Crafting a New Home for Tin Shed Distilling Co. Project

Production Distillery and Cellar Door
Nairne, South Australia

Experienced and well respected South Australian artisan distillers Ian Schmidt and Vic Orlow share a passion for crafting high quality spirits from locally sourced ingredients. From their very first batches in 2013, this commitment to hands-on attention at each step of the process – and a healthy sense of humour – has earned their company Tin Shed Distilling Co. a dedicated following both locally and in the overseas market.

After 20 years producing their award-winning whisky, rum, vodka and gin in Welland, Ian and his team wanted to develop a cellar door that would provide direct engagement with their customers and enable greater immersion in the distilling process through tours, tasting and blending events. To do this, Ian approached Fore Design (formerly Beyond Ink) for design assistance to relocate Tin Shed Distillery Co to the more climate friendly township of Nairne in the Adelaide Hills.

With our track record of creating high quality and eye-catching cellar doors in the Adelaide Hills Wine region, Fore was excited to assist Ian in bringing his project to life.

Working with an existing shed structure from the site’s previous life as part of the old Chapman’s Meatworks, a new modern ‘shed’ evolved to enable a large production area. In addition to a strong focus on expressing the clients existing branding, a unique design feature is the location of the processing area adjacent to the tasting spaces, providing visitors with a ‘production to glass’ experience of Tin Shed’s range. Richly grained timber brings warmth to the structure, whilst balustrading was also incorporated into the outdoor entertaining area to manage noise and provide protection for residents neighbouring the distillery.

The result of Fore’s contribution is an exciting new venue; with a maximum of 130 guests at any one time, you can be assured that a visit to the only cellar door in Nairne will be intimate and memorable, just like Tin Shed’s famous spirits.