Eddie Brook

A seed was planted…a story unfolds

Two years ago Eddie Brook had the privilege of orchestrating a three week, sell out Australian whisky tour with the legendary Master Distiller Jim McEwan (aka 'The Cask Whisperer'). As they travelled together a firm friendship developed and many tales were swapped. Eddie told Jim the story of his family farm and the passion that his Mum and Dad have for rainforest regeneration and how the Rainforest that they regenerated is abundant with native fruits and botanicals.  Jim was captivated.  It became clear that they shared similar values and beliefs. A seed was planted and the idea for Cape Byron Distillery and 'Brookie’s Byron Dry Gin' was born.

Brookie’s Byron Dry Gin is a true exploration of Australian Native Botanicals unique to the Northern Rivers Region (Byron Bay hinterland), many of which foraged from the heart of our Rainforest. A traditional “dry style” Gin, Brookie’s is a beautifully balanced combination of the finest traditional and local botanicals, trickle distilled in a custom hand made Copper Pot Still. ”We are no rush when it comes to quality, the best things in life take time” Jim McEwan 

Our Farm 

Brookie’s Gin is produced at our farm distillery (Cape Byron Distillery) in the hinterland of Byron Bay. From the top of our farm you can see the sun rising behind the iconic Byron Bay Lighthouse. The distillery is set in the heart of our macadamia orchard surrounded by sub-tropical rainforest. When Pam and Martin Brook purchased the farm 30 years ago it was a run-down dairy farm. The land was degraded, covered in weeds and the soils were poor, but tiny remnants of rainforest remained. They set about planting macadamia trees and bringing the rainforest back to life.

Our Farm in 1988

Cape Byron Distillery today

Rainforest Regeneration and a greater purpose

To date we have planted over 35,000 sub-tropical Rainforest & Eucalypt trees. The once degraded land is now a thriving ecosystem, an oasis where native animals and birds have found a real home.

But our work is not done. A proportion of our profits will support the work of the local Big Scrub Landcare group, whose sole purpose is to protect what’s left of a mighty rainforest and encourage new plantings. https://bigscrubrainforest.org.au/

Due to rampant tree felling in the mid 19 century less than 1% of the Big Scrub remains.

Rainforests are the lungs of the world and we MUST protect and nurture them.

Jim McEwan in the heart of our Rainforest

The Distillers

Jim McEwan, ‘The Cask Whisperer', is often referred to as the Bruce Springsteen of the whisky industry with over 52 years experience in distilling, winning countless awards and accolades. He is the only distiller in the world to be awarded Master Distiller of the year on three occasions and has also been recently acknowledged with a Hall of Fame lifetime achievement award. He truly is a master of his craft.

Eddie Brook grew up regenerating rainforest on his family farm in the hinterland of Byron Bay. Today the distillery lies at the very heart of our farm. Not surprisingly he developed a passion for native Australian rainforest fruits and flavours. “The rainforest that my family regenerated over the past 30 years is the ideal pantry for making great spirits. Like any good dish, a great Gin should be balanced and I am really excited to showcase these incredible native flavours.” With more than 10 years of experience in the spirit industry and 15 years in the food industry, Eddie has been trained in the art of distillation and mentored by Jim McEwan.

Eddie Brook & Jim McEwan

The Family

Cape Byron Distillery is a family owned and run business. This is what drives us.

Eddie Brook - Distiller

Trained by the Master distiller Jim McEwan, Eddie started working in the family food business at the age of 7, selling at the local Bangalow Markets. A summer job in a famed Byron Hotel honed his culinary skills. At the age of 14 he was cooking up to 200 meals a day. He cut his teeth in some the top cocktail bars in Brisbane and worked his way to Brand Manager at Southtrade. He has a fondness for open fire cooking and mixing drinks for his family and friends.

Will Brook - Distiller 

Elder brother Will, like Eddie has also been trained in the art of Distillation by Jim. Will is a whizz when it comes to the complex area of Production Management. He developed these skills in the families food company, starting out on the Production floor working his way up to become General Manager. His skills in the nuts and bolts of running a distillery are proving to be invaluable. Will and his wife Jess have two beautiful little bubs, Eva & Noah. Like his brother, Will is a talented guitarist.

Pam Brook - The Boss

Affectionately know as the boss, Pam plays a key role in Cape Byron Distillery. Her business & management skills are endless. Currently Pam is CEO of the families food business and is the Chair of the Northern Rivers Food Group as well recently completing her MBA.

With Martin, Pam is a firm supporter of Landcare and for 3 years sat on the National council. 

Pam like the rest of the family is driven to produce the best, her passion for quality will prove to be invaluable. Her hobbies include, but are not limited too, Whisky drinking and Heli Skiing (not necessarily at the same time).

Martin Brook - The Rainforest Whisperer

Martin became a rainforest tragic in the 90’s. He saw first hand that you could take a sad rundown landscape and transform it. Today he oversees the farm and rainforest regeneration and is actively involved in the Big Scrub Landcare group. He believes that Cape Byron Distillery offers visitors and customers a great opportunity to connect with a stunningly beautiful, sustainable environment. For 15 years Martin oversaw both national and international sales & marketing for the families food manufacturing business. He is a devotee of a great gin & tonic and Brookie’s Byron Dry Gin ticks all the boxes.

From Left to Right - Jim McEwan & The Brooks - Noah, Will, Eva, Pam, Martin, Jess & Eddie

The Gin

Tasting notes as written by Jim McEwan 

Aromatics

“The spirit opens on a captivating combination of Citrus notes, led by Aniseed and Cinnamon Myrtle in harmony with a lively drift of Finger and Blood Limes that awakens and stimulates the olfactory system which rejoices in the purity of their aromas. But be patient, this is just the start of an aromatic odyssey. Juniper berries pop like champagne bubbles lifting the senses to a place they have never been. With a little time and aeration Juniper and Coriander enter the scene bringing the depth and distinction that one expects from a high quality Gin. As the spirit evolves further, the taste receptors are going crazy with anticipation, but they will have to wait as White Aspen and Riberry join the party. Add a little Lily Pilly and Dorrigo Pepper leaf and now your getting there. It’s an incredible beguiling ground breaking aromatic exploration.”

Flavours

“All the above are a precursor for what you are about to experience on the palate. A brilliant combination of Licorice, Aniseed and Wild  Native Ginger captivate and totally seduce the palate, which is not complaining, it’s totally captivated. However after some 15 minutes of sipping a brilliant beguiling flavour of native Raspberries dusted with Macadamias emerged bringing a fabulous contrast to the above. What an adventure, in many ways, a journey back in time to the rainforest where most of the ingredients and not all are mentioned above, have been harvested by the Brook family who have pledged their lives to its regeneration.”

 “This is without doubt the most natural Gin in the world, let yourself be transported to that amazing place, enjoy the enlightenment.”

Christmas has come early

With Christmas around the corner what better present to give your loved ones (18 years and older of course) than a bottle of first release Brookie’s Byron Dry Gin. The only issue is that as we cannot borrow Santa’s sled (we tried!), it is extremely unlikely that our Gin will land at your doorstep until early January.

That being said, we have a plan. If you would like to give this as a Christmas present please select the gift card option. Include the lucky individual's name and address details (again ensuring they are over 18) and we will send them, or yourself, a custom Gift card with their details on it explaining that their Gin is on its way ...Yipeeee!!!

The important legal stuff

We are excited to say that our first release will be available both in Australia and select countries internationally.

Due to quarantine restrictions, international orders are restricted to 1 bottle per order and we cannot ship native seeds with your order. (We will plant your seeds in our rainforest for you!)

We can only ship Internationally to UK, EU, NZ, Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

Shipping costs are

NZ - $15

EU & UK - $35

Japan - $35

Hong Kong - $35

Singapore - $35

It is against the law in Australia to sell or supply alcohol to or to obtain alcohol on behalf of a person under the age of 18 years.

All deliveries of Brookie's Byron Dry Gin must therefore be received and signed for by a person over the age of 18 years. Postage to PO Boxes can only be collected with proof of ID.

NSW LICENCE NAME: Cape Byron Distillery
NSW LICENCE NUMBER: LIQW880014830

Any Questions

If you have any questions or queries we will be happy to help. Email us on [email protected]

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The Journey from our idea two years ago to now has been exhilarating but not cheap.  We have built our distillery, designed our bottles and produced our first release of Gin, however, to make this really come to life we need your support!

The money raised from the sales of our Brookie’s Gin will go directly to running our distillery to produce our second release. Not only this but with every bottle purchased you will be helping regenerate the Big Scrub rainforest.

We have faced all of the challenges (plus many more!) you could imagine that come with starting a new business. Our biggest challenge now is bringing our product to market...this is why we need your support!

Please get behind our grassroots company anyway that you can, by supporting us through this campaign or sharing our story.

Many Thanks,

Cape Byron Distillery Crew