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Former West Coast Eagles teammates Josh Kennedy and Chris Masten launched Beyond Distilling, a boutique distillery in Busselton, with x17 Botanical Gin as its inaugural spirit. The venture pairs Kennedy’s football number with a gin made from 17 botanicals, and brings former Margaret River wine and gin producer Greg Garnish into the distilling operation. PerthNow reported the launch on 6 November 2022.
What is Josh Kennedy’s distillery called?
The Busselton venture is Beyond Distilling. Kennedy and Masten developed the business with distiller Greg Garnish, whom they met through his work as a Margaret River wine and gin producer. Kennedy retired from the West Coast Eagles in 2022, ending a playing career with the club that began in 2006, according to the club’s retirement announcement.
Kennedy described the change of direction as a move beyond the AFL bubble. In the launch report, he also put the venture’s tone plainly: “At the end of the day we’re selling booze, so it has to be fun.”
Why is the first gin called x17?
Beyond Distilling’s first release was x17 Botanical Gin. The name refers to Kennedy’s playing number, while the “17” also reflects the 17 botanicals reported in the gin. Launch coverage names juniper and sea celery from Western Australia’s Mid West among the ingredients, alongside a base spirit made using family-grown grain. PerthNow’s 2022 launch report describes those links between the product and its founders’ story.
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How does Beyond Distilling make its spirits?
The production approach became part of the business’s story when its cellar door opened. Head distiller Greg Garnish told Countryman in September 2023 that the distillery had chosen to ferment and distil its own base alcohol, rather than only distil alcohol sourced elsewhere. That grain-to-glass approach puts the creation of the base spirit inside the production process, not just the later flavouring and distillation stages.
Beyond Distilling also tied local sourcing to its releases. A Business News listing says more than 95% of its ingredients were sourced from Western Australia, including grain from Wagin and grapes from Margaret River. In a separate 2024 PerthNow report, Masten was quoted saying 98% of ingredients came from within 500 kilometres of Perth. Those are differently scoped and attributed claims, not interchangeable measures.
When did the Busselton cellar door open?
Countryman reported that the cellar door opened for trade on 4 September 2023. At the time, visitors could sample spirits and look into the production area from a tasting bench. The report said the business had released three gins and a vodka by then; a 2024 follow-up described a broader range including gin, vodka, yuzu, absinthe, liqueur and barrel-aged spirits. These are dated snapshots, not confirmation of today’s products or stock.
The official Beyond Distilling visit page describes the grain-to-glass distillery as located inside Origins Market Busselton. It does not establish current opening hours or booking availability in the information available here, so check the business’s live page or contact it directly before travelling.
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How has the distillery worked with the local community?
One reported collaboration connected the distillery’s regional ingredient story with marine research. In 2023, Beyond Distilling worked with the Bay Blues Project on Blue Haze gin, which was reported to use local grain, botanicals and Geographe Bay seawater. Busselton Mail reported that $25 per bottle would be donated toward continued blue whale research. That donation was attached to the collaboration as reported in 2023, not a standing pledge for other products.
In September 2024, PerthNow reported that x17 had won gold at that month’s Perth Royal Show and that Beyond Distilling had opened a pop-up in Perth’s CBD. Both details describe events at that time; they do not establish current awards, locations or availability.
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