Our Journey

Where It All Began

The idea for Whipper Snapper first sparked back in 2010. Brothers-in-law, Al and Jimmy, were sharing whiskies and asking themselves why there wasn’t a whiskey brand that truly celebrated Western Australia? For Jimmy, the answer came from where he grew up in the Wheatbelt town of Narrogin. The Wheatbelt, long recognised as one of Australia’s great grain-growing regions, stood stark, offering a contrast to the mass-produced American bourbons that dominated the market at the time. Good for what they were, but not uniquely Australian. Jimmy wanted to create a whiskey that honoured WA grain, WA growers and the camaraderie of sharing a glass in good company. For Al, the inspiration came from his neighbour, Vic. Vic was a World War II Lancaster Pilot, Mechanic and a homebrewer with plenty of stories to tell. His whiskey tinkering and tales of service lit the spark for Al, and eventually, for Whipper Snapper.

Our Journey

The Bomber

The iconic Whipper Snapper bomber logo is a tribute to Vic and his Lancaster days and, in this case, a nod to the stories that helped inspire the beginnings.

Our Journey

The Search

Armed with curiosity (and a lot of optimism), Al and Jimmy set off travelling across the US and Scotland, learning from anyone willing to share their craft. Boldly telling distillers they were going to start their own one day, Al and Jimmy collected laughs along the way, with only some distillers offering their words of wisdom. During this journey, they were often nicknamed “whipper snappers”, a tongue in cheek homage to their youthful enthusiasm and fearless approach, which eventually stuck as the name of their whiskey. In Colorado, Jimmy met Tom Cooper, who generously shared his whiskey knowledge and inspiration. Having just sold his small distillery, Colorado Gold, Tom quickly became a trusted mentor. He helped the pair with second-hand equipment, barrel contacts and even a recipe to build on. That recipe became the foundation of what we now know as Upshot Original, which was later tweaked to suit Aussie tastes and WA-grown grain.

Our Journey

Discovering Frank

Scotland brought more luck when Al met Frank, the former master distiller at Springbank. Frank guided Al and Jimmy in traditional Scottish distillation styles, expertise that still influences our whiskies today.

Our Journey

The Distillery

In 2014, the two young whipper snappers opened the doors to a small urban distillery in East Perth, the first of its kind in WA. The goal was clear: showcase the incredible quality of local grain and put Western Australia on the whiskey map. Starting with Moonshine and infusions before branching into small-batch whiskies, each release reflected the belief that whiskey doesn’t need to follow the rules, it just needs to be real, local and created with craft.

Our Journey

Where We Are Now

Ten years on, Whipper Snapper Distillery has grown from a humble shed dream into a community hub and award-winning brand. Our journey has been fuelled by mateship, storytelling and a deep respect for Western Australian grain. That’s something we’ll never lose sight of. Our range has grown too! Every bottle we’ve released reflects the same values we started with: hard work, local grain and a whole lot of passion. From cellar door tastings to new releases, we’ve always focused on creating whiskey that’s authentic, innovative and unmistakably West Australian. Over the past decade, every drop has been made with purpose. From sourcing the best local grains to distilling with care, we’ve poured our passion into creating whiskey that brings people together.

Our Journey

Looking Ahead

We’ve come a long way from those backyard chats and borrowed stills. Today, Whipper Snapper is proud to be part of WA’s story; a distillery built on passion, community and craftsmanship. The journey’s just getting started and however the story grows, there's nothing better than raising a West Aussie dram, of course, in good company!