Kiera Shiels and Matt Oberg, Last Hope Distillery, Patagonia

What led two young Australian engineers to pack in their jobs and build a distillery from scratch in one of the most remote corners of the world? In this episode, tune in to hear Kiera Shiels and Matt Oberg of Last Hope Distillery in Patagonia give Gordon the lowdown on their great leap of faith, and a new life crafting small batch gin and whisky in Puerto Natales.Knockdhu is out of the way, but Last Hope Distillery takes remote to the next level. Trips to the city happen twice a year, the winter freeze stops production and it takes a barrel load of ‘make do and mend’ spirit to keep things running (an approach Gordon naturally approves of). But as this intrepid duo reveal, they have everything they need on their doorstep – from a ready supply of peat they can pick up by the roadside, to customers at their distillery bar next door to test gin experiments - and locals who are happy to fill their gin bottles by hand at the distillery door for the ultimate in sustainable packaging.The three also agree that, although whisky is made from just a few simple ingredients, the beauty of your surroundings, the pristine water, clean air and local traditions bring a certain magic once its in the bottle. 

Om Podcasten

Gordon Bruce is curious about craft. And in Knock Tales, the Knockdhu Distillery Manager and anCnoc single malt whisky maker meets people who know exactly what it takes to make the world’s most beautifully crafted and celebrated products. He’ll be sharing a dram with these fellow craft obsessives to get to the bottom of his favourite topic: ‘making things well’. There’s always meticulous process, traditional skills, impeccably sourced raw materials and a stubborn refusal to compromise. But it’s the personal pride and passion you hear in each story that is the making of a truly great craft product. As Gordon says: ‘Nothing compares to a product that has been made by someone, not just with their head but with hand, heart and soul. This is craft, and I’ll be sharing some great stories and a few secrets from people who, like me, spend their days making things to put out into the world for people enjoy. I do hope you’ll join us!’