Corowa Distillery Co whisky turns old mill into tourist magnet

Dean Druce took over a defunct flour mill in the small NSW town of Corowa in 2010, transforming it into one of the country’s best whisky distilleries.

Dean Druce and Beau Schilg from Corowa Distilling Co.

For generations, farmers near Corowa in the Riverina district of NSW exported their barley back to the famed whisky makers of Scotland.

But when Dean Druce, then aged 21, took over the defunct flour mill in the town in 2010 he thought it was time for the region to make its own wee dram.

Fast-forward 15 years and the defunct flour mill has been transformed into one of the country’s top whisky distilleries, putting the town of 7000 on the tourist map.

Corowa Distilling Co whisky is now sold in major outlets such as Dan Murphy’s, attracting scores of tourists who get a first hand glimpse of the whisky-making process.

Mr Druce, now 35, hails from a farming family that also runs a popular licorice and chocolate factory in Junee, about two hours drive north of Corowa, which also operates from a converted old flour mill.

Mr Druce said the local council in Corowa offered to sell him the old mill in Corowa for $1 if he could replicate that success.

Dean Druce, owner of the Corowa Distillery.

“When you’re buying an old building for a dollar you know that there’s a lot of work that needs to go into it and it is very daunting,” Mr Druce said.

“The mill closed in 1970 so for 40 years it was sitting there in wrack and ruin. It had started losing its roof, all the windows were getting broken and the pigeon poo was absolutely horrific.

“It was such a big job. I think there were six loads of pigeon poo we took out in the first three days that went to the tip.”

Mr Druce said right from the start he and business partner Beau Schilg were focused on producing high-quality whisky from the renovated mill.

“They were doing really good things down in Tasmania so I thought why can’t the mainland make really good quality single malt whisky as well.”

He said the town’s cold nights and hot days made the ideal climate for maturing whisky.

“Our temperature changes at least 15C each day, allowing the spirit to naturally mature at a faster rate and extract flavours,” he said.

Mr Druce said the distillery was now planning to expand its onsite cooperage (barrel making) operation after bringing renowned ex Diage cooper John Carberry on board to train local staff in the ancient trade.

“People want to try the whisky but they also want to go and see the barrels and smell and feel the atmosphere in which the whisky is maturing,” he said.

“So the other key ingredient for us moving forward was bringing our own cooperage on site.”

Mr Druce said the business now employed 65 local people in a town that was still heavily reliant on the vagaries of the agriculture sector.

“For every bottle of whisky that goes out, there’s an immense amount of pride because it says Corowa on the label,” he said.

“There have been numerous times when people are away and they’ll send me a text or a picture of a bottle that’s on the back bar in some place or on a bottle shop shelf. We’re employing 65 people at the moment and we’re looking to increase that as we expand.”

Originally published as Corowa Distillery Co whisky turns old mill into tourist magnet