We’re lucky as a business, and have benefited from the support of the most extraordinary communities… from our local Yarra Valley friends to gin lovers across Australia and around the world.  

And we’re lucky as individuals, particularly us three founders who, supported by the world’s greatest group of staff and a bunch of friends who’ve believed and invested in us, have been allowed to pursue a dream that has proved to be enormous fun along the way. 

So we’ve established something we’re calling the Four Pillars of the Community, and it’s about supporting key cause areas that mean a lot to us. Some of these areas matter to all of us as a business, and others are much more meaningful to one of us. And no we’re not so self-indulgent to tell you why. Instead we’ll just tell you what they are: Local & Community; Alcohol & Education; Women & Mothers; Children & Opportunities and Sustainability.

Each year we look for a variety of ways to support these cause areas. In fact we’re already doing it… over the past twelve months, we have provided prizes for countless fundraising raffles and auctions. But we always want and need, to do more. 

So on the first weekend of December every year we celebrate our birthday with an annual community weekend. And we give all the proceeds of the weekend’s activities to four or five organisations working to make a difference in these cause areas. 

Sometimes we’ll name them. Sometimes we’ll make the donations anonymously because we’re conscious that while our money can have just as much impact as any others, perhaps that organisation isn’t so comfortable taking money from a booze business.

Our 2023 Four Pillars Of The Community recipients were:

• Plate it Forward – A social enterprise hospitality group providing food relief, training and employment opportunities, and career pathways to marginalised members of the Sydney community.
• Scarf – Scarf partner with restaurants and other hospitality businesses to run hands-on programs and Scarf Dinners which provide hospitality training, mentoring, job-readiness workshops and paid work experience to program participants including young people seeking protection, and those from refugee and migrant backgrounds
• Reach Foundation: An organisation that seeks to connect with young people, uncovering what’s holding them back, and equipping them with the tools to set goals, deal with conflict and stand up for what they believe in.
  
• Yarra Valley ECOSS – ECOSS aim to demonstrate sustainable living solutions for people in the Yarra Valley.

Our 2022 recipients were:

• Yarra Valley ECOSS – a Community Environment Hub on Wurundjeri Country in Wesburn. This Permaculture Designed property hosts a weekly Market, Festivals and Events, Indigenous Arts Projects, Volunteers in our Community Gardens, Education Programs, and lots of exciting co-locating Small businesses and Not for Profits. 
• St Vincent’s Open Support Sydney – Open Support looks after vulnerable members of the community through three core programs: a domestic and family violence program, a social isolation program and a transport service for rural patients needing to access healthcare in the Sydney metro area.
• Ovarian Cancer Australia – an independent national not-for-profit organisation, supporting women diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

In 2021, we had to switch things up a bit (thanks to good ole’ covid) and in place of normal trading, we instead donated $25 from each bottle of Australian Christmas Gin sold on our website and in our homes.

Our 2021 recipients were:

• Kalorama Community Group
• Bobby Goldsmith Foundation
• Safe Steps
• Scarf 
• MAD Foundation

Our 2020 Four Pillars of the Community was the first time we introduced the initiative across our two ‘homes’ in Healesville and Sydney.

Our 2020 recipients were:

• CFA Healesville
• Oz Harvest
• MAD Foundation
• Safe Steps
• Scarf

Our 2019 Four Pillars of the Community weekend focused on organisations dealing with the drought and bushfire crises so many communities are battling.

Our recipients in 2019 were:

• CFA Healesville
• Rural Aid Australia
• Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal
• And one anonymous recipient

Our 2018 recipients were:

• CFA
• The Babes Project
• The Big Roast for Cystic Fibrosis
• The final beneficiary, in the area of alcohol and education, remains anonymous.

Our 2017 recipients were:

• Country Fire Authority – without them some of us wouldn’t be here.
• The Babes Project – a local organisation providing perinatal services to women in need of a little extra support.
• Healesville’s Goodlife Farm – a landmark program helping vulnerable young people by connecting them with animals and nature.
• The final beneficiary, in the area of alcohol and education, remains anonymous.

In 2017, we also auctioned off the stunning Christmas beetles that were installed in our distillery for the Christmas period made by local talent Clare James to add to the weekend contributions.

Our 2016 recipients were:

• Country Fire Authority 
• Australian Cancer Research Foundation – because our three stills are named for our mums, so we wanted to support the fight against those cancers that disproportionately target women.
• The Smith Family – because while we have enjoyed so many opportunities, we’re conscious there are so many families who haven’t been anywhere near as lucky as us.
• The final beneficiary, in the area of alcohol and education, remains anonymous.