About

Our Story

Cedar Fox Distilling Co. is an award-winning family owned and operated craft distillery located in Coburg, Melbourne, making premium quality spirits.

The journey of Cedar Fox Distilling Co began in 2010 when owner Craig Westwood began his career as a brewer with White Rabbit Brewery after a decade of home brewing. He soon shifted direction to distilling as a brewer, distiller and blender with New World Whisky Distillery (STARWARD). This experience fortified his passion and interest for spirits and distillation. In late 2013, Westwood joined the brewing team at iconic Australian craft brewery, Mountain Goat Beer becoming the barrel manager for the award-winning barrel breed program. His time spent at Goat proved fruitful, with the brewing team receiving numerous domestic and international industry awards and accolades.

In 2015, Cedar Fox Distilling Co. commenced its recipe development stage, striving to create unique products that reflected Westwood’s passion and experience. The process involved the skill of pairing complementary ingredients and botanicals and exploring different flavours and processes to fuel his desire to engineer and refine his signature range of spirits.

He utilised his technical experience and creative skills to seek complexity through simplicity that leaves an indelible mark on the palette. Winning multiple local and international awards, the world’s most prestigious competition, the International Wine and Spirits Competition best described the contemporary gin as “delicate and pretty on the nose, brimming with all the classic botanical aromas. An attractive savoury quality adds complexity on the palate, as does a refreshing wave of
salinity”.

The first Cedar Fox Distilling Co. products were launched in 2017 with the signature premium contemporary dry gin and oak gin. The most notable ingredients are the Sichuan peppercorn, lemon verbena, Lebanese cucumber and Meyer lemons which are masterfully blended with juniper, coriander and rosemary. The oak gin is rested and blended in ex STARWARD whisky barrels for six months giving it a unique amber colour with a beautiful linger of whisky notes. Every season Cedar Fox Distilling Co. produces a limited release gin adding a new aromatic botanical, capturing the essence of seasonal produce to create an intriguing unique gin.

The gins utilise urban Melbourne ingredients paying homage to diversity in Australia. The artwork on the Cedar Fox bottles is a nod to the family’s Lebanese heritage incorporating the Cedar tree and Westwood’s background as a musician and artist. The design was created by Australian born, New York based artist Seldon Hunt. The fox is symbolic of an introduced species into Australia - just as the family was at different times and for different reasons.

Cedar Fox Distilling Co. is now open showcasing its beautifully designed cellar door serving up a range of cocktails, wine and beer.