Sweet sips

John and Justin are giving distilling a pink hot go in Heathcote, writes Iris Huizinga

“Justin loves a good beer, but I’ve never really liked beer. I’m a big sweet tooth. I love a good cocktail. So for me, it was just about making some more drinks I actually like.”

As John Williams says this, he grins widely, then pours me an strikingly pink liqueur. It’s raspberry, and it’s delicious. Not too sweet, not too alcoholic. The coffee liqueur is equally amazing.

John and Justin Atic are the founders of Scylla distillery and are just as likeable as their liqueurs.

“There weren’t really any liqueurs here in Australia, especially not Australian-made,” says Justin.

John: “The raspberries are from a farm in northern NSW. We work with farmers directly.”

They distill all their liqueurs in Heathcote. Justin says: “We make drinks for the everyday person.”

“But we focus on things that the average person doesn’t care about,” John adds.

“For instance, the average person doesn’t care that you carbon filter it five times instead of four, they care that they don’t wake up with a hangover and that it tastes really smooth.”

“And that it is made local,” says Justin.

John: “Yes, something we’re really big on and that we love is being next to the Royal National Park. We donate 2 per cent of our profits to the park.”

Justin: “Ever since high school, John really wanted to distill spirits. Both of my grandparents dabbled in it throughout their life, making rakia, which is this Eastern European spirit. About a year and a half ago, John says, ‘I really want to start distilling.’ And I said, ‘That sounds awesome, let’s give it a go.’

“It’s been awesome. It’s been so much fun so far. It is all self-funded, just the two of us, as well as John’s wife, Zoe.”

As well as raspberry and coffee liqueurs, Scylla also sells vodka. Shop at www.scylla.com.au, and at Dan Murphy’s and BWS in the Shire.