If walls could talk, the sturdy red-brick walls that make up the heritage-listed Commonwealth Acetate of Lime Factory in Morningside would have some tales to tell. Within the building’s old stillhouse, Belgium-born brewer, industrial chemist and bacteriologist Auguste de Bavay pioneered some of the earliest brewing and distilling techniques – methods that would set the blueprint for many of Australia’s early booze makers. This history and Auguste de Bavay’s seminal impact on the industry is what attracted Scott and Jamie Yates and hospitality veteran Zoran Stojcevski to the space when BMI Group approached them to open a new distilling concept at the heart of the Heritage Quarter precinct at Rivermakers. The trio saw an opportunity to tether past and present through the art of small-batch distilling, paying homage to the progenitors of the spirit-making industry while adding a glamorous allure to a forgotten part of Brisbane’s heritage trail. Here, in the spot where Auguste de Bavay furthered his process of distilling molasses for cordite production, the team behind Bavay Distillery (named in Auguste’s honour) would work to create historically accurate spirits that reflected the tastes of more than a century prior, honouring the early traditions and penning a new chapter in the site’s storied distilling history.
Bavay Distillery’s interior houses both production and cellar door operations. At the far end of the room sits the distillery’s concoction apparatus – a 500-litre copper-pot still, a smaller 50-litre event still for custom blends and an array of fermenters equipped to produce ten barrels of product – be it gin, vodka, rum and whisky – a week. Although an eye-catching focal point of the venue, the gleaming gear slickly blends in amongst the chic Great Gatsby-inspired interior, which also features a copper-top bar (dramatically back-lit to showcase shelves of elegant and ergonomically designed bottles), drop lighting and ample greenery. Heritage fixtures like the exposed-brick walls, river stone floors, racks of American oak barrels and original beams and rafters create a sharp juxtaposition between old and new – an intentional design choice that serves to mirror the distillery’s overall ethos. An all-weather alfresco space also forms part of Bavay Distillery’s footprint, with visitors to the cellar door free to sip cocktails under glittering hanging festoon lights.
Bavay Distillery’s spirit-making process is overseen by distiller George Crozier, who has worked with the Yates brothers to create a range of potables made using the same kinds of yeast, sugar and molasses as the distillers of Auguste de Bavay’s era, as well as a selection of intriguing and unconventional botanicals. Bavay’s core selection of spirits is divided into two categories – the Heritage Range, which includes the brand’s gins and vodka, and the Origins Range, consisting of predominantly molasses-based cane spirits. The gin selection features a citrus-forward and lightly spiced London Dry, a bold juniper-laden Navy Strength gin and a pink-hued pomelo-infused gin. Bavay Distillery’s French wheat vodka is distilled seven times before being filtered through carbon and rose quartz, resulting in an incredibly pure product perfect for mixing. For Bavay’s cane spirits, George has sought to craft a taste profile closely resembling Caribbean-style rums. Bavay’s Pure Silver cane spirit is a clear Havana-style sip boasting notes of caramelised pineapple and coconut, while the Spice Trade is bold but still lightly bodied, infused with seven kinds of aromatics, which offers scents of toffee, sticky date pudding and orange. The heartiest of the bunch is Bavay’s After Dark – an oaky Jamaican-style drop with strong hints of vanilla and caramel. Rounding out the core range is Bavay’s own espresso liqueur, a silky sip that offers traces cacao, leather and brown-buttered Cuban coffee. The distilling team isn’t beholden to the core range, with seasonal releases on the cards that tell stories and showcase weird and wonderful flavour profiles and botanical combinations, as well as collaborative distillations done in partnership with restaurants, bars and hotels. As the Rivermakers distillery doubles as a cellar door, sprit connoisseurs are free to pop in for tastings and take-home purchases. The best way to try is the range is in one of the bar’s Signature Serve cocktails (which includes eight inventive riffs on the classics) or a Perfect Serve – more straightforward concoctions like Bavay’s London Dry gin and tonic, Spice Trade with ginger ale and lime juice, or After Dark mixed with Long Rays dark soda and an orange slice.
Bavay Distillery’s cellar door is open to the public on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. For bookings and operating hours, head to the Stumble Guide. The Rivermakers precinct will be coming to life on Saturday April 9 for the inaugural Heritage Quarter Opening Day. Bavay Distillery will be hosting a pop-up bar alongside activations from fellow tenants.
