Sip from the source at the Gold Coast’s best distilleries
The Gold Coast is home to a bounty of craft-spirit distilleries, with bold gin innovators, single-estate rum makers and master whisky producers crafting liquid gold right here on our doorstep. From behind-the-scenes distillery tours to cocktail-fuelled taprooms and cellar-door tastings, there’s no better way to experience the magic than sipping straight from the source. Grab your glass and work your way through this handy list of the Gold Coast’s top distilleries.
Six Tricks Distilling Co, Mermaid Beach
Six Tricks loves to bend the rules, making it the perfect stop for curious cocktail enthusiasts looking to shake things up. The forward-thinking artisan distillery is named after its ability to craft six core spirit types – rum, whisk(e)y, vodka, gin, agave and brandy – so there’s a little something for everyone. The tasting room features a breezy sun deck, a laid-back beer garden, a private lounge area and a striking bar where talented mixologists work their magic. Feeling adventurous? Try the Walnut and Mushroom New Fashioned, crafted with Six Tricks’ own ‘new whisky spirit’ (the real whisky is coming soon!), sauteed mushrooms, walnut, tonka and liquid mushrooms. Fun fact – owner Chris Macklin is the sixth great grandson of Barossa Valley wine and spirits pioneer Josef Seppelt.
Granddad Jack’s, Miami
Granddad Jack’s, which is inspired by and named after the family’s beloved grandfather, started out as a gin-centric craft distillery and has since expanded into single-barrel whisky, vodka and coffee liqueurs. Over the years, Granddad Jack’s has cemented itself as a big name in the spirits game – and all of its award-winning creations are on pour at its Miami distillery and bar. Enjoy cocktails and tastings or join in on one of the weekend tours to see the magic firsthand. Granddad Jack’s also hosts private distillery experiences where you can make your own bottle of gin on site from scratch.
LOBORN, Tamborine Mountain
Centuries-old aperitif amaro has been given a modern-day glow-up thanks to Tom Drewett, the founder of LOBORN. With most amaro originating in Italy, Tom set out to reinvent the bitter aperitif using local Australian botanicals. The result? A contemporary Australian amaro that gives a nod to the spirit’s Italian roots while showcasing a distinctly local Tamborine Mountain flavour. You can sip and sample LOBORN’s range of aperitifs and cocktails at its on-site tasting room on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Capricorn Distilling Co, Burleigh Heads
At the heart of this award-winning rum and gin distillery is its cellar door, where you can enjoy tasting paddles, straight pours and crafted cocktails. Capricorn Distillery also offers free tours through its working distillery, taking rum fans and gin drinkers behind the scenes of the distilling processes from start to finish – and you can sample drops along the way. There are plenty of fun spirits to try in the tasting room, like the pineapple rum, the oak-aged gin and the limited-release black-truffle rum (which contains a shaving of black truffle).
White Oat Distillery, Biggera Waters
White Oat Distillery creates re-mastered takes on rum, gin and whisky, and its Biggera Waters tasting room is the best place to sip from the source or grab a bottle to take home. Alongside classics like the London dry gin, White Oat also crafts and bottles unique interpretations like the Chilli Mango Gin and the Emerald Fairy – a green-hued strawberry and apple sour gin. There’s also the sweet and woody Maple Orange Rum, and whisky lovers can enjoy a dram of the smooth Liquid Jazz.
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Sunny Days Distillery, Burleigh Heads
This colourful vodka house is all about creating spirits that embody the Gold Coast’s sun-kissed, salt-tinged lifestyle. Crafted with premium Australian wheat and natural spring water from the Gold Coast Hinterland, the Sunny Days range is led by a fun collection of vodka-based RTD tins in flavours like Fruit Tingle and Vanilla Ice Cream, alongside premium vodka brands Ariane and Pink Dot. The taproom opens from Friday to Sunday with live music and street food complementing its array of vodka-based concoctions and classic cocktails.
Burly Gin, Burleigh Heads and Currumbin
Burly first came to life in Burleigh Heads back in 2022, after co-founder Piri Bennett side-stepped from his extensive background in bourbon distilling into the wonderful world of gin. Created to offer a contemporary and more refreshing alternative to traditionally harsh London dry gins, the Burly range features the vanilla-infused Cucumber Gin, Berry Gin (elderberries, raspberries and strawberries) and Citrus Gin (blood orange, finger lime and spices), which are each housed in distinctive long-neck bottles. Those keen to try Burly gins first-hand can head to its main distillery in Burleigh Heads, or try its off-site cellar-door experience – the newly opened Burly Bar in Currumbin.
Wildflower Gin, Varsity Lakes
This small-batch distillery is known for its trio of award-winning gins, headlined by its popular Signature Gin (aka Burleigh in a bottle), which is made with honey from its founder’s backyard bee hives. As its name suggests, the Wildflower gins are based on the delicate flavours from the bees that visit Burleigh’s flowers. And for an extra dose of provenance, the distillery invites locals to be part of its gin-making by contributing flowers from their own backyard. The distillery’s cellar door opens for gin-based cocktails so you can sip through the range, and the team also run two-hour gin-making masterclasses and group cocktail-making classes.
Tamborine Mountain Distillery, Tamborine Mountain
From humble beginnings in 1993, Tamborine Mountain Distillery is one of the longest-running spirit makers in Queensland. Opting for small-batch distillation, the team utilises mountain rainwater and locally grown fruits, herbs and spices to create its range sprits that capture the essence of the region. The distillery opens to the public for tastings, tours and hands-on classes, so locals and visitors can sip through more than 80 different varieties of gin, vodka, rum, schnapps, brandy, grappa and more.
Husk Distillery, Tumbulgum
The home of Husk Rum and Ink Gin opens the doors to its picturesque distillery and farm daily. If it’s your first time to Husk, booking a tour is the best way to experience the incredible single-estate distillery and witness the full farm-to-bottle process in all its glory. Tours include a welcome drink and complimentary tastings of the rum range and gin gauntlet, and you can stick around to enjoy cocktails at the Husk bar afterwards or settle in for a long lunch at Planter’s Kitchen overlooking the lush estate.