Not long ago on a windy Melbourne night, two gents made a pact to turn their passion for incognito home brewing into a legitimate pastime. The partnership resulted in Melbourne Moonshine – a devilishly charming boutique distillery that has been ‘legally’ operating since 2015. Melbourne Moonshine brews out of a distillery in south Melbourne, with uniquely shaped alembic stills that are reminiscent of the bootlegging breweries of old. The product is direct-flame fired, with batches fermented for a week before distilling and bottling in limited runs.

Melbourne Moonshine’s sour mash shine – also known as White Lightning – is crystal clear, with corn sourced from Victorian farms to make the sour ‘wash’ that helps create the flavoursome kick of the end product. The charred barrels and mixture of fermented and distilled corn creates an intoxicating aroma and flavour that is enjoyably drinkable and warming from throat to belly (sweet, but with a dry finish). Other delightful flavours include apple and sweet tea – fancy a taste? You’re in luck – Melbourne Moonshine can be found at The Bowery, ARIA, Greenhill, Greaser and The Gresham as well as at Malt Traders in Fortitude Valley.