Back in March 2026, I received a strange email from an unknown bloke from Texas called Chris Greta introducing me to his concept that involved him traveling the world to meet interesting people at small distilleries.
Nah, not for me, I thought. I did nothing about it.
On the other hand, a few of my distilling mates from around the country did engage with him, and they subsequently got me on board too.
I am glad they did.
We had some calls, some emails, and WhatsApp exchanges that set out a rough timetable. Tasmania soaked up an extra month of his timetable where he fell foul of some delightful Drop Bears who made him buy a new Tassie Tux for the frantic social program he found himself wrapped up in.
So, he finally turned up a month late, wearing a Stetson hat, looking like a bearded John Wayne and ready to learn more about the land down under and the whisky we make here.
He turned out to be a really nice bloke, interesting and interested in what was going on around him. He looked at us, our whisky and our culture through a different set of eyes, with a different perspective, and it was a thoroughly worthwhile experience getting to know Chris and his view of the world.
Did he help us? Certainly, but I think his influence is only just starting to develop.
Would I do it again? Shit yeah, in a heartbeat.
Ian Schmidt
Iniquity Single Malt
Tin Shed Distilling Co
Nairne, South Australia
What a great surprise it was to find real Texas-style BBQ in the hills above Adelaide. Their own whisky BBQ sauce was fantastic.
