Australian Country - July/August 2018

When I say take over, I mean more like a military invasion, as we infi ltrated
the entire premises from the distillery fl oor to the cocktail bar with our cameras,
lights and all the paraphernalia that goes on behind the scenes to create a fashion
story. Founders David Whittaker and Vanessa Wilton stood by benignly as we
blitzkrieged their offi ces with suitcases full of garments and bags of accessories,
while our hair and make-up team rolled out their arsenal of heated rollers, brushes
and make-up and requisitioned any spare desks as workspace. While head distiller
Tim Stones made sure everything was shipshape on the factory fl oor, T2 (Tim
Gray) was at the ready mixing cocktails as the story shifted from the workplace
to party time. If explanation were needed for why the Manly Spirits team were so
happy to help us realise our Spirited Conversation story it would go something like
this: David and Vanessa know what it is to dream big. Three years ago, they came
up with the notion of starting their own distillery that would blend the carefree
beach life and urban sophistication for which Manly is famed with genuinely
artisanal methods to capture nature in a bottle. They enlisted the support of chef
and forager Elijah Holland to sustainably source local marine botanicals to give
their gins, whiskies and vodkas a truly coastal Australian fl avour. And once they
had perfected their product, they opened a bar, which you can visit on weekends.
So a big shout out to everyone at Manly Spirits. Thanks for making us so welcome
and the shoot so easy. Elsewhere in the magazine we’ve lots of fascinating
people and places for your reading pleasure, plus our regular features. We look
forward to seeing you for the next issue, on sale September 6.