Citrus loves a cold snap – and so do we
Winter Citrus on Tamborine Mountain: From Our Orchard to Our Liqueurs
Citrus might taste like summer in a glass, but here on Tamborine Mountain, some of the most exciting months for citrus arrive when the weather gets decidedly cooler.
Winter brings citrus season into focus, with fruit ripening across our own small orchard beside the distillery and through the local growers we work with.
For us, that means lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit and yuzu aren't simply ingredients arriving at the distillery.
Some are growing just outside.
More Than 60 Citrus Trees Beside the Distillery
Over the past few years, we've been establishing our own citrus orchard here at Tamborine Mountain Distillery.
Today, it contains more than 60 trees, including lemons, limes, oranges, yuzu and grapefruit.
It's still a young orchard, and we're certainly not pretending it supplies every piece of citrus we use.
Instead, our liqueurs are made using a combination of fruit harvested from our own trees and fresh citrus sourced from local growers across the Scenic Rim.
As our trees mature, each harvest gives us another opportunity to work with fruit grown right here beside the place where our liqueurs are made.
Why the Peel Matters as Much as the Fruit
When most people think about citrus, they think about the juice.
For a distiller and liqueur maker, the peel is just as interesting.
The outer skin contains the aromatic oils responsible for much of the fragrance we immediately recognise when peeling or zesting a lemon, lime or orange.
That's why working with fresh citrus is about more than sweetness or acidity. We're interested in the aroma held in the peel and the individual character of each variety.
A lemon doesn't behave like a grapefruit.
A grapefruit doesn't smell like a lime.
And then there's yuzu, which brings an aromatic character all of its own.
Those differences are what make a citrus range much more interesting than simply making the same liqueur five different ways.
Five Citrus Fruits, Five Different Liqueurs
When the citrus comes into the distillery, where it goes next depends on what we're making.
Limoncello
Probably the best-known member of the family.
Our Limoncello puts lemon front and centre, with the bright citrus aroma and character that make this Italian-style liqueur such a favourite.
Enjoy it chilled after a meal, pour it over ice, or lengthen it with sparkling wine and soda for a simple Limoncello Spritz.
Lime Liqueur
Lime brings a sharper, distinctly different citrus profile.
Our Lime Liqueur works beautifully with soda and plenty of ice, or anywhere you want to introduce an extra citrus note to a cocktail.
It's particularly at home alongside the flavours you'd normally pair with fresh lime.
Pompelmocello
Our grapefruit take on the cello family.
Made with ruby grapefruit, Pompelmocello brings together the fruit's citrus aroma with its characteristic bittersweet edge.
Serve it chilled, over ice or lengthened with tonic for a simple drink where the grapefruit remains the focus.
Yuzu Liqueur
Then there's yuzu.
This distinctive East Asian citrus is prized for its intensely aromatic peel and a fragrance that's difficult to compare directly with lemon, lime or grapefruit.
That's precisely why we grow it.
Our Yuzu Liqueur gives visitors an opportunity to discover a citrus fruit they may recognise by name but have never actually tasted in a liqueur.
Orange Liqueur
Orange takes the citrus range in a richer direction.
Our Orange Liqueur captures that familiar orange-peel character and works particularly well with chocolate, over ice or as a citrus component in cocktails.
Five citrus fruits growing within the same broad family.
Five very different reasons for putting them in a bottle.
From Orchard to Distillery
Having citrus growing beside the distillery changes the relationship we have with the ingredient.
We can walk outside and see what's flowering.
Watch the fruit develop.
See which trees are producing well.
Harvest when fruit is ready.
And then bring that fruit into the distillery and decide what we're going to do with it.
Of course, more than 60 young trees can't provide everything we need, which is why our relationships with growers across the Scenic Rim remain an important part of the story too.
The interesting part isn't being able to say that every lemon came from metres away.
It's being close enough to the ingredient to understand it.
That's something we want to continue developing as the orchard grows.
What Is Growing in the Orchard Right Now?
That's a question worth asking when you visit.
An orchard doesn't follow a product catalogue. Different varieties flower, ripen and produce at different times, and every growing season brings its own surprises.
So if you're visiting Tamborine Mountain Distillery, have a look at what's happening outside as well as what's being poured inside.
Then come to the tasting room and compare the citrus for yourself.
Try lemon beside grapefruit.
Lime beside orange.
And if you've never experienced yuzu before, make room for that one too.
Because one of the pleasures of making liqueurs on Tamborine Mountain is being able to follow an ingredient from the tree, through the distillery and eventually into your glass.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What citrus trees grow at Tamborine Mountain Distillery?
Our small orchard beside the distillery contains more than 60 citrus trees, including lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit and yuzu.
Does Tamborine Mountain Distillery grow its own citrus?
Yes. We grow citrus in our orchard beside the distillery and supplement our harvest with fresh fruit sourced from local growers across the Scenic Rim.
What citrus liqueurs does Tamborine Mountain Distillery make?
Our citrus range includes Limoncello, Lime Liqueur, Pompelmocello made with ruby grapefruit, Yuzu Liqueur and Orange Liqueur. Availability can vary, so check our current range or ask us what's pouring when you visit.
What is yuzu?
Yuzu is an aromatic East Asian citrus fruit known particularly for its fragrant peel. Its character is distinct from more familiar lemons, limes and grapefruit, which is one of the reasons we enjoy working with it.
