Cape Byron Distillery

Cape Byron Distillery

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Posted 2022-04-01 by Roy Chambersfollow
Located in a shed overlooking a restored rainforest and a plantation, the Cape Byron Distillery is one of the destinations to visit in the Byron Bay region. Currently, you need to book a tour for a tasting to visit, but well worth making an appointment for the experience of gin & tonics or cocktails overlooking the rainforest.



About

The story starts when the owners, Pam and Martin Brook bought what was a run-down dairy farm in the late 1980s with a vision to restore the land. They planted 35,000 subtropical rainforest trees, and these plants go on to be a big part of the flavours used in making the gins when the distillery was established.



Eddie Brook, who grew up on the farm teamed up with multi award-winning distiller Jim McEwan who has over 50 years of experience in the distilling industry. Inspired by the landscape Jim explored the area, trying many of the plants growing on the farm in search of unique and special flavours. Yes, he did get sick from eating some of the things he found, but things that were good and healthy only ended up in the gin.



The distillery is definitely a boutique one and is located in basically a big shed where they make their spirits, and it also houses a bar where they make the cocktails and has a back deck on which to enjoy them. They have stepped lightly on the land, not only bringing back the rainforest but also local animals as well.



Visiting & Tours

Unfortunately, you can't just pop into the distillery, but it is easy enough to join one of the events. These include Distillery & Rainforest Tours, Guided Tasting Sessions and Cocktail sessions. These are usually scheduled on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and you will be joining other people in each of these sessions unless you book for your own larger group.



To arrange the group bookings, I am not sure how many people would be a minimum, but contact them through their webpage or call them to discuss this further. It is a great way to spend an afternoon with your friends or even colleagues for corporate events.



The distillery tours will teach you about the history of the farm and the distillery. You will learn about how they restored the rainforest on the farm, and how they team up with Jim McEwan to create locally flavoured spirits so that you can enjoy a drink that truly tastes of the rainforest.



You will also get a chance to taste and learn about the various qualities of their gins and other spirits. After all, these are distillers who deeply care about the products they are producing.



You can also focus on tastings or cocktails. While I like cocktails, I also enjoy the opportunity to taste the spirits on their own, and of course, gin & tonics pair perfectly with a rainforest setting, with our without lemon myrtle and finger limes.



Getting there

Obviously, you can drive there and they have discount tickets for the non-drinking driver. However there is only limited parking at the venue, so it is possible and encouraged to take a taxi or Uber from Byron Bay. Though some people have complained about Ubers cancelling at the last minute because of the distance. No harm in arriving a little early.



You can also look into tours that stop at Cape Byron Distillery. One company that routinely stops there, among other places, is Kiff & Culture Bus Tours .

Overall

What you have with is a unique distillery experience. You can't beat the location and vibe, and learning about both the farm and the distilling process goes beyond what others do. If you are going to visit one distillery in this area, this is the one to go to.

#Distilleries
#escape_the_city
#farms
#nature
#northern_nsw
#tours
%wnbrisbane
213593 - 2023-06-16 06:56:06

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