Artisan liquor sector booms with law changes and the rise of the conscious consumer

Family-owned craft distilleries producing rum, gin, vodka and other spirits are riding a wave of popularity. Here’s the FULL LIST of Queensland artisan liquor makers.

Grandad Jack's director David Ridden at the bar at his distillery at Albion. Picture: David Clark

A SHIFT in attitudes towards alcohol and a change in government licensing has brewed up the right conditions to ignite the artisan distillery sector.

Despite the Covid pandemic David Ridden’s family-owned Granddad Jack’s Craft Distillery at Miami on the Gold Coast and Albion in Brisbane — which opened in July — last year sold more than 15,000 bottles, up from 6000 in 2020.

“We are going pretty well from a Granddad Jack’s point of view and from a whole Queensland industry perspective,” said Mr Ridden who is also the QLD president of the Australian Distillers Association.

However, Mr Ridden said like most hospitality businesses during January Omicron also hit the artisan distillery sector.

“We thought that with the borders opening up we’d be busy but we had a bad January. I just think people were a too scared to go out,” he said.

“But as 2022 progresses we’ll grow and when the export market opens up we’ll see international importers looking for the super premium products that our industry has.”

Granddad Jack's director David Ridden at his distillery at Albion, this business is family run with another outlet on the Gold Coast.

Regardless of the January blip, the artisan distillery sector has grown rapidly and Mr Ridden — who was previously in the events/mobile bar business — said there were more than 300 businesses across the county, up from 100 a few years ago.

He said when they opened Granddad Jack’s on the Gold Coast in 2018 there were about 10 licenced craft distilleries in Queensland.

However, according to the department of Liquor, Gaming and Fair Trading there were now 63 business with artisan distillery or craft brewery/artisan distillery licences in the state.

This growth has come in an era of pandemic lockdowns, a lack of trained distillers and available hospitality staff, and the fact that the artisan distillery sector remains a niche but increasingly important market.

Mr Ridden said there were a number is factors behind the boom, especially the State Government’s decision to bring Queensland in line with other states allowing artisan distilleries to sell online.

“We were the only state in Australia where it was illegal to sell online and during Covid last year we managed to change those rules and now we’re selling thousands of bottles a year online and export to New Zealand and Norway,” he said.

“Also, the licence now allows us offer takeaways which literally means we can run our bottle shop as long as we sell our own spirits.”

Since the business started — with only Mr Ridden and his son Luke, who is the head distiller as full-time employees — they have grown to 18 staff.

The Gold Coast business has seating capacity for 150 and Brisbane 100 and they both feature tastings events, tours and even the chance to create your own gin.

Granddad Jack's director David Ridden at his distillery at Albion.

Mr Ridden said the sector has been boosted by a shift in people’s attitudes to alcohol and the rise of the conscious consumer who seeks to buy locally and know exactly what they’re drinking.

“The biggest thing we have seen in our business is that people want to buy local. There’s a real passion now more than ever for people to seek local producers — whether they be spirit producers, beer producers or wine producers,” he said.

“Also the figures say we are drinking less per person in this country not more. While they’re drinking less they’re drinking better and instead of having 10 drinks they have two and they really want to enjoy it.

“But you need to provide and experience, a super high level of service and a story.”

The story behind Granddad Jack’s stretches back to Mr Ridden’s grandfather’s life in New Zealand who had to leave the farm aged 13 to provide for his family.

The distilleries were a homage to David Goulding, better known as “Granddad Jack” with the Miami business, paying a nod to his career as a barber, and the Brisbane business has a rustic interior and a greenhouse like area — his Mr Ridden’s grandfather’s favourite place for a chat.

Granddad Jack's director David Ridden at his distillery at Albion.

Mr Ridden, said he simply wanted to tell his grandfather’s story.

“I thought what a better place to tell a story than inside a distillery because he loved a whiskey,” he said.

“We didn’t think about it too much because we didn’t know much about distilleries but we thought it was a really cool place to tell his story. By fluke or good luck we are now one of the most awarded artisan distilleries around.”

While gin is the focus, Granddad Jack’s also makes and sells whiskey, vodka, liqueur coffees and bespoke cocktails sourcing almost all ingredients from local producers.

However, there are two things they can’t get in Queensland the right bottles which they obtain from interstate and the juniper berries which grow a high altitude cold climate.

“We get the juniper berries from Bosnia. They are a really unique product and are not harvested commercially by machines. Local farmers pick them off the trees in mountains,” Mr Ridden said.

“Our mixes are sourced from Long Rays — a local Brisbane producer. So when you come to our venues you know exactly what you’re drinking.”