Award-winning gin company Billy Stitch given green light to open distillery tasting room in Medina

Local distillers Billy Stitch has cleared the first hurdle to open a brewery in Kwinana, with councillors unanimously approving their collaboration with The Labyrinth Studio in Medina.

Billy Stitch Distillery is the Kwinana-made award-winning brainchild of husband and wife Stephanie and David Hayes.

Last week, their bid to open a brewery at Seabrook Way in Medina went before the city of Kwinana council.

The proposal includes a brewery with a tasting room, open daily from 9am-9pm (except Anzac Day, Christmas Day and Good Friday), with room for up to 50 patrons and parking for 13 cars on the verge.

The approval also extended to serving food and beverages outdoors, and Sunday session afternoon musicians.

Rob Cripwell already creates intricate tiles at the Seabrook Way location, which he has named The Labyrinth Studio, and will continue after the brewery opens.

It is a significant step for Billy Stitch, which came out of COVID-19 lockdowns with a burgeoning gin empire.

“Dave’s only just left the navy recently but was kind of bored so the whole distilling passion came out of not having enough to do with his engineering brain,” Ms Hayes told the Sound Telegraph in April.

“He needed some extra hobbies and I thought it would stay a hobby, but it kind of escalated.”

It escalated to the point that the gin is now sold at 140 outlets in WA.

“The goal was half-a-million dollars in sales in the first year and we’re at around $400,000,” Mr Hayes said.

The distillery has already collected many awards, including gold for its summer gin and double gold for its dry gin and berry mojito gin at the prestigious 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Mr Cripwell was introduced to the couple, and the idea to pair art workshops and gin was born.

“I guess our artwork on the labels is quite surrealistic, I would say they’re quite artistic,” Ms Hayes said.

“So we thought this works really well and it (The Labyrinth) is such a beautiful space.”