When you make great whisky, you get accustomed to waiting and taking things slow. But even for the ever-patient Baker family – producers of some of Australia’s finest single malt whisky – the three-year process of relocating Bakery Hill Distillery from its original Bayswater North home to Kensington was painstakingly slow.

“It’s been a massive effort to uproot from our home of nearly 25 years,” says Andrew Baker, director of Bakery Hill. “But the Kensington community has been so welcoming and thrown their arms around us.”

Andrew’s father, former chemistry teacher David Baker, founded Bakery Hill in 1999. But the original site was designed purely for production, and before long, Melbourne fans were pleading for a fully fledged cellar door.

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After decades of waiting, it’s finally here. Bakery Hill Distillery has taken over a 400-square-metre heritage-listed warehouse, about a five-minute walk from both the Kensington and Macaulay train stations.

When you first enter from bustling Macaulay Road, you’re greeted by the Sly Grog Shop – a snug, wood-panelled space that doubles as a standing bar and takeaway shop. Beyond buying bottles, you can also sip sly drams of Bakery Hill’s single malts.

From here, you step into the primary cellar door and production area where the distillery’s historic John Dore pot still takes centre stage.

Events, tastings and functions are held in this space when the whole distillery opens to the public on Fridays and Saturdays. The weekend tours, which also take guests into the barrel room where the distillery’s long-aged single malts are slumbering, are the big draw card here.

“We love taking groups around the distillery,” says Andrew, who now runs the business with his brother Matthew Baker. “We show them how to make whisky, try some grain, touch the barrels, have a drink next to the still, and, of course, sip five or six whisky samples as we go.”

Fill-your-own whisky bottle experiences are available on the 90-minute tours. The distillery bar is well stocked with an array of Bakery Hill whiskies, including the new Blend – a sharply priced homage to the old-school blended whiskies of yesteryear. A collaboration ale brewed with nearby Bonehead Brewing and Hardimans Hotel is also on pour.

There’s no kitchen, but you can bring in food from venues nearby. And while you’re there, it would be rude not to jump on the Kenzo Crawl. It’s the area’s new booze trail – buying a pass gets you a drink at Bakery Hill, Bonehead and Nubilum Distilling, which are all just a few hundred metres apart in what is fast becoming a hub for craft producers.

Bakery Hill Distillery
411 Macaulay Road, Kensington
(03) 9531 4687

Hours:
Sly Grog Shop and Bar
Tue to Thur 10am–4pm
Fri 10am–9pm
Sat 1pm–6pm
Distillery tours are available at various times.