Eagles star Josh Kennedy’s boozy next move revealed

Josh Kennedy may have hung up his West Coast guernsey, but the number 17 will live on in his next chapter.

The retired great is launching boutique distillery and cellar door in Busselton, Beyond Distilling, alongside former teammate and close friend Chris Masten.

The inaugural spirit, x17 Botanical Gin, is not only a nod to his playing number, but to how many botanicals from the Mid West it contains.

Kennedy, who grew up in Northampton from the age of seven, has embraced his roots in the gin’s ingredient list. Botanicals such as juniper and sea celery are sourced from the Mid West, as is the family-grown grain that’s used in its base spirit.

“It’s about the florals and the botanicals that go in it, and the Mid West area obviously has that holistic kind of diversity, which is pretty cool,” Kennedy says in today’s STM.

“So it’s all connected… Being back up home and being back up in the shrub in the bush and having that sense of calmness and being able to be still.”

Masten, who has been working in the wine industry for four years, brings his knowledge and global network to the business.

“I think we’ve all got our own hats that we wear, we’ve all got our strengths,” he says.

“I’ve definitely got a lot of weaknesses when it comes to stuff, so we all kind of rely on each other for our own little piece and that’s why it works.

“At the end of the day we’re selling booze, so it has to be fun.”

What started as an idea between the mates became a reality after meeting Margaret River wine and gin legend Greg Garnish.

“Nothing’s impossible with Greg, which I love, he never says no,” says Kennedy.

Garnish was one of the South West’s leading winemakers for 15 years before breaking into the spirits industry in 2017. He’s infused gins with everything from lamb shoulder to honkey nuts.

Of the new venture, Kennedy is most looking forward to sharing what the region has to offer with the rest of Australia.

“The football world, I’ve enjoyed it and it’s been a fantastic part of my life, but I’m looking forward to being out of that AFL bubble… and go in a new direction like this with good people,” he says.

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