It was around the family Christmas table in 2018 and Linda recognised the glint in Pete’s eye. 18 years earlier Pete along with good friends Pat and John had the same glint in their eyes as they planned and built The Cidery, one of WA’s first boutique cider and craft beer producers. Their daughter Grace and her husband Dave had just moved back to the West after a number of years on the East Coast. 
 

“Dave I want to start a distillery. You like gin you can make the gin.”
 

Two weeks later with Pete still talking about it Dave decided he had better figure out how to make gin. Pete was serious! 
 

Over the next two years they tinkered on and off with their 2.5l Copper test still. It wasn’t until COVID-19 raised its head and Dave was stood down from his job as an airline pilot that it was decided “if it’s ever going to happen now is the time!” 
 

In between working with Pete a builder on the work site the two distillers began refining their gin recipe until Grounded Gin was born and Blackwood Valley Distillery was able to take off.