Sustainability

Robbers Dog is a small-batch distillery located in Mount Pleasant, at the southern end of the Barossa Valley. Considerable thought and effort have been invested in creating a sustainable, all-encompassing operation across every facet of the business. This commitment extends from electricity and water usage to mashing and reusing materials within the cellar door, including the building itself.

Housed in a former Bank SA building, which has been renovated into a distillery and cellar door, Robbers Dog features materials sourced locally. The bar is lined with tin from an old shearing shed, while 100-year-old cast iron stools from a demolished Adelaide hotel provide seating for guests, who sit in front of a polished bar top crafted from an old red gum slab saved from becoming a roof lintel or firewood.

Old bakers’ trolleys serve as product shelving, complemented by a shelf made from wood reclaimed during an Adelaide Oval restoration. Wherever possible, items have been reused or repurposed to create an eclectic, warm atmosphere.

110 solar panels sit atop the roof helps minimise energy consumption and contributes renewable energy back to the grid, while external signs are illuminated with individual solar-powered lights.

Water, captured rainwater stored in an underground tank, is utilised for cooling during the distillation process, which can last up to 10 hours. Since opening in October 2017, the same 3,000 litres of rainwater has been in use, cycling between the stills and storage with only minimal replenishment needed.

Robbers Dog does not import alcohol; all mashing for production occurs on-site, with the by-products recycled as stock feed for a local farmer. The cellar door features a small kitchen that produces pizzas and pub-style meals, with all organic waste fed to the 10 chickens and 5 ducks living on-site, whose eggs are then used in the kitchen.

The waste generated by the chickens is used to fertilize the many fruit trees planted on the property. These trees are nearing maturity and will soon produce enough fruit for mashing new products in Robbers Dog’s ever-expanding range.

Customers are encouraged to return empty bottles, which are cleaned and reused. The corks are donated to a local upcycling store, where they are transformed into new, usable items by creative individuals.

Collaboration with local small businesses is also part of Robbers Dog ethos, the dried fruit in our cocktails is sourced from another small business who works with citrus growers purchasing their imperfect unsaleable fruit.

To keep our heating and cooling efforts down we have espalier apple trees in barrels down the side of the distillery.  Their foliage help keep the suns heat off the distillery wall during summer & allow the sun to heat up the wall during winter.