You can see the passion shining through the moment you sit down with the co-founders of Cauldron Distillery.
For Darren Stewart, brother Glen Stewart and Greg Dower, the Tamborine Mountain distillery is more than a business.
It is a hands-on pursuit of quality, creativity and local identity.
Darren, Cauldron’s head distiller (and former podiatrist) said the process might sound simple but getting it right is anything but.
“You’d say technically, gin’s a relatively simple process to do,” he said.
“The challenge is to make a really nice gin.”
That mindset has shaped everything at Cauldron, from its signature spirits to its ever-evolving cocktail menu.
Greg said the team of bar staff are encouraged to experiment and develop their own ideas.
“They love doing it. You can see them working on them, through trial and error,” he said.
“Everyone’s always creating new cocktail designs.”
That creativity is paying off, particularly with the distillery’s growing range of agave-based drinks.
“Our margarita cocktails are going off,” Darren said.
“We opened up this tequila menu probably about six months ago and it has been a massive hit, so that’s something we are really proud of.”
The venue itself has also become a hit with locals, regularly drawing in crowds for its atmosphere, food and drinks, while also attracting Australian music talent such as Ben Lee who performed at the distillery last year as part of Eat Local Month.
The shift into agave spirits reflects a broader philosophy of adapting to trends while staying true to quality.
At the same time, sustainability remains front of mind, with Cauldron introducing refill stations to reduce waste.
Customers can purchase a bottle of gin, bring back the bottle to be reused for themselves and receive a handy little discount while they’re at it.
“One of our sustainability priorities is ensuring that we don’t waste glass,” Darren said.
“The bottles are like 600 grams of glass. It seems a shame to throw that away.”
Beyond cocktails and gin, the distillery has also gained international attention for its whisky.
Their first release earned a silver medal at the International Wine and Spirits Competition in London, scoring 94 out of 100.
“We were so close,” Greg said.
“Either way, it was super encouraging coming up against some of the big players.”
Darren said the result confirmed what they were beginning to suspect about the region.
“We didn’t know until we did this, but the terroir up here on Tamborine Mountain is perfect for making whisky,” he said.
With their products now even being served in Queensland Parliament, Cauldron Distillery continues to build momentum.
The Cauldron Distillery is located at 89-123 Hartley Road and is open Tuesday to Thursday 11am – 4pm and 11am – 6pm Monday to Friday.
