HOUSE OF LARK DOCUMENTARY

Lark Distillery produces award-winning whiskies located amidst Tasmania’s unspoiled landscapes, a living tribute to the island's storied heritage and the visionary spirit of its founder, Bill Lark. But who is the man behind the dream? And how, after 154 years of prohibition, did a local surveyor and his wife challenge outdated laws to become the first licensed whisky licence distillers in Tasmania since 1838?               

 

Known as the Godfather of Australian whisky, House of Lark is an up close and personal look at the man behind Australia’s leading Whisky Distillery, and the father, husband and community leader who has inspired a new generation of distillers, and pursued a whisky journey that has now seen Lark Whisky sold around the world.

 

House of Lark not only celebrates whisky, but the ability to change one’s life through passion.

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IT STARTED WITH A QUESTION

The vision of producing a Tasmanian malt whisky was born in 1989 on a trout fishing trip in the highlands of Tasmania.

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Bill's father-in-law, Max, produced a wonderful bottle of single malt, and as they enjoyed a drink in the park at Bothwell surrounded by Georgian buildings, barley fields and the gentle flowing of the Clyde River, Bill remarked to Max, “I wonder why there isn’t anyone making malt whisky in Tasmania?”

This question stuck with Bill, as well as his equally curious wife, Lyn, leading them to inquire into the details of obtaining a distillation license. This inquiry led to the discovery of Australia’s antiquated distillation laws and eventually to their amendment. Thus, in 1992, the Lark household became the first Australian distillery to produce single malt spirit in 154 years. The spirit continued to grow and evolve, leading to the creation of a rich Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky aged in small casks. Finally in 1998, after years in the making, from Bill and Lyn’s kitchen table to Davey Street Bond Store, the first Lark Distillery Single Malt Whisky was released commercially.