The legacy of Lark Tasmanian whisky: how one idea grew into an entire industry.

In 1992, Bill and Lyn Lark were granted the first legal distilling licence in Tasmania in more than 150 years – the start of Lark Tasmanian whisky. But the pair didn’t just found a distillery, they drove a movement that turned into a multi-million dollar industry in every state of Australia.

As the 1990s and early 2000s unfolded, Lark Distilling became one of the most iconic Australian whisky brands. In 2015, Bill was inducted into the World Whisky Awards Hall of Fame. In 2026, the brand claimed four trophies at the inaugural Royal Tasmanian Whisky Awards, including Best Overall Whisky for their Wilderness Collection: Sea 08 - Antarctic Edge. Throughout their journey, the Larks have both mentored and inspired generations of Australian craft distillers.

Long before the spirits and accolades began flowing freely, a spark of inspiration in the late 1980s started the Lark Distilling story. Bill, a land surveyor, knew of an abundance of world-class barley (the precursor to single malt whisky) being grown in Tassie, while the state was also famed for its pristine air and water. He also knew of the excellent fortified wines that were being produced in South Australia, offering access to wine-soaked casks that he could use to mature whisky. Why, he wondered, was no one making single malt whisky in Tasmania?

How Lark Tasmanian whisky broke down barriers

It turns out there were a couple of reasons. One was a law that had been on the books since 1839, when state governor Sir John Franklin had shut down Tassie’s booming colonial-era distilling industry. His wife, Lady Jane Franklin, famously declared: “I would prefer barley be fed to pigs than it be used to turn men into swine.” Another was a federal law mandating distillation to take place only in commercial-size volumes, a decree that precluded small-scale, boutique spirits makers.

Bill wasn’t going to take ‘no’ for an answer, however. He successfully petitioned the Tasmanian government and federal parliament to have both laws amended, allowing craft spirits production to begin on the Apple Isle.

The Larks went on to create Australia’s most iconic single malt whisky brand. Bill and Lyn were also instrumental in helping to get the first generation of Tasmanian craft whisky producers off the ground, working with erstwhile competitors such as Sullivans Cove and Overeem to help establish a viable boutique whisky industry in Tasmania.

More than 35 years later, Lark has grown from one family’s labour of love into a multi-million-dollar business, with tens of thousands of whisky barrels under maturation and a listing on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). In 2026, the historic distillery also entered an important new phase, with a fresh look and an updated range of whiskies.

What sets Lark apart from other Australian whiskies?

“First and foremost, exceptional whisky has to have a sense of place,” says Lark Distilling CEO and spirits industry veteran, Stu Gregor. “And Tasmania is a very special place. If you had a blank canvas, and you could create your ideal location for making whisky, you’d make Tasmania.”

Lark Distilling uses Tasmanian-grown barley, which is regarded as among the best in the world, and uses brewer’s yeast to ferment it rather than the high-efficiency distiller’s yeast used elsewhere. The result is a fruity, textural and unmistakably Aussie spirit.

“What we always see with Lark is a sense of viscosity and texture in the spirit,” Stu says. “You can’t make a great whisky without a great spirit to start with.”

This base spirit is matured in Aussie fortified wine casks sourced from renowned wineries such as Seppeltsfield, their timbers soaked for decades in high-quality tawny and apera (the localised name for port and sherry styles). It’s those casks that take Lark’s spirit to the next level, Stu notes.

Whisky for the ages

“A classic sherry cask Scotch is matured in a barrel that’s been seasoned with sherry for maybe three or four years,” he explains. “At Lark, the wine has been sitting in the barrels we use for a minimum of 40 years. Our Ruby Abyss is only finished in barrels over 100 years old.”

Beyond their distinctive spirit and carefully selected casks, Lark goes further by adding a unique smoking process for their Devil’s Storm label, using peat harvested from the Tasmanian highlands to smoke its grain. Rather than producing the salty, medicinal, intense smokiness that traditional Scotch whiskies are known for, Lark’s flavour profile instead reflects Tasmania’s mossy, eucalyptus-rich native forests.

But, confides Stu, the real key to unlocking Lark’s unique character is the people. “If you don’t have a great team, you’ve got nothing,” he says. “You need people who are imaginative and creative, brave enough to challenge conventional wisdom. Someone who’s going to push flavour, push new ideas.

“If we make a whisky that’s only as good as everything else on the shelf, we’re dead in the water. We have to make things exceptional.”

Learn more about Lark Distilling and explore the whisky range.