Husk Farm Distillery Co-Founder Harriet Messenger discusses the challenges and opportunities shaping the Australian craft gin industry.
The gin industry in Australia has been on quite a ride. And I’ve had a front-row seat to the whole thing, white knuckles hanging on for dear life.
When we first released Ink Gin 10 years ago, the local gin landscape looked nothing like it does today. We were one of only a small handful of distilleries. Our annual “conference” was basically a group of mates catching up over drinks, trading stories, and sharing whatever wisdom we’d accidentally learned along the way.
Overseas, gin was in. Craft was booming in the UK. Here at home, Australian native ingredients and bush botanicals were just starting to pique global curiosity. It felt like we were on the precipice of a new era – a chance for Australia to carve out its own identity in the category rather than mimic the European giants.
We were among the pioneering few in Australia, launching alongside other now-iconic brands that helped shape the local gin landscape.
After searching across the Asia–Pacific for an ingredient that had never been used before in gin, my father Paul stumbled upon the butterfly pea flower, a unique botanical with an intense floral blue “ink” which gives our signature gin its natural indigo colour.
The real eureka moment came when we realised that this little flower changed colour to blush pink when mixed with tonic. The world’s first colour changing gin was born.
A few years earlier, I’m sure many in the industry would’ve said: You can’t do that. But why couldn’t you? For hundreds of years, gin was clear – but there was nothing in the rulebook that said it had to be.
Of course, rulebooks are funny things. Once you challenge them successfully, everyone else suddenly feels braver too.
Ink Gin took off, we couldn’t keep up with production and expanded quickly. What followed was an explosive innovation across the industry – distillers experimenting fearlessly with flavours, styles, colours, infusions, local ingredients, collaborations, and limited releases.
Consumers were buying gin faster than we could produce it. Retailers couldn’t keep up. Venue backbars became miniature rainforests of native ingredients. For a while, it felt like every second week another distillery opened its doors.
And then … we kept going.
And going.
And going.
The growth of Australian gin was extraordinary – but also unsustainable. In the rush to meet demand and cash in on the category’s popularity, quality began to vary. Not all gin is good gin. Some brands were producing thoughtful, well-crafted spirits with distinct botanical stories. Others were producing gin because everyone else was.
We gin makers became victims of our own success, consumer palates started to fatigue and gin shelves became overwhelming. So many choices!
Ten years on from when we started, the category has entered a new phase of consolidation.
The great gin rush has settled, and what’s left will be something more stable, grown-up and sustainable.
Today, consumers are drinking less and drinking better. They’re choosing brands with provenance, purpose and staying power. They’re gravitating back to Australian and international brands that they trust. They want to know who makes their gin, what’s in it, and why it exists.
Consumers are better than ever at recognising authenticity versus marketing spin. This shift doesn’t mean innovation is dead. It means innovation is maturing.
But here’s the kicker. The future of Australian gin doesn’t only depend on our creativity or consumer preferences. It depends on whether the regulatory framework allows the industry to grow sustainably. Right now, it doesn’t.
A few realities worth noting:
- Australia has the third-highest spirits tax (excise) in the world. We’re on the podium!
- Spirits excise increases twice a year, every year, and already represents around $30 per 700ml bottle of spirit.
- Same alcohol, wildly different tax: spirits drinkers pay double the tax of beer and four times the tax of wine for the exact same standard drink.
- The remissions scheme first introduced in 2017 and from next year offering up to $400,000 excise remission to producers means most very small producers effectively pay no excise at all – creating a system that rewards staying small and penalises growth.
It’s not an environment that builds strong, export-ready brands.
If Australia wants to compete on the world stage, we need a tax system that recognises spirits as a valuable world class manufacturing sector, rather than restricting growth with unfair and burdensome taxes.
So where do we go from here?
As we continue to grow Ink Gin at home and internationally, I’ve been thinking about this a lot. There’s no doubt that Australia makes some of the best gins in the world. I believe the next decade of Australian gin will be shaped by a return to clarity and craft, with distilleries making fewer gins but making them exceptionally well.
Provenance will become the new premium, as consumers increasingly seek real founders, real places and real stories.
Instead of endless proliferation, we’ll see category elevation – fewer new brands, but more intentional, high-quality releases that genuinely move the dial.
And underpinning it all is advocacy: excise reform is no longer a niche issue, but the ceiling on the entire category’s future. If we get this right, the next chapter of Australian gin will be our most exciting yet.
About the author
Harriet Messenger, along with her father Paul, co-founded Husk Farm Distillery. As Head of Marketing, Harriet leads with creativity and vision, crafting compelling stories that have brought both Ink Gin and Husk Rum to life. Her strategic direction has been instrumental in building these award-winning spirits from the ground up.
In addition to shaping Husk’s brand identity, Harriet also oversees the tourism and hospitality arm of the business, ensuring every visitor experience reflects the same innovation and authenticity that define their products.
About Husk Farm Distillery
Husk Farm Distillery is Australia’s first single estate Agricole rum distillery, located on a family cattle and cane farm in Northern NSW. Founded by Paul and Mandy Messenger, Husk crafts premium rum from freshly crushed cane juice and is also home to Ink Gin, Australia’s iconic butterfly pea gin.
Born from innovation and resilience, Husk now welcomes visitors to its cellar door and distillery for tours, tastings, and farm-to-glass experiences, while continuing to create experimental craft spirits that celebrate Australian provenance.