Last Hope Distillery

How Last Hope Distillery Brings Craft Gin to Patagonia - AFAR

"A tiny, southernmost-in-the-world distillery and bar in Puerto Natales founded in 2015 by Australians Kiera Shiels and Matt Oberg after a grueling multi-day W-trek. The owners converted a century-old house into a storefront bar and backyard production space, using a copper pot still that steeps ethanol overnight with a dozen botanicals to produce approachable gins—notably a Calafate Gin made with native deep-purple calafate berries and a Patagonia Dry Gin flavored with yerba mate and winter’s-bark pepper. The cozy bar pairs those gins with regionally inspired small plates (beef jerky marinated in Chilean wine, hummus with a local hazelnut, and a Reuben made with guanaco pastrami), while logistical challenges—base ethanol from Santiago, juniper from California, and bottles from Italy—create long lead times. After researching distilling across the U.S. and learning mixology in Santiago, the founders are now aging whiskey trials in 18 American oak barrels and plan to incorporate local peat from nearby bogs to create a distinctly Patagonian spirit; their tongue-in-cheek mission is to ensure outdoor adventures end with a warm, well-made drink." - Emily Gillespie