Tucked away in Rye’s industrial area, Penni Ave Distillery is known in these parts as the go-to for excellent coffee in the AM and stellar cocktails in the PM. Whatever the hour, the good vibes run high and you’ll be warmly welcomed into the creatively decked-out warehouse space. For a business that began from a hobby and opened its doors in the thick of a pandemic, its loyal following is testament to the quality of what’s offered here.
It’s one of the very few dedicated vodka distilleries in Victoria, where the team work their magic in a copper still named Walter, transforming fermented wheat and barley into wonderfully smooth, multi-award-winning vodka. There’s a big commitment to sustainability, from the solar power to the hand-foraged botanicals that bring innovative, distinctly Australian flavours to the vodka. The range includes 16 Beach, an ode to Rye made with sea celery and saltbush. Then there’s the award-winning Wattle Seed and Burnt Honey, and Lemon Myrtle. The Wattle Seed and Burnt Honey Vodka received the Best Vodka Trophy at the 2022 Australian Distilled Spirit Awards, so try it in your next espresso martini and take it to the next level.
Consider yourself a loyal gin drinker? Made with hand-foraged Tasmanian pepperberry, Penni Ave’s Pepperberry and Coastal Rosemary Vodka offers a sustainably sourced option for you to enjoy with soda or tonic with lemon, or in your favourite gin cocktail. Unlike juniper, pepperberry provides a uniquely native Australian taste while still retaining the punchy flavour of your favourite gin.
Penni Ave’s signature cocktail is the Kakadu Mule, flavoured with organic ginger, fresh mint and finger lime. The impressive cocktail list changes with the seasons, including frozen vodka cocktails in the warmer months. If vodka and cocktails aren’t your thing, try a local beer or vino.
Food trucks rotate from week to week in the driveway, from pizza to Asian hawker-style Thai to Mexican. The live music Sunday Session happens on the first Sunday of the month.
Opening hours: café Monday-Friday 6.30am-noon; bar Thursday and Friday 5-9.30pm, Saturday 7am-9.30pm, Sunday 7am-6pm. See website for extended summer hours and live music sessions during summer
Penni Ave Distillery 2/43 Peninsula Ave, Rye
www.penniave.com.au FB: penniave Insta: penniave
