Penni Ave Distillery

So-called for its central spot on Peninsula Avenue, Penni Ave is a family-run distillery serving up handcrafted vodka flights, botanical cocktails, and top-notch coffee for the morning after. As the only dedicated vodka distillery on the Mornington Peninsula, expect the place to be packed with vodka enthusiasts, day-trippers and laid-back locals stopping by for knock-offs or wandering in post-swim.

The venue seats 80 people across four distinct spaces – the sun-drenched front tables, distillery floor, upstairs tasting room and the freshly renovated back courtyard. Enter through the roller door, and you'll be greeted with communal picnic tables, trailing greenery, and a wall of backlit vodka bottles above the red brick bar. The entire venue is dog- and kid-friendly, with water bowls for the pups and astroturf and games for the kids to run amok.

Whilst many vodkas are made from potato or corn, here, the vodka is made from wheat using locally brewed beer from St Andrews Beach Brewery. Typically considered a neutral spirit, Penni Ave are known for their smooth, flavoursome vodkas and pre-mixed cans infused with native Australian botanicals. From lemon myrtle to pepperberry, wattleseed to sea celery, the native ingredients are sustainably sourced, small-farmed and hand-foraged on the Mornington Peninsula.

If you’re after cocktails, you can’t go past the Kakudu Mule – their signature cocktail made using Lemon Myrtle & Kakudu Plum Vodka, organic ginger, mint, and zesty finger lime – or perhaps the Wattleseed & Coffee Martini, made with Wattleseed & Burnt Honey Vodka, cold brew coffee and silky smooth honey syrup.

There are local beers on tap from Banks Brewing and St Andrews Beach Brewery and local ciders from the crew at Ten Sixty One. If you’re in the mood for a vino, a tight wine list spotlights Mornington Peninsula wineries, including Kerri Greens, Quealy, Trofeo and Ballieu Estate.

Expect high-vibe, friendly service, with a team of passionate locals stilling, serving and playfully guiding guests through tastings. Those feeling adventurous can order a flight at the bar and head upstairs to work through the core range. Sip the vodka neat to experience the full flavour profile, or mix it with soda to ease your way in.

A rotating schedule of food trucks serves up crowd-pleasing snacks with regular cameos by Three Little Chefs and Mr Pickles Deli. Depending on the day, you might be tucking into plates of Asian street-food or stacked burgers with chilli-cheese fries.

Each morning, the café serves up Little Rebel coffee with pastries from Baker Boys in Rosebud. It’s a popular meeting spot for the Rye community, who swing through the Industrial Estate on their way to work or arrive with prams and pooches in tow. On Saturday mornings, you’ll find a food truck parked out the front slinging egg and bacon rolls and burritos. Sit back, and watch the Friday night crowd roll in to collect their cars, coffee and hangover-curing breaky burgers.

Penni Ave is open from 7:00 am daily for pastries and coffee, with the distillery operating Thursday to Sunday. Bookings are available via the website, with Sunday sessions featuring live music from 4 pm to 7 pm each week.