Built in Castlemaine, where the pace is its own person and weathered hands are welcome. Everything here starts with place — the soil, the seasons, the gardens, the bush. Spirits aren’t rushed into existence. They’re shaped by patience, discipline, and the kind of repetition that teaches you what matters and what’s for the critters.

Woowarra is led by Nathan Strathmore Malcolm, whose background runs through brandy, cider, gin, and whisky production. Before Woowarra, there was Forêt — years spent growing, harvesting, fermenting, distilling, then doing it all again. The work is quiet and deliberate, built on the belief that good spirits come from attention, not shortcuts. Gold medals have been won, but the garden doesn’t care.

Woowarra exists to make spirits with clarity and restraint — spirits that carry the character of where they’re made and the hands that made them. Each release is small, intentional, and built to stand on its own. Nothing is rushed to market. Nothing is made to fill a gap. If it doesn’t earn its place, it doesn’t land in a bottle.

Shaped by the rhythms of Central Victoria — long afternoons and the kind of stillness that lets you hear what the season is trying to tell you — every bottle is an expression of this place.

A pause worth taking.