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AUTONOMY is about more than what’s just in the bottle. It’s a commitment to rethinking how spirits are made. Every bottle reflects our dedication to quality, craftsmanship and a connection to the local landscape.
About
Inspired by the traditional European aperitivo style of drinking, AUTONOMY was founded in 2019 by Ash and Fern. Prior to establishing the distillery, our careers were based in the natural sciences—Ash worked as an environmental scientist and Fern as a geochemist—and it is our backgrounds that have shaped our approach and product range. We are motivated to produce aperitivos and amari from what is around us, we are conscious about how we make them, and we are driven to continuously find better and more sustainable ways of doing what we do.
By exploring the unique flavour and aroma profiles of botanicals native to Australia, and experimenting with how they interact on the palate to create balance and complexity, we have developed a range of drinks that can be enjoyed neat, over ice, or as the foundation of a well-crafted cocktail.
Every process we undertake is guided by a commitment to sustainability; prioritising the use of locally grown produce, sustainably farmed native botanicals, and ‘not-yet-end-of-life’ ingredients—products that still have a purpose.
Sustainability & Ingredients
Every process undertaken in our distillery, from distilling to bottling, is completed in small batches and by hand.
Our approach to our distillery, from ingredient choices to production processes, is underpinned by our awareness of the environmental impact of our actions, and our determination to adopt the most sustainable options.
An example of this is our partnership with Market Juice in Melbourne. After citrus fruits have been pressed for fresh juice, the peels are collected and processed to create citrus-forward aperitivos and liqueurs. The use of these ‘not-yet-end-of-life’ raw ingredients avoids creating unnecessary waste, and captures the fresh aromas and flavours of the peels to give them a second life.
When selecting ingredients, we also place a great deal of emphasis on working with local producers that adopt sustainable farming practices, we source a large number of ingredients from within Victoria, and when pinpointing a particular flavour or aroma profile, we always give preference to using native Australian botanicals.
We do our utmost to minimise the waste the distillery creates, and are constantly reassessing and refining our practices to move as high up the waste hierarchy 〔avoid > reduce > reuse > recycle〕 as we possibly can.
