Double distillery tasting with Robbie & Ronan

We’re thrilled to welcome two exceptional Tasmanian distilleries to Spier & Wright. As always, you’ll enjoy a curated flight of six whiskies - but this time, with a special twist: two passionate, hands-on distillers will join us as guest speakers to share their craft and stories behind the dram.

1. Ronan Kavanagh is an Irish‑born distiller and hospitality leader based in Hobart, Tasmania. He built his reputation working on local distilling projects at Charles Oates Distilling, where he gained hands‑on experience in small‑batch spirit production and recipe development. Ronan is perhaps best known as the bar manager behind Mary Mary, the acclaimed cocktail bar and spirits library at The Tasman hotel, where he champions Tasmanian ingredients and artisan producers.

For this event, Ronan joins as a guest speaker to showcase Spring Bay Distillery whiskies, drawing on his distilling background and deep knowledge of Tasmania’s craft spirits scene to guide tastings and share the story behind Spring Bay’s coastal, award‑winning single malts.

2. Robbie Gilligan is a Glasgow‑born distiller and co‑founder of Derwent Distillery on the banks of Tasmania’s Derwent River. After moving to Tasmania, he apprenticed at Lark Distillery and went on to distil and help build brands at Redlands/Old Kempton, where he oversaw production, cask selection, and cellar‑door operations. In 2016, Robbie and his wife Emma revived the historic Derwent Distillery name - originally one of Australia’s first licensed distilleries from 1823 - and established their own boutique site in Dromedary.

As head distiller, Robbie crafts award‑winning, small‑batch single malt whisky. For this event, Robbie joins as a guest speaker to showcase Derwent Distillery’s whiskies, sharing his journey from Scottish roots to becoming one of Tasmania’s most respected third‑wave distillers.

The Lineup:

Spring Bay Solera Cask
44%
Spring Bay Sherry Cask
47.2%
Spring Bay 'Rheban Strength' Bourbon Cask
60%
Derwent Tawny Cask
46%
Derwent Botrytis Cask
46%
Derwent Cailleach Smoky Botrytis
53%

Event Details:

When: Thursday, 17 September 2026, 6:30pm
Where: Spier & Wright, 151 King William Rd, Unley
Cost: $75 per person

Bookings are essential - seats are strictly limited.