Four Pillars Gin, certified as Australia’s first carbon neutral gin distillery after undergoing a major upgrade to its Healesville headquarters in Victoria’s Yarra Valley, has been named the world’s leading gin producer by the International Wine & Spirit Competition on three occasions, making it one of the most awarded and sustainable craft gin makers in the world.

From meagre beginnings in 2013 with one copper still and three ambitious mates, Four Pillars has risen to legendary status in the sustainable gin distilling space at their Healesville Distillery. Continually seeking new ways to lessen their carbon footprint, the forward-thinking makers officially achieved carbon neutral certification in early 2022 for all gins bottled onsite and the wider gin business.

Awarded by Climate Active, an Australian government initiative, carbon neutral certification  means that a business has taken proactive measures to reduce, remove and offset carbon emissions to achieve a state of net zero emissions.

“From the very first day we distilled gin, we tried to recycle, re-use and replenish our environment and give back to the community. We cannot give any more to the community than to assure it our gins tread carefully on our planet, especially in this time of climate crisis,” Four Pillars Co-founder and Head Distiller, Cameron Mackenzie said in statement. 

The distillery’s sustainability journey started by using the spent oranges left over from their Rare Dry Gin distillations to create their now much-loved Made From Gin Orange Marmalade, and it continues to reuse the spent citrus as well as other botanicals in a range of Made From Gin goods or as mulch for local community gardens.

And the journey is far from over. In 2023, Four Pillars launched their very own Sustainability Plan, setting a surfeit of ambitious goals to identify key areas to further reduce their carbon emissions, with the aim to achieve a 50% reduction by 2030. 

Building on success

Not a group to rest on their laurels, the three friends who transformed an old timber yard in Healesville into their own gin distillery, expanded the space in 2023, nearly doubling its size and setting a new benchmark for craft gin distilleries worldwide. The new site is directly adjacent and wholly connected to the original Four Pillars home on Lilydale Road and was designed by Melbourne’s award-winning and sustainability-led Breathe Architecture.

With sustainability at the forefront, the new design and build was executed with the help of Never Stop Group to realise what they coined as ‘Healesville 2.0’. The build included recycled and upcycled concrete, bricks and building ‘waste’, which were carefully used and given a second life.

A new gin garden sits amongst a myriad of newly planted botanicals and local natives that will eventually make their way into the stills to create new gins. Patrons can slide into a booth or pull up a bar stool to enjoy a gin-tasting paddle, seasonal gin cocktail and a few gin-inspired snacks

The pièce de résistance of the new space is a stunning copper bar with rounded corners forming an immense ‘U’ shape. It is equipped with copper gin pipes that send the gin from the production room straight to taps, circumventing the use of glass bottles that result in wastage. The use of tonic water from kegs instead of bottles also thwarts wastage. These two adjustments will save approximately 29 tonnes of glass per year, further highlighting the distillery’s commitment to sustainability.

Tours, workshops and masterclasses

If the art of gin-making is something that has both eluded and intrigued you as a self-proclaimed gin lover, then the Four Pillars Distillery Tour is the perfect opportunity to get close and personal with the age-old process. 

The guided tours, which run Monday to Thursday, will see one of the Four Pillars team take you behind the scenes to explore their gin stills, botanicals and ageing barrels. You also get a peek at the bottling line, bar and more. After the tour, you’ll enjoy a G&T paddle (RRP $18) in Beth’s Bar or Jude’s Gin Garden. Plus, take advantage of a $10 discount on your favourite 700mL bottle of gin from the Gin Shop as you leave.

Dive into the fun of crafting your own cocktails with a hands-on shaking and stirring workshop to kick off your Saturday night. With a mouth-watering introduction to the flavours of Four Pillars’ signature gin range, start by enjoying a classic G&T paired with some Made From Gin snacks. 

Discover the rich history of gin and the Four Pillars Gin story with a gin expert who will guide you through an in-depth tasting of their signature gins. You’ll also receive a take-home goodie bag, featuring a bottle of Rare Dry Gin, a bottle of Fever-Tree tonic, a jar of their iconic Orange Marmalade, and an orange for garnishing purposes. Plus, enjoy $25 off the purchase of any of our gins, redeemable with your ticket.

Book your next visit to the Four Pillars Distillery, Healesville, Yarra Valley and experience the world’s leading gin producer right here in Victoria.