Wine, Gin & Beer Experiences in Wollongong City & Surrounds

Choosing a Tasting Experience

For a spirits outing, the place to head is Mount Saint Thomas, where South Coast Distillery works on the escarpment's lower slopes above the city centre. Rather than a bar crawl through the CBD, a group spends the afternoon learning how gin and whisky are actually made, surrounded by the equipment that makes them.

Bookings are taken online, with prices from $99 per person.

Picking the right experience for the group:

Half a day free – the gin-making workshop runs for about four hours and ends with a 700mL bottle for each person.
Food lovers – the workshop serves a lunch paired with gin and tonics.
Whisky drinkers – a guided tasting of five Australian craft whiskies, with snacks between pours.
Gardeners – a stroll through the botanical patch behind the distillery covers edible native plants.
Mixers – a 90-minute class turning the house spirits into three signature cocktails.

A birthday, a hens day or a team outing all suit it, particularly for groups who want something hands-on rather than another round at the pub.

Wollongong City & Surrounds Wine, Gin & Beer Experiences

Lemon myrtle and cardamom go into the contemporary gin.
Illawarra plums flavour a gin made in the sloe tradition.
Oolong tea is infused into the Old Tom.
Vodka, liqueurs and whisky round out what comes off the stills.

When the Distillery Takes Groups

Public workshops and tastings mostly run on Saturday afternoons.
Fridays are kept for private sessions, organised by email with the events team.
Hiring the bar itself costs no room fee; instead there is a bar minimum that varies with the day and the numbers.
Catering is up to you, so arrange food, decorations and music before the day.

Common Questions About Tasting Experiences

Where can a group make gin near Wollongong's city centre?

South Coast Distillery, up in Mount Saint Thomas, has a gin-making workshop: build a recipe with the distiller and go home with your own 700mL bottle, labelled.

Does the gin workshop come with a meal?

Yes – while the workshop runs, everyone sits down to lunch with gin and tonics to match.

Is there something for whisky fans?

Yes. The guided tasting walks through the whisky-making process and pours a flight of five Australian craft whiskies, with snacks to clear the palate.

Can the distillery host our party afterwards?

Yes. Birthdays, hens and work functions can take over the bar without a room fee; the only cost is a bar minimum that changes with the day and the headcount, and food is yours to organise.

Wine, Gin & Beer Experiences in Wollongong City & Surrounds

Compare Wollongong City & Surrounds Wine, Gin and Beer Experiences