Handcrafted cocktails, bespoke spirits from a custom on-site still, and curated artisan-made lifestyle items are all found at the new BY.ARTISANS flagship space in Brisbane’s West End.

Embracing innovation yet honouring tradition, BY.ARTISANS is the culmination of four friends coming together with their vision of what a modern distillery space can be: a bar, cafe, retail and event space all in one. The friends and co-founders are each based between Brisbane and Japan, bringing a different set of skills to the project. 

Co-founder Alexander Lotersztain, an Argentinian-Australian designer has overseen the design and interiors to reflect the collective’s vision of a multi-disciplinary space run sustainably with craftsmanship and community at its core.

Co-founder and Head Distiller Alex Bell, has brought his expertise in crafting rum to crafting clear spirits in his specially-designed still, a one-of-a-kind in Australia. The state-of-the-art custom distillation apparatus, aims to push the boundaries of traditional distillation, with the still working on a continue basis. Also extracting essential oils from botanicals, there will be products made from the by-products of the gin distillation and essential oil extraction process.

Minimising waste and finding creative ways to encourage sustainability, third co-founder Ginn Lai is overseeing this, already creating original soaps and essential oil distillation tests. The BY.ARTISANS team have big ideas and they’re just getting started. 

The converted warehouse has been transformed to a light-filled sanctuary by designer Lotersztain, keeping its industrial original detailing intact whilst adding to modern touches.

Curating key furniture designs in addition to creating entirely new custom fittings, tropical plants bring balance amongst light textures and natural materials with stainless steel accents. Guests lounge on Derlot’s modern Pipeline sofas and Faye Toogood’s iconic Roly Poly chairs, with Derlot’s Strap stainless steel seating- made proudly in Australia – connecting to the sleek, custom steel tables, seating and furnishings in the space. Above the high-table which also doubles as a workshop area hangs a vintage Flos Philippe Starck linear pendant. 

Every detail has been considered in the space, with design aficionados finding more to discover in the retail area.

Across two steel tables, craft and design items are found by Australian and Japanese artisans. Brisbane-based designer Marc Harrison’s handmade bowls from Macadamia shells can be found, along with Ironbark spoons by young artisans Huon from the Northern Rivers, NSW. Brisbane and Tokyo-based company IMI JAPAN has curated the selection of artisan-made items from Japan, along with an in-house curation from the BY.ARTISANS team. ‘Westender’ caps and tees are a cheeky nod to the West End area, a favourite already amongst locals.

BY.ARTISANS ‘Signature Bottle’ reflects the brand and its ethos, with a custom, carefully considered minimalist design by Alexander Lotersztain. A simple white bottle with the company logo in bold, acts as a canvas for future collaborations. Available in two sizes, the bottle evolves as the spirits distilled by Bell do, not limited only to gin.

With collaboration and community at its heart, BY.ARTISANS have already worked with floral artist Donna Stain and DJ-curator Benny Chiu in their opening week, establishing the space as a creative and evolving hub. For the bar menu, fine-foods purveyor Marina was brought on board to design small dishes to share with friends, and enjoy as a perfect match to the refreshing cocktails. Think Sicilian olives and anchovies on tri-cut sourdough from meticulously selected local suppliers.

Newly-launching their collaborative gin with everyone’s favourite Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, BY.ARTISANS have used discarded Eucalyptus leaves from the sanctuary to utilise as the botanicals in the gin. A brilliant way to connect to BY.ARTISANS fourth owner, Hisatake Kamori, also proud owner of Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. Proceeds (5%) from the sales of the Eucalyptus gin will go to wildlife charities and koala conservation. Available exclusively at BY.ARTISANS, Lone Pine and online. 

Recently opened, BY.ARTISANS has already found a clientele of regulars, bringing a community-like feel to the space for both locals and visitors alike. From coffee in the morning, to cocktails at night, the distillery space welcomes one, welcomes all and is fit for any occasion.

With the upcoming 2032 Olympics in Brisbane, BY.ARTISANS is sure to be one of the must-visit destinations in town.

BY.ARTISANS
99 Jane Street,
Brisbane, Queensland, 4101

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Images: © Florian Groehn
Text: Editorial Director Monique Kawecki