Matilda Distilling Company, Spirit Collective thriving on Fraser Coast

Spirits distilled on a Fraser Coast farm and as a side hustle for a local engineer are finding their way into homes and hospitality venues across the region and beyond. PHOTOS, VIDEO.

Two Fraser Coast distilleries, born as side hustles but now solid businesses in their own right, are making their mark on the boutique booze map.

Local drops from The Matilda Distilling Company and The Spirit Collective have been selling out online and at festivals and are now hitting shelves at pubs and fine dining restaurants like Hervey Bay’s Odyssey Bistro, where the cocktail menu celebrates these brands as well as the nearby Kalki Moon in Bundaberg.

The Matilda Distilling Company is a family-owned business run by Des and Rayna Morris along with their daughters and son-in-law.

The spirits, which are distilled on a farm at Boonooroo Plains near Maryborough, have been huge hits with the community since the brand was born in 2018.

“We’re just a little show … we’re really just blown away by the support we’ve had,” Mr Morris said.

The Matilda Distilling Company family. From left, Daniel Hunt, Des Morris and Rayna Morris.

Just as the business got up and running, Covid hit, and the family pressed pause on distilling.

However, the Morris’ were creative and used the ethanol they had on hand to make much-needed sanister for the community, which was stocked by local businesses like the Granville Butchery.

Now, The Matilda Distillery is thriving and is featured not only at places like Odyssey but also Lost Palms Brewing Company on the Gold Coast.

Brews from The Matilda Distilling Company on the Fraser Coast. Photo: Contributed.

Their product range includes a “Romantics” pink gin crafted with natural berries, an “all-day” gin, vodka and a sipping whiskey called “Ol’ Mate”.

“We’re starting to get more and more inquiries from restaurants and bars,” Ms Morris said.

The business mainly does online orders and offers a $5 discount on a customer’s next purchase if they keep their spirit bottle.

“Clean it up and reuse it again, it helps them, and it helps us,” Mr Morris said.

The name of the business was inspired by their eldest granddaughter, whose name is also Matilda.

Mr Morris said the poppy on the labelling of the products was in respect to the Anzacs.

“We’ve always instilled in our two daughters to be respectful, and they haven’t missed an Anzac Day Dawn Service since they were babies,” Ms Morris said.

Daniel Betts and Kane Macready from The Spirit Collective. Photo: Contributed.

Hervey Bay engineer Kane Macready embarked on his artisan distilling journey during Covid in 2021 when he turned his passion for rum and gin into a business.

Now, sips from The Spirit Collective can be sampled at Odyssey, Banksia, Enzo’s, the Beach House Hotel, Hervey Bay RSL and Kingfisher Bay Resort.

A year ago, Mr Macready was hoping to showcase his products at local festivals, and 18 months later that dream has become a reality.

The Spirit Collective was featured at this year’s Relish Food & Wine Festival in Maryborough and Hervey Bay’s Seafood Festival.

“Most people weren’t even aware that Hervey Bay had a distillery,” Mr Macready said.

The Spirit Collective is also set to be showcased at the Food & Groove event.

Brews from The Spirit Collective. Photo: Contributed.

The product range includes a robust and spicy gin, raspberry flavoured gin, spiced rum and a newly released vodka brew.

“It’s still a passion project for me,” he said, adding the “Rum #1”, which had been ageing in barrels for three years, would be released in late 2022.

“We’re not really trying to market outside of the Fraser Coast, we just want this to be a destination flavour,” he said.

At the moment, the focus is producing small batches of each spirit.

“I don’t want to be able to make a million bottles of rum, I want to make 100 bottles of rum, and the next 100 I want to make is going to be different,” Mr Macready said.

A limited release Gin #3 will also be out in late 2022.

Both The Matilda Distilling Company and The Spirit Collective hold artisan licenses.