Unexpected Guest Distillery opens in Sydney’s Marrickville

The award-winning distillery will open its first physical store this month, amongst the breweries of Marrickville in Sydney’s Inner West.

Karen Westfield, COO of Sam Prince Hospitality Group, owners of Unexpected Guest and the mastermind behind notable Sydney venues, including Mejico, Kid Kyoto, and Indu, said the distillery fits in with the quirky vibe of the area.

“I think the new distillery in Marrickville will quickly become a favourite with locals in the Inner West and those joining the Ale Trail,” she said.

A tribute to Marrickville’s industrial past, the distillery is housed in a former mechanic workshop, with original features like the beams and oil-soaked concrete remaining, while a terrazzo-tiled bar with copper finishes and rendered brick elevated the space and brings it into the modern era.
Behind the bar, skilled bartenders craft cocktails that make the most of local produce from Marrickville, including Black Market Coffee, Messina, and Black Market Sake.

Jane Owen, Co-Founder and Master Distiller, said she wants the distillery to be a safe and exciting place for all to discover and enjoy gin just as they like.

“We don’t take ourselves too seriously, we want the distillery to be vibrant and bombastic,” she said. “We’ve got this great big, bold orange line that circles the entire premises, ligne-claire style caricatures sketched right onto the brick, and a fully working and restored 1972 kombi on display—glistening in orange and copper.”

Celebrating another of Marrickville’s hallmarks, the distillery is happy to announce that anyone at the bar when a flight screams overhead will be rewarded with an aeroplane chocolate. Unexpected Guest Distillery will open its doors on September 21.

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