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Hyatt Hotel Canberra is giving you the opportunity to sample the spirit of the Snowies in a relaxed Schnapps masterclass.

If you can’t make it to the mountains this winter, the mountains will come to you!

Join wildbrumby founder Brad Spalding and head distiller Sebastian Druege for a yarn by the fireside of the historic 100-year-old Griffin’s Lounge while you sip on schnappy cocktails and enjoy warming winter canapes. Try wildbrumby favourites such as Limoncello and a seasonal Baked Apple only available in winter.

You’ll hear stories about the founding of the distillery, ski culture, and mountain life, and will enjoy a great night out amongst friends.

Having learned the art of distillation in Austria, Brad established wildbrumby as one of the first craft distilleries in Australia. Thus, he brings a wealth of knowledge to the masterclass on what it takes to create a premium Australian product. With his European sensibilities, and creative flair, Sebastian knows how to wow with unique cocktail creations.

For those who have never tried schnapps, it will be the perfect introduction to the world of craft distillation and mountain culture.

This will be the first masterclass of many in a Masterclass Series. The series is designed to provide guests with immersive culinary experiences. It will also showcase the amazing local business and producers in Canberra and surrounds.

Key Details:

We’re thrilled to share the news that we will co-host this year’s Headland Writers Festival. As part of this exciting partnership, we invite you to join us for the Sunday (29. October) sessions at the distillery, which will be live-streamed free of charge. Whether you have just an hour to spare or want to immerse yourself in the literary world for the entire afternoon, we welcome you to be a part of this enriching experience. Come and explore the captivating world of literature with us.

We are incredibly honoured to have received not one but TWO awards at the 2023 Snowy Monaro Business Awards, announced at a gala dinner on May 5th to recognise the success of local businesses in our region.

Wildbrumby took home the Hospitality, Leisure and Tourism Business of the Year award AND the People’s Choice award for our category, so we’d like to say a huge thanks to all of our wildbrumby customers and community for casting your vote.

Let’s raise a glass to pure Australian mountain spirits crafted in the heart of the Snowy Mountains.

Wildbrumby distillery, a pioneer of the Australian spirits industry, is proud to be celebrating its 20th year anniversary.

It was way back in 2003 that wildbrumby founders Brad and Monika Spalding set out to create a haven for distilling and the arts in the stunning Snowy Mountains region.

Over the past two decades the distillery has become a staple of the Australian spirits scene, winning numerous awards for unique and delicious products.

It is also a regular sponsor of local charities and sporting events, and in 2022 was named ‘Business of the Year’ at the 2022 Jindabyne’s Citizen Award Ceremony.

Using locally sourced ingredients, the distillery has become the most recognised schnapps distillery in Australia, attracting visitors from all around the world.

“Twenty years ago, we had a vision to create a distillery that would produce world-class spirits using the purest water from the Snowy Mountains,” said Brad Spalding.

“Today, we are proud to have established a distillery that is not only recognised in Australia but also globally, winning numerous awards across our unique product range.”

The distillery produces a wide range of fruit-based schnapps and in 2018, its flagship product, peach nectar, was a gold medalist at the Australian Distilled Spirits awards. IT was also named Apple Schnapps Distillery of the year at the Melbourne International Spirits Competition.

Wildbrumby also produces a popular range of gin featuring locally-sourced botanicals, with each variety striking gold at international spirits competitions in years past.

Brad and Monika are champions of the arts and have embedded their own artistic vision throughout the distillery, where works from various artists are showcased, including those by Brad (aka Spalding), who is an accomplished artist in his own right.

Distillery visitors can also stroll through the extensive sculpture garden which offers an immersive art experience that is designed to inspire, delight and provoke as it seamlessly blends with the natural surroundings.

To mark its 20-year milestone, wildbrumby is planning a series of events and activities throughout the year, starting on April 7 (Good Friday) with the Hip Replacements playing live music at the distillery from 1.00 – 4.00pm.

“We are excited to celebrate our 20th year anniversary with the community that has supported us throughout the years,” said Brad Spalding.

“So come raise a glass for wildbrumby, one of the pioneers of the Australian craft distillery scene, and here’s to many more years of delicious schnapps and spirits!”

To celebrate World Gin Day on June 12 we ran a batch of gin through our brand new Kothe Still custom built for us in Germany over the past 12 months and then shipped to us here in the Thredbo Valley. Joan takes her name from Brad Spalding’s mum and has four times the capacity of Florence (our current still), allowing us to substantially boost production of our award-winning range of gin and schnapps!

Here’s Wildbrumby founder Brad Spalding Raising One to the Old Jindabyne Hotel at the Lake Light Sculpture exhibition (winner of the Illumination Award).

For those who missed this superb event on Lake Jindabyne foreshore over Easter, you can check out the highlights at Snowy Mountains Magazine.

Raspberry Schnapps is here.
Walk through the Raspberry patch 2021 a perfect growing season for wildbrumby with plump and succulent berries transformed into a fine crimson spirit.

We are excited to announce ‘Angel’ by Phillip Doggett Williams as the newest addition to our ever-growing sculpture collection on the distillery grounds.

Phillip is a Melbourne based sculptor who has built a strong reputation in art culture. His artwork has been included in significant collections such as the Australian National Gallery in Canberra, Artbank, the Gallery of NSW —and now here at wildbrumby distillery in our sculpture garden.