WHO WE ARE

Brian & Helen Restall

Brian and Helen Restall are the co-founders of Lord Byron Distillery. Brian and Helen have travelled extensively around the world, always seeking out local spirits to sample and enjoy. Brian loves dark spirits, while Helen is passionate about light spirits. Together they strive to create a handcrafted, small-batch range of spirits that delivers a superior tasting experience.

For several years, Brian was the CEO of a local Northern Rivers 100%-renewable electricity generator located adjacent to the farmer-owned sugar mills at nearby Condong and Broadwater. Through this role he realised almost all of the food-grade molasses created by the sugar mills was being used for cattle feed. Being an avid rum fan, he felt there was a better use for this high-quality product – and so Lord Byron Distillery was born.

Members of the Australian Distilling Association, Brian and Helen have been trained and mentored by Tasmanian spirit icon Bill Lark – affectionately known as the ‘Godfather’ of the Australian craft distilling market. Back in 1992, Bill Lark was the first person to get a micro-distilling licence in Australia in 153 years and has helped nurture the scene ever since.

100% RENEWABLE ENERGY & ZERO WASTE

Climate change is real, and it is man-made. We see the effects of climate change even here in the idyllic surrounds of Byron Shire. It’s all of our combined responsibilities to do what we can to help reduce the effects of climate change, preserving the planet both in the short term and for future generations. Change begins with the decisions we all make.

For that reason, our family farm, as well as Lord Byron Distillery, are both powered by 100% renewable energy. Taking it a step further, we made the conscious decision to create a zero-waste distillery. We value add to the co-products so often discharged and wasted by other distillers by turning them into valuable liquid fertilisers and a cattle feed additive.

These products are used on our own farm, as well as by other local farmers and gardeners, helping to reduce the mining and fossil fuel derived products so commonly used.

THE LORD BYRON DISTILLERY DIFFERENCE

In today’s world most people don’t know where their food comes from. But we should. We should care about what we are putting in our bodies. We should understand how it is made. There’s a shift towards buying farm-gate produce at local farmers markets, but the same emphasis hasn’t yet been placed on the alcohol we drink. Lord Byron Distillery aims to do just that.

We’re focussed on helping you to take back control of the decision made every time you enjoy a drink, responsibly. Lord Byron Distillery makes its drinks in Byron Bay from ingredients predominantly grown and sourced right here in the Northern Rivers.

The base ingredient in all Lord Byron Distillery drinks is our pure water, a mix of rainwater and natural spring water bubbling up from the ground on our family farm. It is the same water our family drinks at home. Each morning on the way to work we fill a vessel on the back of the ute and deliver it to our micro distillery, a short drive away in Byron Bay Arts & Industrial Park. It’s lightly filtered and doesn’t contain the chemicals and additives found in normal tapwater.

Our molasses is sourced from a local sugar mill, which is owned by a farmer cooperative – the NSW Sugar Milling Co-operative. Sugar cane grows exceptionally well in this region, and you’ll probably see cane farms as you drive around the region. Molasses is made by boiling the cane juice to make sugar in the cane mill. As a result, Molasses has a richer and deeper flavour profile than cane juice alone. These concentrated flavours make a more complex rum and is why more than 95% of rums from around the world are from molasses instead of cane juice.

The botanicals we need for our drinks are either already planted or in the process of being planted, as we rehabilitate our farm back to a more productive and sustainable land holding. Yeast and juniper are purchased from outside of Byron Shire. While we eagerly wait for own botanicals to reach maturity, we buy from other local farmers or from outside the Northern Rivers as seasonal requirements and growing conditions permit.

All our drinks at Lord Byron Distillery, branded the Spirit of Byron, are hand made in the Byron Bay Arts & Industrial Park. We ferment locally sourced ingredients then distil, mature and bottle on site ourselves. We use artisanal techniques that put a renewed emphasis on quality, taste, and, provenance. This makes our drinks truly unique and, is why we believe they are naturally better.

During opening hours, you are welcome to visit and see our process in action for yourself.