Sacha La Forgia

The Climb

Vintage work at Wirra Wirra gave Sacha La Forgia an early grounding in the pace and discipline of cellar work. In that setting, timing matters, details stack up quickly, and the job asks for patience as much as instinct. That kind of start tends to leave a mark: process becomes the point, and consistency becomes a habit. The move from vintage work into distilling did not change the terms of the craft so much as narrow them. For Sacha La Forgia, the focus shifted toward botanicals, spirit, and balance, with the same practical, hands-on approach carrying forward. The line between the two parts of the career is clear: the work stays close to the material, and the learning stays close to the work.

Today

In 2014, La Forgia founded Adelaide Hills Distillery and took on the role of founder and distiller. As head distiller in Adelaide Hills, Australia, he leads a production style that is defined by precision and restraint. The distillery’s identity is tied to the way he works: measured, deliberate, and attentive to clarity in the finished spirit. “We use a unique blend of botanicals and individually vapour infuse each of them,” he has said. The line points to a method that treats each botanical as its own component before the whole is assembled. That kind of process depends on sequencing and proportion, and it leaves little room for excess.

Signature

Sacha’s signature wines include 78 Degrees Gin, 78˚ Classic Gin, Gunnery Australian Spiced White Rum, The Italian, and Native Grain Whiskey. The range covers gin, rum, and whiskey, and it shows the breadth of Adelaide Hills Distillery’s output. Each name sits inside a different register, but all are part of the same distilling program. The portfolio reads as a study in balance and definition. Rather than pushing toward volume of effect, the spirits present as distinct expressions within a controlled frame. That aligns with the method he has described: separate treatment of ingredients, then careful integration.

In Their Words “We use a unique blend of botanicals and individually vapour infuse each of them.” “I don’t really like to pick favourites, but this one’s a no brainer really.”

Recognition

Sacha La Forgia has received American Distilling Institute Awards — International Gin (best International Gin) (2017). Sacha’s honors include Spirit Silver Medal for 78 Degrees Classic Gin, Spirit Silver Medal for 78 Degrees Desert Strength Gin, Spirit Silver Medal for 78 Degrees Sunset Gin, Spirit Silver Medal for Bitter Orange Aperitif, Spirit Silver Medal for Native Grain Whiskey, and Bronze Medal for Gunnery Australian Spiced. The medals track recognition across different expressions in the Adelaide Hills Distillery range, and they point to consistency rather than a single outlying release. Each award sits as evidence of work that has held its shape across multiple spirits.