September 2026 | Coffin Bay Spirits High Tide Gin

For founders Ben and Caro Deslandes, Coffin Bay Spirits began with a fascination for the environment long before it began with spirits. The pair met at university before forging careers in Indigenous land management across some of Australia’s most remote regions. Working alongside Indigenous communities, they were guided by Traditional Ecological Knowledge to develop a deeper understanding of Australia’s native ecosystems and the plants that thrive within them.

As Ben explains, “That grounding in land and country has played a huge part in how we got to where we are. At its heart, it all comes back to a love of botanicals, and of understanding the landscapes they come from.”

The idea to start a distillery sparked during COVID. With remote contract work on hold, Ben and Caro suddenly found themselves with something they rarely had: time to properly explore the remarkable property they had recently taken on along the Lower Eyre Peninsula.

Operating on the Eyre Peninsula also brings practical advantages: the team has access to exceptionally pure rainwater, and an abundance of endemic botanicals found not only on their own property, but right across the Lower Eyre Peninsula. The local community also shares a deep connection to the coastline; visitors are often surprised to discover that many of the botanicals and wild seaweeds featured in the distillery’s experiences are grown on nearby beaches, sometimes even in their own gardens. For Ben and Caro, helping people rediscover the flavours of their own backyard is one of the most rewarding parts of the journey.

The distillery also operates entirely off-grid through a closed-loop system, with rainwater collected and stored on-site before being used throughout the distillation process. Sustainability is woven into everyday operations, reflecting the team’s deep respect for the landscape that inspires their spirits.

Their work with seaweed is especially pioneering: after years of research and applications, Coffin Bay Spirits secured Australia’s first permit of its kind allowing the harvest of multiple seaweed and seagrass species. Much of it is collected by hand through free-diving expeditions off the coastline below the distillery, introducing visitors to flavours, aromas and textures rarely encountered outside the marine environment.

The star of the show is the Coastal Saltbush. Harvested during the highest tides, the plants are regularly exposed to the full force of the Southern Ocean, sometimes spending hours submerged beneath the water. Constant exposure to wind, salt spray and the harsh coastal environment creates a botanical with remarkable depth, savoury complexity and a distinctive peppery character that forms the backbone of the gin.

Supporting the saltbush is Native Coastal Rosemary. Another hand-foraged ingredient contributing fragrant herbal notes, it evokes a walk through the windswept coastal vegetation lining much of the Eyre Peninsula. Traditional gin staples juniper and coriander provide structure and balance, allowing the native botanicals to shine while maintaining a recognisable gin profile.

On the nose, green freshness mingles with a delicate hint of sea spray. The palate unfolds with a burst of coastal minerality, savoury complexity and earthy black pepper warmth before giving way to a long, refreshing finish.

It’s a profile the team affectionately describes as “sea spray in a bottle,” and after a glass or two, it’s hard to argue with the comparison. Fresh, aromatic and coastal without leaning briney, High Tide Gin captures the feeling of standing on a cliff top as a storm rolls in from the Southern Ocean, offering a true taste of the wild landscape that inspired it.

While the gin offers a taste of the landscape, a visit to Coffin Bay Spirits allows guests to experience it firsthand.

The distillery, years in the making, is built using recycled native timber, with a five-tonne limestone boulder sourced from the property as the centrepiece of the bar. Alongside is an illuminated seaweed installation showcasing species that inspire the distillery’s creations.

Yet perhaps the most memorable feature is the view: the Southern Ocean remains hidden until the final few steps into the cellar door. Sweeping coastal vistas suddenly reveal themselves, a dramatic introduction to a landscape that leaves a lasting impression, whether you’re watching the sun set over the water or gazing at the stars long after dark.