A Taste of Home: Discovering Australian Botanicals
Native Ingredients, Distinctive Flavours & Spirits Inspired by the Australian Landscape
Australia has an extraordinary botanical landscape.
From aromatic native leaves to rainforest fruits and seeds, our native flora offers flavours and aromas found nowhere else — bright citrus, tart fruit, earthy spice and intensely aromatic herbs.
At Tamborine Mountain Distillery, these ingredients have long provided inspiration for the spirits and liqueurs we create here on Tamborine Mountain.
Lemon myrtle, lilly pilly, eucalyptus and wattle are just a few of the Australian flavours that have found their way into our bottles.
For us, they're more than unusual ingredients.
They're a taste of home.
What Are Australian Native Botanicals?
Australian native botanicals are plants, fruits, seeds, leaves, and other ingredients originating from Australia's native flora.
Many have been known, used and valued by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for countless generations, long before they became ingredients encountered in contemporary Australian kitchens, bars and distilleries.
Today, ingredients such as lemon myrtle, wattleseed, finger lime, Davidson plum and lilly pilly have become increasingly recognised for their distinctive flavours.
For distillers, these botanicals open up an extraordinary palette.
Some bring citrus.
Others contribute fruit, spice, herbaceousness or earthy depth.
And each has its own story and connection to the Australian landscape.
Lemon Myrtle: Intensely Aromatic Native Citrus
Few Australian botanicals announce themselves quite like lemon myrtle.
The leaves have an intensely fragrant citrus aroma, making lemon myrtle an exciting botanical for spirits and cocktails.
In our Lemon Myrtle Vodka, that aromatic character gives the spirit a distinctly Australian citrus profile.
It's particularly well suited to simple drinks where the botanical can remain the focus — think soda, tonic, fresh citrus or a refreshing spritz.
Eucalyptus Gum Leaf: An Unmistakably Australian Aroma
Few plants are more immediately associated with the Australian landscape than eucalyptus.
Its leaves offer a distinctive aromatic character, and when handled thoughtfully, eucalyptus can bring an intriguing herbal quality to a spirit.
Our Eucalyptus Gum Leaf Vodka explores that character in a clean, aromatic vodka that is distinctly different from conventional flavoured spirits.
Try it in our Golden Fleece cocktail to discover how its botanical profile works in a mixed drink.
► DISCOVER EUCALYPTUS GUM LEAF VODKA
Wattle: Rich, Nutty & Distinctively Australian
Wattle is another ingredient closely connected with Australia's native landscape.
Its culinary character can bring rich, roasted and nutty flavours that work particularly well in indulgent drinks.
Our Wattle Toffee Liqueur takes that inspiration in a sweeter direction, bringing together rich, comforting flavours in a liqueur that's equally at home after dinner or in a cocktail.
One of our favourite ways to explore it is in the Wattlespresso Martini, where its character meets coffee for an Australian twist on the Espresso Martini.
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► TRY OUR WATTLESPRESSO MARTINI
Lilly Pilly: A Rainforest Fruit with a Tangy Edge
Lilly pilly is the name given to a number of Australian native trees and shrubs that produce colourful edible berries.
The fruit is known for its refreshing tartness, making it an intriguing ingredient for drinks.
Our Lilly Pilly Gin brings this native fruit into a botanical spirit, where its fruit character sits alongside the traditional botanicals of gin.
The result is an expression with a distinctly Australian identity that's particularly suited to refreshing long drinks and botanical cocktails.
Beyond the Botanicals: Australian Native Fruits
Our exploration of Australian ingredients doesn't stop with leaves, seeds and herbs.
Native fruits provide another extraordinary source of flavour.
Davidson plum, for example, is renowned for its intense tartness and deep colour, while fruits such as quandong offer very different sweet, tart and aromatic characteristics.
These ingredients give distillers an opportunity to create flavours that don't simply imitate established European spirit traditions, but express something much closer to home.
That's where Australian distilling becomes particularly exciting.
Crafting Spirits with a Sense of Place
For us, using Australian ingredients isn't about adding a native botanical simply so we can put its name on a bottle.
The ingredient has to contribute something worthwhile.
Sometimes that's aroma.
Sometimes acidity, fruit, spice or texture.
And sometimes an ingredient changes the entire personality of a familiar spirit.
Working with local and regional produce where possible also means responding to seasonality. Fruit changes from harvest to harvest. Botanicals vary. Some ingredients are abundant one year and scarce the next.
Distilling with agricultural ingredients requires adapting to what nature provides.
And we rather like it that way.
Australian Botanicals in Cocktails
You don't need a complicated cocktail to experience native Australian flavours.
Often, simpler serves give the botanical more room to speak.
Try Lemon Myrtle Vodka with soda and fresh citrus for something bright and aromatic.
Explore Eucalyptus Gum Leaf Vodka in the Golden Fleece for a more unusual herbal experience.
Pair Wattle Toffee Liqueur with coffee in a Wattlespresso Martini.
Or keep Lilly Pilly Gin simple with tonic and a carefully chosen garnish.
The idea isn't to hide the Australian ingredient.
It's to give it somewhere to shine.
A Taste of Australia, Distilled on Tamborine Mountain
Australian native ingredients give us an extraordinary opportunity as distillers.
They allow us to explore flavours that belong to this landscape while creating spirits and liqueurs that are contemporary, approachable and made to be enjoyed.
From the citrus intensity of lemon myrtle to tart rainforest fruits and aromatic native leaves, every ingredient offers another direction to explore.
And after decades of distilling on Tamborine Mountain, we're still discovering what's possible.
That's the beauty of working with a landscape as diverse as Australia — there's always another flavour waiting to be discovered.
► EXPLORE OUR AUSTRALIAN BOTANICAL FLAVOURS
► VISIT TAMBORINE MOUNTAIN DISTILLERY
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Australian native botanicals?
Australian native botanicals are plants, fruits, seeds, leaves and other ingredients originating from Australia's native flora. Examples used in contemporary food and drinks include lemon myrtle, wattleseed, finger lime, Davidson plum and lilly pilly.
What Australian botanicals are used in spirits?
A wide variety of Australian botanicals can be used in spirits, including lemon myrtle, wattleseed, eucalyptus, finger lime and native fruits such as Davidson plum and lilly pilly. Each contributes different citrus, herbal, fruity, spicy or earthy characteristics.
What does lemon myrtle taste like?
Lemon myrtle is intensely aromatic and citrus-forward, with a distinctive lemon character. Its powerful aroma means it can bring pronounced citrus notes to spirits, cocktails and other food and drink applications.
What does lilly pilly taste like?
Lilly pilly fruit varies according to species and variety but is generally associated with tart, refreshing fruit flavours. Its natural acidity can make it particularly interesting in drinks and preserves.
How can you drink Australian botanical spirits?
Australian botanical spirits can be enjoyed neat or used in cocktails. Simple mixers such as tonic, soda and fresh citrus can work particularly well because they allow the character of the native botanical to remain prominent.
