Mt. Uncle Distillery in Walkamin, Far North Queensland, has simply launched a ground-breaking vary of Australian Agave Spirits underneath the ‘Agave Australis’ label. Comprising Silver, Rested and Aged spirits within the vary, Agave Australis is distiller Mark Watkins’ native interpretation of Mexico’s much-loved nationwide spirit.
The motion to provide native agave spirit has been gathering steam over the previous few years. For Watkins that has meant turning his farm (which has been in his household for six generations) into an agave plantation. Nicely-known trade face Jeremy Spencer (presently with Curatif) is backing the model and brings his monumental depth of ardour and model data to the operation.
For Watkins, the love of agave started 12 years in the past on a visit by Jalisco, the heartland of tequila manufacturing, and shortly became a chance, with Watkins figuring out quite a few similarities between the terroir of Jalisco and the Atherton Tablelands.
Watkins says: “Look, we do nice glowing wine right here based mostly on studying from Champagne, so I’m sitting in a cantina in Guadalajara a while again pondering, why the hell can’t we make agave spirit in Australia?!”
With its quiet launch to the on-trade in early 2022, Agave Australis turned one of many first distilleries in Australia to each develop and distil a 100% Blue Agave Spirit. Agave Australis makes use of conventional strategies for farming, harvesting and processing the Blue Weber Agave vegetation that comprise the inspiration of solely the most effective tequilas.
“Our complete strategy since opening BYRDI was to highlight Australian-made spirits, and to now add the agave class to this broadens the horizon. I really like seeing the shock on individuals’s faces if you inform them it’s not tequila,” – Byrdi Proprietor, Luke Whearty
Agave Tequiliana vegetation are harvested after 5 years of development within the volcanic purple soils of the Atherton Tablelands. This area sits 800m above sea degree and bears similarities to the Los Altos area of Jalisco. The ‘pinas’, or hearts of the agave, are roasted in an ironbark woodfire pit over volcanic stones, earlier than being open fermented with wild yeast strains native to Walkamin. Distillation happens in twin 1500L Holstein Copper Pot stills, yielding a vibrant and contemporary spirit with natural undertones and hints of lemongrass and citrus. There are three bottlings on provide – the Silver, Rested & Aged.
Agave Australis can already be discovered on the again bars of a few of Australia’s main bars and eating places, with Icebergs Bar + Eating, Re., and Byrdi all pouring the modern spirit.
Byrdi Proprietor Luke Whearty says, ‘From my perspective, it’s tremendous thrilling. Our complete strategy since opening BYRDI was to highlight Australian-made spirits, and to now add the agave class to this broadens the horizon. I really like seeing the shock on individuals’s faces if you inform them it’s not tequila.
For extra info on this model or to inventory it in your bar, head to https://agaveaustralis.com/
