SPIRITS

Cape Byron Distillery

WORDS: Cape Byron Distillery PHOTOGRAPHY Cape Byron Distillery

Family owned and operated, Cape Byron Distillery, is located in the hinterland of Byron Bay on a 95-acre macadamia farm and 30-year-old regenerated subtropical rainforest.

The farm is a thriving ecosystem due to the family’s regeneration effort over the last 30 years, planting over 35,000 native subtropical rainforest trees. When the Brook family purchased the farm over three decades ago, it was a run-down dairy farm. The land was degraded, covered in weeds and the soils were poor, but tiny remnants of rainforest remained. They set about planting a macadamia orchard and bringing the rainforest back to life.

The distillery, perched in the heart of the farm, offers a unique experience for visitors to the region, providing a guided tour of the rainforest, an expertly-led tasting of their spirits inspired by the Big Scrub and an insight into the art of distillation. The tour aims to educate visitors on the importance of the Big Scrub rainforest, the journey of rainforest regeneration and the vast array of indigenous rainforest foods that are grown in the Northern Rivers.

Guests will enjoy gin tastings and cocktails served at the bar and balcony which overlooks the property. The distillery is passionate about rainforest regeneration and minimising impact on the environment, it’s in their nature!

Recently, the distillery received the 2020 ‘Sustainable Distillery of the Year’, Icons of Gin Awards and they are on their way to completing their B-Corp Certificate.

Their core product range consists of two gins, Brookie’s Byron Dry Gin and Brookie’s Byron Slow Gin, as well as a buttery-smooth macadamia nut liqueur, Mac. by Brookie’s. Their 2020 harvest of Shirl the Pearl will be hitting stores very soon.

www.capebyrondistillery.com