Tim Jones pulls the cork out of a bottle and pours a tasting sample of pale golden liquid into my glass.

I’ve known Tim for over a decade as a cider maker and distiller. He was at the leading Tasmanian cidery Willie Smith’s for years, and helped set up apple brandy production there. We’ve discussed many other types of fermented drinks over that time, too: before cider, he worked at Yalumba grapevine nursery in the Barossa and developed a passion for the region’s red wines and fortifieds. He’s also involved with Australian Flavour Lab, where he has produced gin incorporating native ingredients such as saltbush and lilly pilly.