Justin and Lana Bell open Familiar Spirits Distillery in Burleigh Heads
A speakeasy-style distillery specialising in cocktails is raising the bar on the southern Gold Coast. Check out the menu.
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A new speakeasy-style distillery is raising the bar in a southern Gold Coast suburb.
Husband-and-wife duo Justin and Lana Bell recently opened Familiar Spirits Distillery in Burleigh Heads, a concept they say they’ve been working on for years.
Ms Bell said they transformed an industrial warehouse space into a “tiny cocktail bar reminiscent of a speakeasy”.
“We’re an elevated distillery experience and we make our spirits and liqueurs with cocktails in mind,” she said.
“It’s not just the drinks that are on show — our small plates and desserts are curated to complement our beverages and incorporate ingredients from our garden and local producers.”
Ms Bell said a limoncello and passionfruit martini called Dee Dee had already become a crowd favourite.
Beef carpaccio and a deconstructed chocolate Oreo tart were popular on the food front.
Ms Bell said founding their own liqueur label was a “natural choice” after discovering Justin’s passion for distilling.
“I bought a small still for Justin to play around with over one Christmas and it turns out he was quite good at distilling from the very start,” she said.
“As we’ve grown the brand, family members and friends have gravitated towards being involved.
“We just didn’t expect it to take off quite so quickly.”
Familiar Spirits Distillery is at 1/9 Calabro Way, Burleigh Heads.
Originally published as Justin and Lana Bell open Familiar Spirits Distillery in Burleigh Heads
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