'd walk into his local pub and order a G&T while the barman raised an eyebrow and asked if he was sure. "There's plenty of other fine spirits your grandmother doesn't know about." The joke became a ritual. But the barman started stocking gin from around the world, just for Stuart.
That spirit of choosing something worth savouring over something merely easy is at the heart of everything Little Juniper makes. These are bottles you take to a dinner party, not ones you reach for without thinking. The kind of quality spirits that start a conversation.
“Good enough is not good enough. We test until we get it right, then we test again.”— Stuart MacKenzie, Founder
From a port barrel to copper stills
Traditional methods. Modern precision.
Crafted small-batch, organic spirits designed to be shared over conversations worth having.
Traditional methods, modern precision
We use copper pot stills and time-honoured distilling traditions, paired with modern technique and rigorous quality control. Nothing leaves the distillery until it’s exactly right.
No shortcuts, no compromises
We steep botanicals for months, not days. We cold-mist our coffee. We use Swiss Water decaf. Every step costs more time and money than the shortcut would. We do it anyway.
Creativity in every bottle
From a grandmother’s 1955 gold-medal Christmas pudding to estate-grown roses at Carrick Hill, traditional, but unmistakably different.
A philosophy
Drink less.
Drink better.
Little Juniper spirits aren’t made to be consumed without thinking. They’re made to be the talking point at the dinner table, the bottle you pull out when the occasion deserves it, the thing your guests ask about on the way home.
Botanicals
Hand-selected for the Signature Gin alone. Every one chosen for a reason.
Months steeping
Davidson plums steep until the flavour is exactly right. Not before.
Distilled
Our organic base spirit, triple-distilled for a purity you can taste.
Organic Since Day One
Built for the next generation, literally.
When Stuart decided to name the distillery “Little Juniper,” he was thinking about his two children. About the world he wanted to leave them. About what it means to build a business that genuinely puts the environment first, not as a marketing angle, but as a founding principle.
We try to source only organic botanicals. Our cane vodka base is triple-distilled and organic. We use purified spring water, Fairtrade coffee, and Swiss Water decaf processes. We chose the hard way because the right way matters.
As the business grows, that commitment doesn’t shrink. It grows with us.
Recognition
Noticed by some of the world’s finest palates.
2024 · Tasting Australia Spirits Awards
Best Fruit Liqueur. Little Cello Limoncello, crafted from hand-peeled Adelaide Hills lemons and triple-distilled organic vodka.
Multiple Awards
Our Signature Gin and Rare Plum Gin have earned recognition across Australian and international spirits competitions.
Ongoing Press & Industry Recognition
Featured across Australian food, drinks, and lifestyle media for our approach to organic distilling and provenance-led flavour.
Coming Soon · Nairne, Adelaide Hills
A place to meet, taste, and feel at home.
We’ve always believed the best way to experience Little Juniper is in good company. Our Nairne Distillery Door is almost here, a place to wow your friends, discover something new, and feel completely at ease doing it.
Adelaide Hills Gin School
Create your own personalised gin under the guidance of our expert distillers. Traditional technique meets modern science.
Creative Cocktails
Our cocktail bar showcases the full Little Juniper range. Down to earth, beautifully made, and always welcoming.
Food & Tasting Experiences
Gourmet platters and curated tastings designed to complement every spirit in the range.
