Cognac recon and Australian Distillers news with Holly Klintworth

We previously met Holly Klintworth on the Drinks Adventures podcast back in March 2021. So if you’re keen to get the back story on Holly’s distillery, Bass & Flinders, head on back to that episode in Season 8. Holly’s back with us having recently returned from a six-week internship in Cognac, supported by a Churchill Fellowship. The trip had the objective of learning the art of brandy production from leading cognac producers, so that she could share her findings with the Australian industry. I wanted to find out how Holly got on in this endeavour. And coupled with that, how she’s settling in to her dual role as president of the Australian Distillers Association. Holly has only been in the chair since November 2022 and has already had to deal with some contentious issues, like the misleading usage of the term ‘single malt’ by some distillers, which I also discussed recently on the show with Tasmanian Whisky & Spirits Association president Cam Brett. We also cover the divisive debate around base spirit in gin, fuelled by a recent article in the mainstream media, and some controversy surrounding Australian distilleries and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. That’s all coming up in this interview with Holly. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.