Ally Ayres

Coming Up

Since 2018, Ally Ayres has been co-founder, co-owner and head distiller of Karu Distillery. The timeline matters less as a marker of titles than as evidence of a distilling practice built steadily, piece by piece, through production itself. The work reads as method rather than performance: local in scope, patient in execution, and grounded in the daily demands of making from the ground up.

Where They Are Now

At Karu Distillery, Ayres serves as co-founder, co-owner and head distiller, with the emphasis placed on authenticity, texture and a clear sense of place. The brief, as she describes it, was practical and personal: “All I really wanted from this was to create something that I liked and hopefully others would too and start to bring more of that cocktail and spirits culture to where I am from.” That approach keeps the distillery oriented toward making with intention, and toward contributing to the culture around it without dressing it up.

Career - Co-founder, co-owner and head distiller — Karu Distillery, Grose Vale, Australia (2018–present)

Signature

Ally's signature wines include outcask wild rum, Morita Chipotle Vodka, Lightning Gin, and Affinity Gin. Read together, they point to a distilling practice that moves across different expressions without losing its underlying logic of hands-on production. Each name carries its own register, from the deeper note suggested by outcask wild rum to the sharper signals in Lightning Gin and Affinity Gin.

In Their Words “All I really wanted from this was to create something that I liked and hopefully others would too and start to bring more of that cocktail and spirits culture to where I am from.” “What I really love and appreciate are the women and men in this industry that have shown support for not just me but other women in the industry too.” Taken together, the quotes frame both the standard of the work and the community around it. One is about making to a personal brief and building from local ground; the other names the support structures that have helped make room for others in the industry.

Honors

Ally's honors include Emerging Talent in Spirits Trophy and Best Contemporary Gin in the World. As recognition, they sit alongside the work rather than above it: evidence of craft, experimentation and sustained attention at the distillery bench. She and Nick Ayres began exploring distillation in 2015, spent three years researching and traveling to learn the craft, and launched Karu Distillery in 2018 with their first spirit, Affinity Gin. She and Nick Ayres began exploring distillation in 2015.

FAQ What is Ally Ayres's current role? Ally Ayres is Co-owner and Head Distiller. What recognition has Ally Ayres received? Emerging Talent in Spirits Trophy (2025).