Vibrant and bombastic distillery to open in Marrickville

Marrickville, famous for being part of Sydney’s inner-west brewery trail, will soon have another distillery to add to its vibrant hospitality scene.

Following the recent opening of Ester Gin’s distillery and cellar door, Unexpected Guest will open its brand-new distillery, promising several unexpected delights for its first guests.

Karen Westfield, COO of Sam Prince Hospitality Group, behind notable Sydney restaurants as Mejico, Kid Kyoto, and Indu, said the distillery will fit well into the quirky vibe of the area.

“I think the new distillery in Marrickville will quickly become a favourite with locals in the Inner West and those joining the Ale Trail.”

The Unexpected Guest distillery has been constructed within the walls of a former mechanic workshop and the new design maintains the rustic beams and oil-soaked concrete, but the warehouse has been transformed with a terrazzo-tiled bar, copper finishes and rendered brick.

Co-Founder and Master Distiller Jane Owen wants the distillery to be a safe and exciting place for all to discover their personal gin preference.

“If you enjoy a gin with lots of tonic then we will top that glass right up,” she said.

“We don’t take ourselves too seriously, we want the distillery to be vibrant and bombastic. We’ve got this great big, bold orange line that circles the entire premises, ligne-claire style caricatures sketched right onto the brick, and a fully working and restored 1972 kombi on display—glistening in orange and copper.”

The distillery has several unexpected delights in store for its first guests, who should make sure they are at the bar when a plane flies overhead, to be slyly rewarded with a secret little aeroplane chocolate.

Unexpected Guest Distillery opens its doors September 21.