Crooked Tune Distillery combines owner and founder Aaron’s love for old-time music and American whiskey.
Whilst the craft spirits industry is growing in Australia, the number of distilleries in production using raw ingredients is still very limited. The Australian market has a healthy appetite for (and understanding of) Scotch whiskies, but for most people, a cheap, bourbon-style whiskey has only ever been consumed with coke at the end of a big night.
American whiskey typically has a sweeter flavour than its Scottish cousin, and will often display notes of toffee, cinnamon and vanilla. But the key difference though is cultural. Dialling this right back to the crude clichés, Scotch whisky (spelt without an ‘e’) elicits images of wealthy, refined, silver-haired men in suits sipping politely whilst reclining on leather Chesterfield lounges. American whiskey, on the other hand, is essentially moonshine that’s been aged in American Oak barrels, and its history is colourful with a spattering of stories and songs about outlaws and adventure.
Crooked Tune manifests this roustabout culture; whilst the liquor itself is refined and premium, the brand is accessible and well, fun.
The product is made with a ‘grain to glass’ approach at a super-small underground distillery in St Peters, Sydney. The name references a style of music from old time America and suggests as well that this product may or may not be entirely legal.