Being winemakers, they are two people incredibly passionate about the soil and produce they have in Australia. It's their contention to showcase products to the rest of the world that embrace Australian native ingredients and pay homage to the custodianship of the indigenous people who maintained the land for thousands of years. 

It's this passion that has driven them to start two wine labels, one that protects their farmers and another that protects their future. They have since taken these concepts and with their distillery, applewood - catapulted it into the horticultural realm - studying indigenous produce, it's beneficial effects on their land and the stories it can tell through incredible colours, flavours, and textures. 

Applewood Distillery seek Australian identity in the products they craft and the services they offer. They seek ways to communicate this with an entirely new demographic. The hope is that these Australian stories can one-day be heard on a global scale.

The Favourites

APPLEWOOD GIN: What better way to explore the vast plethora of native Australian ingredients than through Gin? When they first discovered the wonders and delights of citrus that were indigenous to the land they belong to - they simply couldn't resist. The distillery crafted a Gin that takes full advantage of the tart, bright green flavours of the Finger Lime and gives it a double-tap of the super-savoury Desert Lime.

When they were done, they had landed on 25 individual botanicals - with aromatic support delivered by Peppermint Gum Leaf, Saltbush, Wild Thyme, Pepperberry, Wattleseed, Anise Myrtle, Macadamia and of course - a healthy dose of Juniper!

ESPRESSOCELLO: A project of pure passion that’s taken years to perfect, and they finally did so with the assistance of Johnny Scott (Mighty Mighty Coffee) - who roasts and grinds the beans for this liqueur.

Applewood Distillery aim to promote sustainability in all they do at Applewood. This delicious liqueur is all about creating a product that may be been otherwise overlooked. How? They create a brandy-based spirit distilled from local winemakers experiments that have gone wry. This project is their way of nullifying all forms of risk winemakers undertake with winemaking experimentation. Cheers to espressocello!

The coffee beans they use are imported exclusively from Mexico and cold-brewed. It an intense coffee-hit with a vanilla, chocolate and citrus dominant characters - and a dense palate-weight that’ll stretch in your espresso martini.

ØKAR AMARO: This spirit is literally the 'Taste of Australia'.

It's an Amaro - a type of bitter/herbal aperitif that have been popular for more than a century - famous for its use in the Negroni or Spritz. They like to take an Australian-spin on things - and dry aperitifs seem to epitomise a renaissance in contemporary Australian drinking.

It just so happens that seemingly - 90% of all native Australian botanicals are also intensely bitter. Probably something to do with the harshness of their climate - and one native ingredient stood head-and-shoulders above the rest when it came to Økar - Riberries. Otherwise known as Lilly Pilly.

The Riberry's cranberry-tartness, hints of clove and bark-like bitterness make it well-suited for an Australian aperitif. Riberries aren't the only stars in this beverage - alongside they see Davidson Plum, Finger Limes, Lemon Myrtle, Saltbush, Rivermint, Peppermint and Strawberry Gum Leaves (just to name a few!).