There are more than 70 distilleries in New South Wales, with another 90 in the ACT, all offering gin, whisky, vodka and rum being made on coastal headlands and in lush rainforests.
Send your tastebuds on an unforgettable journey and meet master artisans along the way when visiting these innovative distilleries.
Cape Byron Distillery
Just 15 minutes from Byron Bay, tucked away in the Brook family’s macadamia farm, Cape Byron Distillery is an award-winning gin and whisky distillery. Of the 25 botanicals in its classic dry gin, 17 are sourced from the rainforest surrounding the property, which is home to more than 40,000 subtropical rainforest trees.
In fact, the rainforest of the Northern Rivers region inspires everything the team does. From the abundance of raspberries in spring to the native Davisonia plum in summer (the backbone for its sloe gin), Cape Byron Distillery is spoiled for inspiration and flavour.
When visiting the cellar door, you will be able to sample the full range of spirits on a guided tasting, which can be followed up with a cocktail or two on the balcony overlooking the rainforest. The food menu includes a selection of local meats and cheeses, which can be paired together for a personalised cheese board.
For a truly unique experience, however, make sure to join Brookie’s Rainforest & Gin Tasting Tour. This one-hour experience takes you into the rainforest, where a knowledgeable guide invites you to smell and touch the different botanicals used in the spirits, points out curious animals, and brings you back to the property for a guided tasting while you learn all about the distillation process.
Whisky lovers can opt for the behind-the-scenes whisky tour, which starts with a complimentary highball as you’re taken into the barrel room to learn about the whisky-making journey and taste your way through the current range.
North of Eden
North of Eden is a family-run business on the Sapphire Coast, and the only distillery in Australia to make all its gins from locally grown juniper. The owners value sustainability and craftsmanship, distilling every spirit in small alembic stills for a small batch (only 400 bottles at a time) handcrafted finish.
It was also the first distillery in Australia to produce an oyster shell gin, which is made using oyster shells collected from local farmers and combined with 13 unique botanicals. The result is a savoury gin with a creamy texture, now highly sought after around the country. North of Eden also produces absinthe, and a two-year-old barrel-aged gin known as The Bridge.
The entire range of products can be sampled at the rustic cellar door, which boasts views across the countryside from the deck. Dogs are welcome to join you for a guided tasting, where staff will take you through the tasting notes of each spirit and the best way to enjoy it. You are also welcome to bring your own snacks to taste with your flight or cocktails.
Gin lovers and budding alchemists can sign up for Gin School classes to learn the art of distillation. Here, you will sample 30 different botanicals before designing your own gin recipe with help from a master distiller. Once you’ve found your perfect combination, you’re invited to use a copper still to create a bespoke gin to take home. Along the way, you will also enjoy complimentary gin & tonics, a local produce grazing platter, a guided tasting and a behind-the-scenes tour of the distillery.
Husk Rum
Australia’s first agricultural rum distillery, Husk Rum is all about the farm-to-bottle experience. This means that 100 percent of the sugar cane used in its spirits is grown on the farm in rich volcanic soil. Founder Paul Messenger is passionate about channelling the history of whisky and rum into every bottle, having visited places such as Barbados, Jamaica and the Caldera Coast, where sugar cane has been integral to the landscape for more than 160 years.
When visiting the cellar door, you can enjoy a tasting flight or cocktail on the terrace, where the friendly staff are happy to answer all your burning questions about the entire spirit-making process. Make sure to try the Husk Pure Cane, a bold and grassy rum designed to be used in mojitos and daiquiris, or simply enjoyed with some tonic water.
Husk is also known for its purplish blue Ink Gin, which combines rainforest botanicals with natural floral ink for the world’s first all-natural colour changing gin. There are four unique flavours to choose from, but the original Ink Gin is a standout, and is made using butterfly pea flower for its punchy colour.
If you’re curious to learn more about the Husk Rum story, join a 45-minute tasting trail tour to wander the distillery, learn about the spirit-making process, and sample more than seven spirits. Or, book a Farm to Bottle Tour, where you will help to cut and crush fresh sugar cane juice before following the entire rum-making journey (with plenty of samples along the way), and finish by feeding the cane tops to a friendly herd of cattle.
At the end of the tour, return to the cellar door to enjoy a long lunch at Planter’s Kitchen Restaurant, which features a menu of seasonal, locally sourced produce, and enjoy lawn games with the kids.
Tara Distillery
Located between Jervis Bay and Morton National Park, with views across the Cambewarra Ranges, Tara Distillery is the Shoalhaven region’s first craft distillery. Its spirits are made using copper pot distillation, with Australian grains and botanicals and pure harvested Shoalhaven rainwater for a truly local flavour.
Founder Alarna Doherty draws inspiration from her Irish heritage by focusing on single pot still whisky and gin, just like back home. In fact, Tara Distillery produces the first mainland Australian single pot still whisky, triple distilled and matured in a selection of French Oak, Australian Port and Spanish oloroso sherry casks.
Make sure to also try Alarna’s delicious and complex spirit, The Exile Poitin, which is inspired by the illicit spirit-making past of the Shoalhaven region and made using local barley and oats. Poitin is considered the ancestor of all distilled drinks, first made by Irish monks in the 6th century and known as ‘the water of life’.
When visiting the distillery, you can join a behind-the-scenes tour and tasting, where you will follow the spirit-making process from grain to glass. While tasting three spirits, a friendly guide will share how each spirit is made using fresh-foraged botanicals and other local produce. You will also learn about the notorious distilleries that took over the Cambewarra Ranges in the 1800s, known for their illicit stills and high-quality drinks.
Archie Rose
Australia’s most highly awarded distillery, Archie Rose, is conveniently located in Sydney, where it hosts all its tastings and workshops. The team are committed to ethically sourcing Australian ingredients from around the country to use in its diverse range of whiskies, gins, vodkas and rums.
At the on-site bar, you can join a guided tasting of five gins or whiskeys with an expert distiller. Learn all about the art of spirit making, try each spirit neat, and then discover the perfect pairings to transform your drinking experience. To learn more about the production process, you can tour the original Rosebery site and finish off with a tasting of the core spirits range.
Or, take your visit to the next level in a Blend Your Own Gin Class. Enjoy a welcome drink on arrival, learn about the unique flavours and aromas of botanicals, and choose your perfect combination to design, hand-bottle and label two gins to take home. Whisky lovers shouldn’t worry, there’s also a Blend Your Own Whisky Class where you will work with a selection of single malt components to craft two whiskies based on your ideal flavours, whether it’s bold and smoky or fruit-driven and bright.
When you’ve finished your incredible experience, make sure to stop by the Archie Rose bar where every limited edition and special release bottle is available to taste. Try the ArchieMite Buttered Toast Spirit or Eau De Bee Honey Spirit for a drink like no other.
Earp Distillery
Earp Distilling Co is a family-owned business in Newcastle inspired by the Earp’s ancestor George Earp, an English import merchant who settled in the area in 1883. With a focus on modern distilling technology, brothers Michael and Richard Earp are passionate about creative and experiential drinks.
At the cellar door, you can join a Taste & Graze experience, where you will enjoy a self-guided tasting flight and a grazing board featuring shareable snacks from the seasonal menu. Or, join a blending class to explore the art of spirit making. First, choose a base of gin, rum or vodka, and then sample house-made distillates to curate your perfect flavour profile. Couples should book a Blending Date Night, where you will blend a bespoke spirit together, before enjoying a shared meal in the on-site restaurant.
The distiller restaurant is all about seasonal share dishes that pair perfectly with handcrafted cocktails. Think half roast chicken with charred zucchini, house-made mushroom arancini and chilli-marinated watermelon with creamy feta and a balsamic glaze. Or, let the kitchen take the wheel and choose the Chef’s Selection Menu, where you will enjoy an array of the chef’s favourite dishes to share.
Poor Toms
In the trendy suburb of Marrickville in Sydney, you will find Poor Toms Distillery. Here, owners Jesse and Griff are committed to new-wave distilling, with a focus on innovative yet honest spirits (but especially gin).
At the cellar door, you can sample the complete range of crowd-pleasers, including the Strawberry Gin, which has been steeped in fresh strawberries, young ginger and hibiscus flowers for its rich pink colour and balanced flavour. Make sure to also try the Pina Colada Gin, distilled with juniper, lime, pandan, nutmeg and allspice for a tropical taste you won’t find anywhere else. And, for an entirely unique experience, try the Imbroglio Amaro, perfect for negronis, spritz and straight over ice, with flavours of hibiscus, orange, mandarin and rhubarb.
The on–site cocktail bar will transform these unique spirits into delicious cocktails, best paired with wood-fired pizzas from the kitchen. Served with a generous dollop of gin sauce, these pizzas are your ideal drinking companion.
Can’t get enough of these distilleries in NSW? To discover the best whisky and gin experiences in Tasmania, click here.
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