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March 2025 Update

jeremy@westernqldspirit.com — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 06:30:12 GMT

Welcome to our first WQS update Newsletter!

Distiller's Diary

Welcome to the first edition of Western QLD Spirits’ Distiller’s Diary. A place for all things exciting and upcoming in distilling production at Western QLD Spirit. With Summer coming to an end, the worst of the Outback heat will soon be behind us. This season however has resulted in some exciting harvests for distilling. The team has been harvesting Prickly Pear, Dester Limes and Mulberries.
The mulberries are sweet and richly purple, they will be heroing in our re-released Mulbury Gin. For anyone who missed out on this last year on this Gin you are in for a fruity, jammy sweet Gin treat.

The heat has also been helping mature our whisky in barrel. With a combination of Ollo Rossa, Port and Muscat barrels we are very excited for our first release later this year. The distilling team has some study to do around how to finish this to make a truly Outback Spirit. This includes a short study trip to Scotland this year as well to see how the professionals do it.

We are also excited to be working in conjunction with Opera QLD to release a new floral gin for the arts season. Using locally harvested honey, roses, lavender this is a light delicate tipple perfect to watch a sunset and listen to “Are you Lonesome Tonight” at the WQS cellar door for Mothers day.

- Michael McLaughlin

Head Distiller

WQS Loyalty Program

We're launching our own loyalty program! Simply spend at our Cellar Door and get 1 point for every $1 spent. These points can be used towards discounts on future purchases!

Dan Murphy's Marketplace

We're thrilled to announce that Western Queensland Spirit products will shortly be available to purchase online through Dan Murphy's!

We'll still be shipping direct from our website as well, but this is just another way for people to discover our great regional brand!

Easter at Western Queensland Spirit

Easter is back at the distillery in 2025! With live music, great food and cocktail specials along with some other exciting surprises, its set to be bigger and better than 2045!

Out and About

WQS has already been on the road again this year with a stall at the Chinchilla Watermelon Festival. Last year we attended more than 30 offsite events and 2025 looks set to beat that by a large margin.

You can find us at the following events in the next couple of months:

March 16 | Toowoomba Queen's Park Markets

March 28 | Roma Picnic Ball

March 29 | Roma Picnic Races

April 4 - 6 | Brisbane Gin Festival

New Faces

If you've visited our Cellar Door in 2025, you might have noticed a few new faces behind the bar. Bailey and Kira have joined the team

Bailey, our new Chief Operating Officer comes to us from Brisbane with a background specialising in Food & Beverage and venue management. The mastermind behind our incredibly popular Valentine's Date Night Menu, Bailey has some delicious updates coming to the menu very soon.

Kira joins us as our Brand, Events & Operations Coordinator. Kira will keep WQS running behind the scenes and will be the first point of call for events and suppliers and will be running our socials too.

Make sure you say hello to Bailey and Kira next time you're visiting the Cellar Door!

Western Queensland Spirit wins Silver at Tourism Awards

jeremy@westernqldspirit.com — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 02:57:45 GMT

Silver at our first ever Queensland Tourism Awards

We’re over the moon to share that Western Queensland Spirit has won Silver in the "Best Winery, Brewery, or Distillery" category at this year’s Queensland Tourism Awards!

Coming second only to the legendary Bundaberg Rum—an icon in Australian distilling—is an incredible honor and a moment of immense pride for our entire team.

When we began this journey back in 2021 under the shade of a bottle tree, we could only dream of moments like this. To be recognized at this level after just a few short years is a testament to the hard work, passion, and dedication of our small team and the support of our amazing community.

Our vision has always been to craft unique, locally inspired spirits that embody the heart and soul of Western Queensland. With our vibrant cellar door experiences, distinct flavors, and warm outback hospitality, we’ve sought to bring something truly special to the table—and this award tells us we’re on the right track.

This accolade caps off an incredible year for us at Western Queensland Spirit. From releasing new products like Stagecoach Gin and Chocolate Rum to hosting events at our award-winning cellar door, 2024 has been a whirlwind of exciting milestones. We even expanded our reach, showcasing our spirits at iconic events like the Birdsville Races and Brisbane Gin Festival.

To now stand alongside Bundaberg Rum, a brand that’s been shaping Australian distilling for over 100 years, is humbling and inspiring. They’ve set the gold standard, and we’re thrilled to be part of the conversation as we continue to grow and innovate in our little corner of the Outback.

We couldn’t have achieved this without you—our supporters, visitors, and fellow Outback spirit enthusiasts. Whether you’ve joined us for a tasting paddle at the cellar door, mixed up a cocktail with our gins, or followed our journey from afar, you’ve helped us reach this milestone.

Here’s to even more exciting adventures in 2025, including the return of our Mulberry Gin and the much-anticipated release of our first whisky. We can’t wait to share the next chapter with you.

Thank you for believing in Western Queensland Spirit—we’ll keep raising the bar (and the glass) for our region!

Cheers,
The WQS Team

WQS shines at the Australian Gin Awards

jeremy@westernqldspirit.com — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 01:42:48 GMT

Western Queensland Spirit Shines at the Australian Gin Awards

The team at Western Queensland Spirit is thrilled to share some incredible news from the prestigious Australian Gin Awards! In what was a fiercely competitive event showcasing the very best gins from across the country, we’re proud to announce that our Desert Oasis Gin has taken out a coveted Silver medal in the Contemporary Australian Gin category. But that’s not all—our Outback Gin and Western Skies Gin were also recognized, each earning a Bronze medal.

Desert Oasis Gin’s Silver medal is a testament to the unique flavors and craftsmanship we pour into every bottle. Made with native botanicals like bush lemon, strawberry gum, and river mint, Desert Oasis Gin captures the essence of the Outback and delivers it in a bottle. It’s a contemporary gin designed to stand out, and we’re delighted to see it recognized at a national level.

Our Outback Gin and Western Skies Gin—each celebrated with a Bronze medal—reflect the diversity and creativity of our team. Outback Gin brings a bold yet balanced flavor profile, featuring desert lime and wattleseed for a true taste of Western Queensland. Western Skies Gin, meanwhile, is a celebration of fresh, zesty flavors with hints of citrus and spice, inspired by the vast, open skies of the Outback. Both are true crowd-pleasers and staples of our range.

To have not one, but three of our gins recognized at the Australian Gin Awards is an honor we don’t take lightly. It’s a huge milestone for Western Queensland Spirit, and it reflects the passion and dedication of our entire team. From our distillers Michael and Tiff to the friendly faces at our award-winning cellar door, every person plays a part in creating something truly special.

We wouldn’t be here without the incredible support of our community, customers, and gin lovers across Australia. Whether you’ve joined us at the cellar door, raised a glass of WQS at an event, or stocked up your home bar with our spirits, we’re so grateful for your belief in what we’re doing.

2025 is shaping up to be another exciting year for WQS. With the return of fan favorites like Mulberry Gin and the anticipated release of our first whisky, we’re ready to keep pushing the boundaries of what an Outback distillery can achieve.

If you haven’t tried our award-winning gins yet, now’s the perfect time to discover what makes Western Queensland Spirit so special. Stop by our cellar door or shop online to experience the magic of the Outback in every sip.

Here’s to more wins, more gins, and more Outback spirit in the years to come! Cheers!

WQS a Royal Queensland Awards winner!

jeremy@westernqldspirit.com — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 02:46:21 GMT

Western Queensland Spirit picks up Silver and two Bronze medals!

Western Queensland Spirit is proud to announce our standings after the 2024 Royal Queensland Distilled Spirit Awards.

Western Skies Gin picked up a Silver Medal with a score of 89.0!
Outback Gin collected a Bronze Medal with a score of 80.0.
Bottlebrush Vodka also picked up a Bronze Medal with a score of 76.0.
We also sent along our Mulberry Gin Small Batch Release which scored top of its category!

Not too shabby for our first trip to the Royal Queensland Awards! We'll be back next year with even more entries and our eye on taking out the gold!

Cheers!

Hello world!

website@sitemodify.com (Website Editor) — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 02:07:05 GMT

We're super excited to launch Western Queensland's first craft distillery.
On the doorstep of the Outback, our founders, Michael and Will have received all our regulatory approvals and are almost ready to launch.
Stay tuned for more sneak peaks over the coming weeks as we get ready to launch something truly special.

Thank you for all the support so far - you know who you are.

Co-founder and Master Distiller in action!

website@sitemodify.com (Website Editor) — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 02:07:05 GMT

Our Co-Founder and Master Distiller, Michael has been doing some final preparations for our Sunday gin run. Our ethos is authenticity to place, sourcing as many botanicals as we can from the local region. From the property, we use river mint, saltbush, geraldton wax, lemon scented gum and bottle brush as core botanicals. It's all about featuring the flavours of Western Queensland.

The man with the ideas

website@sitemodify.com (Website Editor) — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 02:07:05 GMT

Our Co-Founder, Will is the man with the ideas and is busy getting things ready for us to go on sale soon. Most importantly, Will is making sure our distillery dogs, Sparty and Bungy will be ready to welcome you to the cellar door in 2023.