Although Capricorn Distilling Co.’s story officially begins on the Gold Coast, its origins hark back to early 2017 in the iconic Saleyards Hotel in Rockhampton in Central Queensland. The company, which created rum under the moniker Saleyards Distillery and a zesty, citrus-infused gin under the Billy Goat’s Gin brand, won over the local populace with its selection of spirits and began to look a little further into the future. Thankfully, the brands’ owner and head distiller Walter Brewer (very appropriate name) had lofty ambitions and had the foresight to keep the copper stills working overtime to produce a massive stock-pile of its signature spiced swill. Here’s a little factoid for you: in Australia, for a spirit to be legally called rum, whisky, or brandy, it has to age in wood for a minimum of two years – there’s no fast way around it, it just is what it is. Fast-forward a couple of years and that very concoction is ready-to-sip from its brand-new distillery under a unified brand – Capricorn Distilling Co.

The new space features a tasting room/bar, where patrons can taste the tipple straight from the source including its Summer Gin, which infuses 19 different botanicals with fresh native Australian finger lime, ruby grapefruit, and lemon myrtle to give it a punchy and refreshing flavour profile. If spiced rum is your sip of choice, Capricorn Distilling Co. took out the enviable accolade of the world’s best-spiced rum at London’s prestigious World Rum Awards spirit competition, so you know it’s legit. Beyond the bar, the venue houses some seriously impressive stills, which are already hard at work creating the brand’s range of rums and three varietals of gin. Walter and the tiny-but-mighty team of three, which consists of Carla Difelice and Simon Crowe, run free 45-minute tours, where budding distillers and hobbyists can get a glimpse of the distilling process including the botanicals that go into creating its award-winning rum. The crew has grand plans to host local food trucks in the carpark so keep your peepers peeled on Capricorn Distilling Co.’s Instagram for updates or book your free tour here.

Ready to sip? Skip over to our Stumble Guide for opening times.