Four Pillars Distillery opened in Healesville in 2013 with a single copper still and a mission to redefine Australian gin through native botanicals. The distillery's founders — three friends with no distilling experience — spent eighteen months researching, blending, and failing before their Rare Dry Gin won a gold medal at the 2014 World Gin Awards. Today, the facility on Lilydale Road houses five stills, a barrel hall for barrel-aged expressions, and a gin garden where visitors sample the full range under pergolas draped with hops and citrus vines. Yarra Valley gin tasting sessions at Four Pillars revolve around the distillery's signature botanical approach. The Rare Dry Gin uses whole oranges, cardamom, coriander seed, and Tasmanian pepperberry. The Navy Strength expression amplifies the spice profile for cocktail makers. Barrel-aged gins spend months in French oak casks that previously held Yarra Valley shiraz, acquiring tannin and stone-fruit notes. Seasonal releases — such as the Christmas Gin infused with pudding spices — rotate through the tasting menu. Guided tastings explain the provenance of each botanical, the role of the copper pot still in shaping flavor, and the difference between cut points during distillation. The bar team demonstrates classic serves: Negronis, martinis, and the distillery's own Bloody Shiraz Gin poured over ice with tonic and a wedge of orange. Combined day tours from Melbourne integrate gin tastings with the valley's wine estates, chocolate producers, and cheese makers. These packages typically include transport, a cellar-door wine flight at a vineyard such as Rochford or Domaine Chandon, a stop at Yarra Valley Chocolaterie, and a tasting session at Four Pillars. The route follows the Maroondah Highway through eucalypt forest and orchard country, arriving in Healesville mid-morning. Most operators allow two to three hours in the distillery precinct, enough time for a guided tasting, a gin cocktail, and a walk through the production floor where stills are visible behind glass. The valley's proximity to Melbourne — one hour by road — makes it feasible to visit multiple producers in a single day without sacrificing depth at any stop. Four Pillars now exports to thirty countries, but the Healesville site remains the only place where all expressions are made and the full experimental range is available. Limited releases such as the Olive Leaf Gin or the collaboration batch with Japanese distillers appear first in the tasting room. The distillery's extended Friday and Saturday hours accommodate visitors who prefer evening sessions, when the gin garden is lit and the bar operates at full capacity. Free entry to the site means drop-ins are welcome, though structured tastings and tours require advance booking through the distillery's website or third-party operators offering Yarra Valley gin tasting tours.