Whipper Snapper Distillery – Whiskey Masterclass

Tucked into an unassuming warehouse in East Perth, Whipper Snapper Distillery began as a passion project between two young founders and has since grown into one of Western Australia’s most awarded craft spirit producers. Behind its roller doors, bubbling fermenters, copper stills and stacked American oak barrels shape a distinctly local whiskey identity that has earned global recognition. The Whiskey Masterclass is your invitation inside.

Whether you are new to whiskey or already fluent in its language, the masterclass offers an in-depth adventure into the world of Whipper Snapper. It begins with a welcome cocktail, continues with a guided tour of the working distillery and finishes with six structured tastings, offering a far more immersive experience than a standard flight.

Need to Knows

Working warehouse: This is an active production space rather than a styled tasting room. Guests move through the distillery floor alongside fermenters, stills and ageing barrels. Comfortable footwear is recommended.

Small group sessions: The Whiskey Masterclass runs at 12.30pm and 3.30pm on Saturdays and lasts approximately 90 minutes. Numbers are capped to keep the experience intimate and conversational.

What’s included: One cocktail and six guided tastings including Moonshine, Barrel Aged, Upshot, Bandit, P.X. Sherry and Cask Strength, totalling 3.8 standard drinks, plus a guided distillery tour.

Cellar door perk: Masterclass guests receive 10 percent off any bottles purchased on the day.

What to Expect 

The experience begins with a delicious whiskey cocktail made and poured in the distillery’s rustic front bar before moving into a guided tour of production that traces whiskey’s journey from local grain to glass. You learn how Western Australian corn, wheat and malted barley are milled and mashed, how the spirit is distilled on site and how it is laid down into charred oak barrels to mature. The tour leads into the barrel storage area where tastings unfold among the very casks shaping future releases. Six expressions are presented in sequence with light snacks to refresh the palate, and expert commentary ties each pour back to what you have seen and heard so that by the final Cask Strength glass you understand not just how the whiskey tastes but how its character was built.

What’s Special

The masterclass brings the founders’ story alive. Once dismissed as ‘young whippersnappers’, Jimmy and Al began without formal training, teaching themselves through trial, error and stubborn persistence. That hands on ethos still shapes production today, from grain selection to bottling. It has earned serious recognition along the way, including global honours at the World Whiskies Awards for their Red Corn release, proof that Western Australian grain and small batch craft can stand on the world stage.

What further elevates the tour is how close you are to it all. The smell of warm mash, sweet spirit and charred oak sits in the air as you move through the space, long before the first tasting pour. Seeing the whiskey in its raw, evolving stages gives weight to what ends up in your glass. By the time you taste the final dram, you have already experienced the labour, patience and care behind it. And that context changes everything.

Getting there

Whipper Snapper Distillery sits on Kensington Street in East Perth, just minutes from the CBD. The location is easily accessed by train, with Claisebrook Station a short walk away, or by rideshare from the city. There’s also ample ticketed street parking nearby (free on weekends).

Children

The Whiskey Masterclass is designed for adults, with its structured tastings and detailed production insights best suited to those of legal drinking age. A non drinker option is available when booking, but minors must be accompanied by an adult.

Other Things to Book

Beyond the Whiskey Masterclass, Whipper Snapper Distillery is open most days for cellar door tastings, coffee and cocktails, giving you the chance to explore its range at your own pace. The Journey Tour offers a shorter guided experience with three tastings, ideal for those wanting a concise introduction. The distillery also occasionally runs cocktail workshops for guests keen to refine their mixing skills and explore flavour pairings in greater depth.