The Gin Event is bringing a "Bridgerton style" English garden party to Newcastle in September

But she could be onto something here.

Gin is still as popular as ever, particularly among women, and her plan to hold an "English garden party" event, "Bridgerton style", is an excuse to frock up.

She's even booked a string quartet to perform on the day.

"I think women are looking for alternatives outside of wine, and gin is low in calories as well," Isbister says.

I'm not surprised when she tells me tickets to The Gin Event at Museum Park in Newcastle on September 10 are selling quickly, and that she anticipates it will be a sell-out.

Isbister was a baker and her husband Geoff a scientist when they opened Styx Brewery in their converted warehouse home in Carrington five years ago. What they lacked in experience they made up for in passion.

Styx Brewery produces two core beers (an IPA and a Pale) and are experimenting with small-batch limited release beers. They are also making spirits, predominantly gin.

"I only have a little 10-litre pot still, set up on my little hot plate, where I make my gin but I did a collaboration with Nagisa restaurant in town, Amato, and we pulled out gold medals for that," Isbister says.

"You don't have to have a 500,0000-litre pot still to be amazing.

"We make stuff that we like to drink ourselves. We don't follow trends at all. We get a lot of local foragers and growers giving us their citrus and botanicals and we use those in our beers and our gins.

"We just do our own thing.

"The brewing and the distilling side of our business is purely a hobby. My husband and I run the business and we employ our children, and he still has his day job, and we do this on the weekend and after hours.

"We lock up and go away on holiday with the kids if we decide to. We're not slaves to the job. I think that's the mistake a lot of people make. They become so heavily involved in what they're doing they forget to have a laugh at the same time."

The Gin Event was born from a similar philosophy. Isbister was talking to Yohei Namba (Nagisa) about her desire to throw a "big, fun party" in the centre of Newcastle to promote Australian distilleries. He liked the idea, and she ran with it.

"We've got Cakeboi on board, and Reece [Hignell] is putting together a high tea selection. He didn't hesitate to say yes when I approached him," Isbister says.

"Yohei from Nagisa is going to provide sushi and Italy's Pantry will do charcuterie and gelato for us.

"StrangeLove is our tonic sponsor. We'll be serving those up on the day for people to enjoy with their gins.

"It's going to be fabulous."

Distilleries already on the line-up include: Kawal Rock Distillery; Newy Distillery; Styx Brewery; Lemon Tree Passage Distilling; Magpie Distilling; Manly Spirits Co. Distillery; Brookie's Gin; Pants Off Distillery; Prohibition Liquor Co; Newcastle Distilling Co; and Banks & Solander Distillery.

The Gin Event will be divided into two sessions on September 10. The morning session will run from 11am to 3pm, and the evening session from 4pm to 8.30pm. Each session caters for 500 ticketholders.

"I could potentially take that up to 750 people per session but at 500 it keeps it at four square metres per person which is not only COVID safe, but stops it from becoming a mosh pit," she says.

"This is not about me making money, it's about getting people in one place to enjoy an experience and to give distilleries a platform to promote their products."

Styx Brewery has made a limited release fundraiser gin to coincide with The Gin Event, with all proceeds going to Got Your Back Sista. It's called Ladle Hook, and its label (by artist Trevor Dickinson) features the large red BHP steelmaking ladle hooks at the entrance to Newcastle Museum.

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