September 25, 2019
(Extract)
Last stop of the day is Lord Byron Distillery, tucked away in a corner of the Arts & Industry Estate in Byron Bay. Former renewable energy power station CEO Brian Restall and his family established this business just 18 months ago to make rum and other spirits. Given Restall’s background, it’s no surprise the distillery has impressive eco-credentials: the stills are fired using 100 per cent renewable energy from the power station that’s fuelled by the spent cane from the local sugar mill that processes the molasses Restall makes his rum with. Water comes from a spring on the Restalls’ farm, and the nutrient-rich waste from the distillery goes back onto the farm as fertiliser.
Like the other two distilleries, Lord Byron is keen to engage with tourists and the local community: there’s a small cellar door/bar on site, and Restall offers cocktail-making demonstrations and gin-blending sessions that teach the fundamentals of distilling. Thanks to this focus on education and support, it won’t be long before other brands and products start to appear on the Northern Rivers spirits scene.
Restall has helped another local make his first small batches of a whisky that is currently maturing in small quarter-casks, waiting for a name and a label. At Cape Byron distillery, Eddie Brook let me taste from a barrel of his first batch of whisky: it was filled only at the beginning of 2019 but already shows huge promise. And Tintenbar Distillery south of Byron Bay bottles really small batches of certified organic spirits: the production run on their Cumquat May citrus infusion was just eighty 450ml jars at $49 a pop.
As Restall takes the bung out of a barrel and draws a sample of excellent young spirit destined to be bottled as his first proper oak-aged rum release in a year or two, he – like the other distillers in the region – is clearly having a lot of fun in his new career.
“Doing the thing I love in the place I love with people I love,” he says. “It’s the holy trinity.”
READ FULL ARTICLEJune 01, 2018
Komoko Coconut Infused Pure Cane Spirit
We combine our double distilled Pure Cane Silver Rhum with the beautiful white flesh of freshly cracked coconuts. This delivers a rich and creamy burst of coconut that is perfectly balanced by the double distilled clean flavours of the PureCane spirit. Close your eyes and you are on a tropical beach. Enjoy as a mixer drink with your favourite ginger beer, ice and a wedge of lime.
NATURALLY BETTER – NO ADDED ARTIFICIALFLAVOURS, COLOURS OR PRESERVATIVES.
HANDMADE & BOTTLED IN BYRON BAY, AUSTRALIA FROM LOCAL INGREDIENTS
<Edit>Botanical Spiced Pure Cane Spirit
We combine our double distilled Pure Cane Silver Rhum with a selection of Australian native botanicals. A delicious floral drink with zesty citrus, sweet strawberry, light pepper, herb and flower notes. Enjoy as a refreshing mixer drink with tonic water, ice and a slice of citrus.
NATURALLY BETTER – NO ADDED ARTIFICIALFLAVOURS, COLOURS OR PRESERVATIVES.
HANDMADE & BOTTLED IN BYRON BAY, AUSTRALIA FROM LOCAL INGREDIENTS
<Edit>April 10, 2018
Our family started Lord Byron Distillery in Byron Bay so we could distil artisanal spirits for the discerning consumer from ingredients sourced from our own family farm and other local growers. Produced with the dedication, care and passion of a bygone era, combining sustainability with provenance – we create an authentic handcrafted product of distinction for us all to share and enjoy.
While our own Rums are maturing in the Lord Byron Distillery we searched every corner of the world to bring you exceptional quality, premium Rums, creating our own Club Collection to showcase how truly great Rum can be - with "The Promise" of amazing things to come.
These Rums are a result of care, patience and expertise. Their unique flavours derive from best practice cane growing, harvesting and milling techniques as well as respect for and mastery of artisanal distilling, maturation and blending methods.
These exceptional Rums deliver a unique drinking experience. We know you’ll taste the difference.
Development of our online store is underway - exciting times.
March 19, 2018
Handcrafted provenance is about knowing where your drinks come from and how they are made. We believe it is your right to know this and it is what drives us every day.
The journey of handcrafted provenance begins with sustainably sourcing quality ingredients, from as locally as possible. It continues through the initial fermenting and distillation stage, and is completed when the product is suitably matured and packaged; providing you with handcrafted provenance in a bottle. Of these stages, maturing arguably receives the least attention.
A first-class distilled spirit will not meet its fullest potential unless matured in the finest premium oak casks. At Lord Byron Distillery, our rum casks are handmade by an acclaimed Australian artisan cooper; ensuring that the maturation process delivers the best possible drinking experience to our customers.
Seppeltsfield Cooperage is known for their ability to craft casks that imbue drinks with a rich, resonant palette of flavours. Under the guidance of expert Andy Young, this leading cooperate company which, like ours, is a family-owned Australian business, works with its distilling partners to deliver something truly special.
Working hand-in-hand to create the right balance of flavours through both the crafting and maturation process, this partnership ensures that our guiding “handcrafted provenance” principle does not end at the distillation phase, but delivers the sort of uniquely tailored drinking experience that discerning customers are yearning to explore.
February 28, 2018
At Lord Byron Distillery, we believe that you deserve to know where your drinks come from and how they are made. In the pursuit of excellence, we focus on sustainable farming and sourcing local ingredients as well as traditional artisanal distilling methods to deliver customers a truly unique drinking experience. This passionate belief is at the core of all that we do.
Passion alone though is not enough. Passion must merge with experience and excellence. From day one the Restall family enlisted the experience of the world-renowned rum expert, Luis Ayala to guide them on their journey to create a unique drinking experience for us all to enjoy.
Luis Ayala is a world-leading expert in the production of exceptional rums. His extensive experience includes launching rum distilleries, training master blenders and designing the first ever Riedel rum glass. He is the world’s most published author on Rum, has been organizing and judging international rum competitions for over 20 years and was granted to Rum Specialist of the Year Award from the International Rum Conference in 2012. He is also the founder of The Rum University in the USA where he devotes much of his time and vast experience training the next generation of rum distillers.
Passion, experience and excellence, Lord Byron Distillery is the coming together of all these elements in a pristine area of unparalleled beauty – Byron Bay, Australia.
It is a great pleasure to host Luis Ayala and his wife in Byron Bay. We continue to benefit from his decades of world-leading distillery experience. We can’t wait to share the resulting quality of these drinks with you. Once experienced, nothing compares.
January 09, 2018
- Lord Byron
Byron Bay has long been a drawcard for poets, artists, musicians and lovers of natural beauty. Its charm remains in those quarters, but the humble township has also gained quite the reputation of late for its gourmet credentials.
No longer bound by people’s expectations of the Byron region simply as a “hippie” paradise or a haven for surfers, the district is now making the most of its abundant local produce and is taking risks to transform these foundational elements into delectable creations tailored to all manner of taste preferences. In doing so, the town’s reputation as a source of fresh and original gourmet cuisine continues to radiate to an extent that is drawing attention from Australia’s key metropolitan foodie havens.
The venues that seem to do best are those that manage to encapsulate aspects of the region’s charm into their aesthetic experience, as much as their culinary design. Whether it’s the rustic appeal of The Farm, Harvest Café’s market delicatessen, the Mediterranean styling of Halcyon House, the industrial sensibilities of the 100 Mile Table or the adventurous sophistication of Brunswick Heads’ Fleet, there are challenges and delights awaiting any foodie when visiting this beautiful part of the world.
This philosophical shift arguably began with Harvest, which has acted as somewhat of an elder statesman for the movement. Founded by Kassia & Tristan Grier and Brooke Hudson, Harvest boldly pioneered the “paddock to plate” model in Byron, with a heavy cultural emphasis on delivering sustainable, farm fresh and organic produce. The operation markets individual elements through their deli, and combines them with exceptional skill at their Newrybar restaurant.
The Farm, as its name implies, is set on a working agricultural facility and is home to the acclaimed Three Blue Ducks, which is a well-oiled operation that turns over 100s of covers each day, while still maintaining a fresh, varied, localized menu that delivers heavily on the charm of the setting.
Fleet plays upon provenance, boasting a selection of unique dishes created from largely organic, sustainable ingredients, backed by a matching wine menu that avoids the larger brands while promoting the distinct product of boutique vineyards. The result comes across as an intimate, personalised experience that makes the diner feel deeply connected to the district.
The vision for our own Lord Byron Distillery builds upon this emerging tradition. While Byron’s new legion of dining experiences tend to boast a paddock-to-plate supply chain, we similarly offer a paddock-to-bottle model. This ensures that our clientele is aware of the sources of our ingredients, and that these sources are both sustainable and infused with the distinct Spirit of Byron.
So next time you’re in the Byron region, check out how this favourite weekend getaway location is transforming into a gourmet wonderland. Your body and soul will cherish the decision.
July 26, 2017
Drop-ins welcome.
4 Banksia Drive, Byron Bay NSW 2481
+612 8646 4901
Online enquiries:
info@lordbyrondistillery.com.au
100% Renewable Energy. Zero Waste.
Licence Number: LIQW88001501
In Australia, it is illegal to sell or supply alcohol to, or to obtain alcohol on behalf of, a person under the age of 18 years