Earp Distilling Co has gone from gin to sanitiser and is now giving rum and whisky a red hot go

The distillery's barrel-aged rum is the first in a series of new releases in 2021, adding to the brand's growing product list which includes absinthe, limoncello, and a range of award-winning gins.

"Our main goal when we were opening was to make a great whisky, but a big part of it was also to start making great Australian rums, too," Earp distiller Cameron Burns tells Weekender.

"The style of rum we have gone for is not your everyday standard, bitter rum. We are going the total opposite. We are trying to make it a more palatable rum for the wider market.

"We want people to be able to come in and order a rum over ice and enjoy it. We have had samples sent off for tastings and the feedback is that our rum is even closer in taste to a beautiful, sweet, high-end whisky."

Mainstream rum brands, such as Bundaberg, are full molasses-based, but Earp's is made using a molasses-coated sugar granule, resulting in a smoother, less bitter version of the spirit. The sugar is sourced from Bundaberg, Queensland, and fermented for three days, turning into alcohol before it runs through the still, producing around 700 litres of 62% ABV rum which is aged in a variety of barrels including American oak, European oak, and ex-Spanish sherry (Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso).

The release of Earp's first batch of brandy is almost ready, and their gin range is expanding from five to six with the launch of a smoked juniper version which is crafted using juniper berries steamed in an American smoker at Full Throttle BBQ in Beresfield. The smokiness creates a distinct flavour that Burns describes as a "mix between a whisky and a gin".

Since the launch of Earp Distillery in 2019, Burns, alongside founder, director and distiller Michael Earp, has learned just how limitless the options are with gin.

"We recently did a dinner [at Binnie Beef] with wagyu beef which we paired with the smoked juniper gin and it blew everyone's minds," Burns says.

"There are so many amazing things you can do with gin and that is really exciting for us."

Whisky drinkers will have to wait at least another two years until Earp's barrel-aged whisky has reached the right maturity. There are more than 300 distilleries operating in Australia and around 50 of those are producing whisky, including international award-winning varieties from Sullivans Cove and Archie Rose, so they want to get it right.

"The whisky is going to be a minimum of two more years just because it takes a bit more time to perfect what we want to do there," Burns explains.

"Scotland, Ireland and Japan are known for their whisky, but Australia is really starting to make its mark so, for us, it's about nurturing that baby for a bit longer."

Earp Distilling Co opened in December 2019, founded by Michael Earp and his brother Richard Earp, who are also the directors of Newcastle tile company, Earp Bros. The tile warehouse is located at the back of the distillery.

The distillery not only creates world-class spirits but also offers a complete experience in the way of a cellar door and bar that allows the consumer to understand the process behind the craft.

The high-tech 5000-litre still is visible from the bar area and they also run a "spirit school" where participants choose from 88 botanicals and learn to create their own gin on a mini still during a three-hour class.

Distilling remains a learning process for Earp and Burns.

"When Michael and I started the distillery three years ago, we had never done any alcohol making," Burns says.

"The whole process of teaching yourself and going to courses, and talking to people in the industry, has been more than I could ever have thought in such a short space of time.

"Even the bar only being open as a distillery door for 18 months - six months of that was taken out because of COVID - we have just learned so much.

"I have learned a lot about the distilling process, a lot about the industry, and a lot about producing alcohol, selling alcohol, and even the way we drink alcohol.

"The book of what we have learned is endless and always growing."

Earp Distilling Co won four awards at the World Gin Awards earlier this year, including gold for Just Juniper in the London Dry Gin category.

The business has evolved and grown in many ways since its launch, with spirits now sold in 700ml bottles alongside the original ceramic 500ml bottles, as well as refill packs (one small part of their mission to be as sustainable as possible).

The bar's seasonal food offering has grown from a cheese and charcuterie-style menu to incorporate more substantial dishes and snacks.

Another learning curve came in the form of the pandemic.

Three months after opening, Earp switched its production to hand sanitiser to supply to clients including Woolworths, Australia Post and Aldi.

"We spent a lot on the distillery to get it up and running and then COVID hit and we quickly turned to sanitiser production which, if anything, saved our business," Burns says.

"There's no way you could spend so much on a new, small business and training and staff, and then close your doors, so sanitiser really helped us."

Earp's staff grew from 10 to 60 as they employed out-of-work hospitality staff around the clock to keep up the supply.

"We were bottling sanitiser seven days a week. Suddenly, you're on the phone talking to the boss of Woolworths Australia ... and here we were making gin three weeks earlier, you know, it's crazy," Burns says.

"If you can take anything good out of the pandemic, it's that I think Australians are starting to realise how lucky we are to live in this country and how amazing the produce is here."

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