Little Juniper Distilling expanding to Adelaide Hills

An award-winning South Australian gin distillery is expanding, taking over a deserted historic site in the Adelaide Hills to create its first cellar door experience.

Little Juniper Distilling Co will open its first cellar door at Nairne in the Adelaide Hills. Picture: Supplied

An award-winning South Australian gin distillery is eyeing a major expansion in the Adelaide Hills to create its first cellar door.

Little Juniper Distilling Co founder and distiller Stuart Mackenzie will take over the former Chapmans Factory at Nairne and create a two-storey distillery for his growing brand.

Mr Mackenzie said the half-a-million dollar makeover would transform the dilapidated site to house his entire operation and later add rum and whisky to his existing gin and liqueur line.

With an ambitious rebuild in front of him, the 51-year-old said the site’s character and history lent itself to a distillery.

Little Juniper Distilling Co founder, distiller and director Stuart Mackenzie hopes to transform the site and open in mid-2025. Picture: Supplied

Little Juniper Distilling Co will open its first cellar door at Nairne in the Adelaide Hills after a hugely successful four-year direct-to-store and customer shop in Stoneyfell. Picture: Supplied

“As soon as I walked inside, I was like, ‘holy crap, this has got character’,” he said.

Plans include a 170sq m event space suitable for weddings and corporate events, 250sq m for the distillery, a 150sq m commercial kitchen down the track, and various sitting and alcove-type rooms.

Little Juniper’s entire operations will be based from the site, from distillation to packaging to exporting, and will create a sort of hub along that section of the Old Princes Highway.

Tin Shed Distilling is aiming to open in October and a brewery also setting up in the area.

Mr Mackenzie said he had scoured Adelaide and surrounds for a prime site to expand Little Juniper since opening four years ago, but none had been ideal for his overall plans.

“I want to take a place that has a history of employing lots of people in the Hills and do that again,” he said.

Little Juniper Distilling Co founder, distiller and director Stuart Mackenzie hopes to transform the site and open in mid-2025. Picture: Supplied

It will allow Little Juniper to grow from about 4500 bottles a year to more than 11,000 bottles.

“Once we get in there we will look at exporting to other counties, and opening us up to make rum and maybe whiskey down the line – possibly,” he said.

“The cellar door will give is more income to spend on the business.”

Little Juniper swept the Tasting Australia awards for its barrel aged gin and fruit liqueur in 2024.