WA govt awards $400K grant to Tailor Made Spirits for Margaret River distillery development

Tailor Made Spirits have received a $400K Value Add Investment Grant from the Western Australian Government to build the Cowaramup Distillery and Tavern in Margaret River.

The grant comes from the state government’s $16.7 million Food and Beverage Fund intended to stimulate jobs in the Western Australian food and beverage industry. It stipulates that the grant is matched by the recipient business, meaning that Tailor Made will invest $800K in total.

Tailor Made Spirits will break ground on the site within weeks starting the build on West Winds Gin's 'spiritual' home. The distillery will be the first of its kind in Cowaramup, a hub for local producers to showcase their own products and a tourist destination.

Paul White, Founder and CEO of Tailor Made Spirits and Vice President of the Western Australian Distillers Guild said, “We have been distilling in the Margaret River Region since 2014, only made possible with incredible support of local producers – putting not only our heart and soul in to the project but also many of this great land’s unique botanicals into every bottle, not to mention Margaret River Sea Water.

“This opportunity represents a great chance to give back and honour the support we’ve had through this important local development.”

The Cowaramup Distillery and Tavern will enable Tailor Made Spirits to increase their production capacity, to raise the profile of the brand and to increase the Tailor Made Spirits' team.

Head Distiller at West Winds Gin, Anthony Reynolds said, “I’m incredibly passionate about the fact that this opportunity not only gives us the chance to increase our production volumes, helping us shine the light on our award winning Australian Gins on the world’s stage."

The investment will support local jobs, and the distillery's architecture will feature locally sourced building materials, including local stone and old timber, reflecting the region’s unique landscape. It will also incorporate solar panels and recycled rainwater to reduce its carbon footprint and local environmental impact.