9 Years of Backwoods. 5 Years Welcoming You to Yackandandah.
Itâs been almost nine years since Backwoods Distilling Co began â back in the little shed on our Yackandandah property.  Â
Back then, it was just me and Leigh, a still, and a whole lot of learning. Our focus was simple: to make distinctive Australian whisky.
 
For the first few years, we kept our day jobs and worked nights and weekends (while also raising two young boys). Slowly adding casks to the bond store. Tweaking recipes. Learning as we went. It wasnât glamorous â just slow and steady progress.
In January 2020, we signed the lease on a new space. Somewhere to move production into⊠and finally a place to welcome people in and share what weâd been building.Â
Then the pandemic hit. Our plans hit pause. Uncertainty was everywhere, not least for a fledgling small business and new tourism venture!
Our day jobs kept us going for another year. We started working on our first gin. We released our first whiskies online. It wasnât how we imagined things unfolding, but we adapted, like everyone else.
By the end of 2020, waiting any longer felt impossible. So we started the fit-out. Took a deep breath and finally quit our day jobs.
And in February 2021, we opened our distillery door. It was the scariest and most exciting thing weâve ever done.
Even with lockdowns rolling through Victoria, we welcomed people when we could, sold online when we couldnât â and never stopped filling barrels.
The last five years have been⊠bonkers!
Thereâs been a lot to celebrate â new products, awards, a small yet fabulous team, milestones that still feel surreal. But itâs probably only in the last year or so that weâve felt like we maybe⊠kinda⊠know what weâre doing?!
 Whatâs mattered most hasnât been the products or trophies (although we are very proud of these achievements!) Itâs been the people and the connections we've made.
The conversations across the bar. The shared tastings. The locals who pop in regularly. The travellers who find us by chance. Thatâs been the best part.
Our little distillery door has become what we hoped it would be. A place where people can slow down, connect, learn something new, and experience something different.
And when someone leaves saying, âThank you, I really enjoyed my time here,â thatâs everything.
So as we celebrate 5 years of our distillery door (and 9 years since this whole Backwoods adventure began), we just want to say thanks to you!
Whether youâve been with us since the shed days or youâre discovering us for the first time â youâre part of this story. And as long as you're curious, we'll keep on sharing it with you.
