Husk Farm Distillery

Overview

Whether you're heading south from Brisbane or north from Sydney, a small patch of northern New South Wales boasts your next boozy road-trip destination: Husk Farm Distillery. Located on the Tweed River at North Tumbulgum, less than half an hour's drive over the Queensland–NSW border and only 45 minutes from Byron Bay, this quiet estate whips up agricole rum at its onsite distillery — and features views across the Tweed Valley over to Mt Warning to soak in as well.

Given the leafy surroundings, it won't come as a surprise to hear that Husk Farm is a paddock-to-bottle operation — Australia's first in the agricole rum realm, in fact. Focusing on sustainability, the 60-hectare site grows its own raw materials for its tipples, which includes Ink Gin as well. What isn't used in making booze is then fed to the farm's herd of cattle, and what they don't eat is used as compost on the 12-hectare rainforest.

Freshly opened to the public, the distillery also features a cellar door, cocktail bar and cafe, plus an area for lawn games. That means that you can take a 45-minute tour from Wednesday–Sunday — which costs $35 and include a gin and tonic on arrival, as well a rum tasting flight at the end — then sip cocktails, nab a bottle to take home with you, tuck into a snack and relax.

Beverage-wise, the cocktail list will change seasonally, not only heroing Husk's spirits but blending them with native bush food as well as locally growth produce. Think roasted wattle seed, flamed lemon myrtle and lilly pilly flavours, in concoctions such as the Husk, Finger Lime and Soda, Flamin' Myrtle, and cane honey and grapefruit-heavy winter Sun.

As for the food, three types of grazing boards, marinated olives, dips and breads, a daily selection of baguettes, and a range of cakes and cookies are on offer.