Cape Byron Distillery's story begins long before anything reaches the still. More than 35 years ago, the Brook family began regenerating subtropical rainforest on their macadamia farm in the Byron Bay hinterland. Over 40,000 rainforest trees have since been planted, creating the thriving ecosystem that now surrounds the distillery and provides inspiration — and ingredients — for its spirits.

Brookie's Byron Dry Gin captures that connection particularly well. It is distilled with 25 botanicals, including 17 native to the Northern Rivers rainforest, such as finger lime, anise myrtle, native ginger, Davidson plum and macadamia. The broader Brookie's collection includes Slow Gin and Mac. Liqueur, while Cape Byron's Australian single malt whisky brings traditional Scottish distilling knowledge together with local ingredients and maturation in the region's warm coastal rainforest environment.

Visiting the distillery adds another dimension. The popular Rainforest & Gin Tasting Tour takes guests through the regenerated rainforest to see, smell and touch native botanicals before finishing with a guided tasting and introduction to distillation. Dedicated whisky tours explore the distillery and barrel room, while shorter tasting flights and cocktails on the rainforest balcony provide more leisurely alternatives.

Sustainability remains central to the business, from rainforest regeneration and rainwater harvesting to composting spent botanicals and innovative treatment of whisky-production waste. Cape Byron Distillery is also B Corp certified.

It's a distinctly Northern Rivers experience where the landscape isn't simply the backdrop — it's part of what ends up in the glass.