Discover why Happy Heidi distils with King Island Rain

G'day again! Happy Heidi, proud owner, operator and the passionately GINdependent woman behind King Island’s very own distillery, which I established in 2014.

As a solopreneur and artisan distiller, I pour everything I’ve got into crafting spirits that truly reflect the heart and soul of King Island. 

And let me tell you: King Island Rainwater isn’t just any water; it’s a key local ingredient that elevates every King Island Distillery bottle and makes each sip uniquely special, adding extra pleasure in every measure of Happy Heidi's King Island Gin and spirits.

A special thank you to my GINspiration

About ten years ago, my GINcredible friend and mentor Lyn Lark, the Hall of Fame and Queen of Distilling, gave me one piece of advice that GINfluenced my gin distilling from day one: distil with pure rain water because the stills don’t reach boiling point during distillation, stated Lyn. That wisdom set me on the right path for consistent quality. To this day, every single bottle I fill at my King Island Distillery has King Island Rainwater, fresh, UV-filtered, 100% local and as GINtastic as the island itself.

Why I use King Island Rain

From day one, I’ve chosen King Island Rainwater because I believe in working with the best nature offers. The rain that falls on our island (see the photo below of Happy Heidi and Distillery Dog Buddy just before it rained), filters through the landscape to become soft, mineral balanced water that tastes like water should. It’s one of the key ingredients to my spirits’ smoothness and authenticity and it’s in every bottle we make at Happy Heidi’s King Island Distillery, in the capital of our Island, Currie.

Supporting local and sustainable

My commitment to King Island extends beyond distillation. I source all my rainwater on King Island for distilling, cutting, distillery door tastings and even my blocks of ice from King Island Cloud Juice in 12L Bloolps bottles. Buying local supports fellow island businesses and keeps our community thriving. I also recycle every King Island Rainwater Bloolp bottle after use, so our craft is built with love and care for the environment and local economy.

The spirit crafting process

During distillation, I carefully cut down the high-ABV spirit with King Island Rainwater to strike the perfect balance: smooth, flavourful and true to the island’s native bounty. To reach an average spirit ABV of around 40%, the distilled spirit is diluted with almost 50% King Island Rainwater. Each bottle is hand-filled on site and finished with hand-written labels that are hand-applied, making it a genuine 100% local, artisan product.

Why it matters

Using King Island Rainwater isn’t just a random choice, it’s my promise of King Island quality, authenticity and consistency. Every bottle captures the natural purity and sense of place that make Happy Heidi’s local artisan gin, spirits, liqueurs and ready to drink cocktails taste GINtastially great.

Taste the local spirit of King Island

When you enjoy a locally distilled spirit, liqueur, or cocktails from Happy Heidi’s King Island Distillery, you’re tasting the product with actual local cloud droppings of King Island Rainwater: clean, smooth and crafted with heartfelt passion.

The first ever King Island Gin to be released, King Island Native Gin, and our Native Gin aged in a barrel are two of my favourite artisan spirits.

Cheers my friends and thank you for supporting a 100% local, woman-operated bespoke King Island Distillery.