A spirit-filled tree change
Bree and Leigh Attwood grew up in Myrtleford, in Victoria’s north-east, and once saw nearby Yackandandah as little more than a sleepy town. Today, they’re helping to breathe new life into the area as the founders of Backwoods Distilling Co.—a small-batch whisky and gin distillery they now run after swapping city life in Melbourne for a quieter, spirit-filled one in the country.
Small beginnings, big ambition
Leigh’s fascination with local whisky—particularly from Victoria and Tasmania—led him to Tasmania in 2016 to learn the craft of distilling. A year later, the Attwoods settled in Yackandandah and began experimenting with tiny pilot batches from their backyard shed. Fast forward to today, and they’re operating out of a permanent space in the Yack Station precinct, producing uniquely Australian spirits with a strong sense of place.
Bold whisky, grounded in place
Backwoods’ first official release in 2020—a bold, unaged rye—set the tone for their whisky philosophy: small-batch, made with Riverina grains, heritage rye, roasted malts, and traditional methods like long fermentation and double distillation.
Gin with an australian accent
While whisky was always the main goal, their passion eventually expanded to gin. Standouts include the High Country Gin, infused with native botanicals like lemon myrtle, pepperberry, and wattle seed, and a muscat-infused version made by steeping Scion Wine muscat grapes for eight weeks.
A tasting room worth the trip
Backwoods whiskies can be hard to find—like many of Victoria’s micro-distilleries, they work in very limited quantities. But those who make the trip to their distillery bar are rewarded with the chance to taste exclusive, distillery-only single cask releases alongside their core range.
Cocktails, jaffles and copper stills
The tasting room offers more than just neat pours—there’s a short list of mixed drinks, too. Think gin Margaritas or a Paloma-style cocktail made with grapefruit and their salted lime gin. And thanks to the distillery’s location in the Yack Station precinct, you can also grab a jaffle or coffee from neighbouring café, The Guard, while soaking up the atmosphere among the working stills.
