Matt Bailey

There’s something fizzy and lovely about February. It could be that heady combination of the end of summer, the fun and sun, Valentine’s Day, and that sensation of “Okay, I think we’re ready to go”.

January is always a bit slower here. A month of cricket, cold ales, tailed by a public holiday at Australia Day which wraps the month up before the serious end starts. At time of writing, I’ve just been on a short holiday with some friends in January, exploring some local wineries and fine dining. It’s been a few days of meeting winemakers, touching wine casks, roaming the vineyards and re-discovering regionality.

While winemaking is a completely different art from distilling, the similarities are always striking. The passion of the men and women making something, from hand, from the land, to enjoy around a table with friends, is undeniable. The grape to table, or barley to bottle, and that moment of appreciating something delicious and delightful by the glass with great company can’t be beaten. That’s what this issue of Outturn is all about, really. The love of sharing, the love of whisky, the love of tasting something made ‘of the land’ and knowing that this is something that has both evolved over thousands of years, but also kind of hasn’t. We still gather around a table, a beach table, a time and place, and share these moments. Let’s remember how to love whisky, share it around, and drink responsibly.

Matt Bailey ~ Branch Director, SMWS Australia