Sip Smarter with Sunshine & Sons
As consumers are more deliberate and discerning about what goes out of their wallet and onto their palate, John Caruso discovers this aligns perfectly with what’s on offer at one local distillery.
With a more discerning customer choosing to invest in quality sips and special experiences, Sunshine & Sons Premium Spirits are perfectly poised to deliver what the market needs.
For co-founder Matt Hobson, premium quality and unique experiences have been a core part of their DNA since day one.
“We are seeing people still enjoying a drink, but what is interesting, and where we love being part of the solution, is what people are being more deliberate about what they choose to invest in,” Matt says. “We’ve seen great growth in immersive and interactive experiences such as a tasting tour where people can learn a little more about our globally-recognised and award winning range.”
It is a vindication of the philosophy that Sunshine & Sons Premium Spirits and Nil Desperandum Rum quietly building its reputation on for years: drink better. The line is disarmingly simple. The logic, right now, is close to irresistible.
Matt says the cocktail masterclasses have also taken on a life of their own.
“It’s booming! Lots of people are enjoying a fun afternoon out with friends and family,” he says. “We love that. And also, some simply want to savour a premium spirit in a setting that makes the trip worthwhile. “We have what we think is the best view of any venue on the Coast, a view that rivals any other. It’s a great place to enjoy a lovingly-crafted drink in a relaxed, safe and calm environment surrounded by birdsong.”
Perched in the lush hinterland of Woombye with views north-west, it’s no wonder it was crowned Best Queensland Distillery for two years running at the Royal Queensland Distilled Spirits Awards – along with three other gongs to add to the burgeoning trophy cabinet. They also have entries for awards in the United Kingdom, San Francisco and Melbourne. Not bad for a distillery that began with a fairly straightforward premise: make something worth drinking and let the product do the talking.
The distillery’s reach into the local community runs deeper than most people realise. The Biosphere Gin, infused with locally-harvested elderflower and native black myrtle is a collaboration with the Sunshine Coast Biosphere and the University of the Sunshine Coast, while Lightning Bolt is a partnership with the Sunshine Coast Lightning netball team with a special edition blackcurrant gin and tonic poured at home games.
The story of this winter, though, belongs to something altogether more unusual: the Japanese citrus, Yuzu. Think of a lemon, then strip away the ordinary and replace it with something considerably more complex: heavily perfumed, intensely aromatic, the kind of scent that stops a room in its tracks.
It grows in negligible quantities in Australia, which makes Sunshine & Sons’ relationship with one of the country’s few producers all the more special. The grower operates a small plot in the Mary Valley, most of his fruit goes to fine dining restaurants in Noosa and Brisbane; the remainder heads south to Sydney and Melbourne. Sunshine & Sons secures an allocation each year, and each year they turn it into something seasonal and finite.
Co-owner Michael Conrad describes the process with deadpan humour.
“We’ve just had the fun job of zesting and juicing 100 kilos of Yuzu, so that’s a good day to not be at work,” he jokes.
The gin is sitting in a tank now, working toward a release in late June, which is perfect timing as winter is when citrus peaks in this part of the world, and yuzu is no exception. It is produced once a year, in quantities dictated entirely by what the grower can supply. Similar to other small-batch, special edition gins such as Mum’s Rose Bouquet and Love Dragon infused with dragonflower, once it’s gone, it’s gone.
Then there’s the Nil Desperandum Rum range and for followers of the 1871 Club, the single barrel rum series, there is also the matter of the Tropical Temptress, which arrived 5 May and is the kind of rum that makes the case for itself on the first pour. Michael describes it as one of the most fruit forward expressions the series has produced: rich with tropical notes are immediate and unapologetic.
When most consumers are thinking twice about where they spend and why, Sunshine & Sons Premium Spirits is offering the kind of considered experience that makes the decision feel easy.
Matt Hobson says it can be a tough environment however they were very grateful for the huge level of support they have from locals and around Australia.
Loyalty has to be earned and the distillery appears to have worked out exactly how to earn it. Drink less sure – but when you do, make it count.
Distillery doors open every day from 10am for tours and tastings.
Visit www.sunshineandsons.com.au for more information.
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