Tamborine Mountain Distillery founders Michael Ward and Alla Ward have sold up after 25 years

FOR 25 years, the Tamborine Mountain Distillery has been a must-do Gold Coast Hinterland stop for tourists from around the world. But it’s all about to change.

Michael and Alla Ward, founders of the beloved Tamborine Mountain Distillery, have sold it after 25 years. The couple in the Apothecary toasting the sale. Picture: Glenn Hampson

NEW owners of a 25-year-old family distillery want to transform the little-known but much-loved business into a global phenomenon, all while maintaining the brand’s quirky charm.

Founder of Tamborine Mountain Distillery, Michael and Alla Ward, have sold the business they created more than two decades ago after growing surplus fruit on their mountaintop hobby farm.

After navigating the complex process of obtaining liquor and Australian Taxation Office licensing, new owners Shumei Hou and Gordon Chalmers have taken over the distillery, which is as much a tourist attraction as it is creator and supplier of more than 80 unique spirits.

Gordon Chalmers and Shumei Hou have just bought the beloved Tamborine Mountain Distillery. The two look over the tasting room after the sale. Picture: Glenn Hampson

Ms Hou, a former High Court judge in China, has more recently turned her talents to helping Chinese investors navigate the web of regulations when setting up shop in Australia.

With Mr Chalmers, whose background is in marketing and IT, Ms Hou hopes to bring a new dimension of opportunity to the property with wholesaling, online sales and exports.

“There is a lot of hidden value Michael and Alla have been sat on,” Mr Chalmers said.

“It’s happened with Bundaberg Rum and there’s no reason it shouldn’t happen for Tamborine Mountain Distillery.”

Award winning liqueurs at Tamborine Mountain Distillery. The bottles were once all hand painted. Pic: Alex Carter

A boom in demand for locally-made products in restaurants and bars provides more potential for growth.

It's a lot of change for a company which has always been a mostly two-person operation with handwritten receipts and online ordering restricted to Australia.

Over the years the Wards have beaten Italians at making Limoncello and Poms at making gin — taking out more than 300 national and international medals to make the business the most awarded Australian distillery of the century.

As Mrs Wards works her magic at the stills, Mr Ward has been the expressive face of the business — always ready for a chat with the customers.

Michael Ward from Tambourine Mountain Distillery getting into the Christmas spirit with his latest creation 'Festive Fruits Cocktail Liqueur' manufactured specifically for the festive season. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

Ask him how one of their bestsellers, the Davidson’s plum Liqueur, came about and he’ll happily tell you about the native plum glut of 2009, which left 90-year-old Cudgen farmer Hec Smith and his daughter Donna with 130kg of fruit nobody wanted.

The pair drove them up the mountain to the Wards who promptly made them into a popular drink and have been taking their crop ever since.

Or, inquire about the origins of the award-winning Gingerbread Liqueur and you’ll hear about a special request from a Melbourne bartender, who was sent 12 bottles shortly after and has kept the orders coming ever since.

Michael Ward of Tamborine Mountain Distillery. Pic: Mark Calleja

Mr Chalmers said this carefully curated and authentic product history gave the distillery a ready-made marketing pitch to the international market.

The tweaks they’ve already made have seen an increase in business — opening the new tasting room on Sundays for the first time, and extending the daily closing time from 3pm to 4pm has seen visitor numbers “through the roof”.

Although the Wards have sold the business, they won’t be far away — still

retaining the property, with their home at the back, and leasing it back to the new owners.

Mrs Ward will still help with the recipes, and Mr Ward wants to keep mowing the lawn.

Founders of the beloved Tamborine Mountain Distillery have sold it after 25 years. New owners Gordon Chalmers and Shumei Hou and founders Michael and Alla Ward toasting the sale. Picture: Glenn Hampson

He hopes the customers would continue to knock on his door and say hello.

“I’ll miss the people, I love the people, they’re our friends — we call them repeat offenders,” he said.

“It’s been tough for me, I’m coming good now, coming to grips with it all.

“It was always our dream for the brand to become an Australian icon and to take it globally and under the strong leadership of Shumei Hou and Gordon Chalmers we are confident this will happen.”