Parrot Distilling Co, OrangeCredit: Amy Barrington
The Parrot Distilling Co’s range of gins, on offer in Orange, NSW.
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The regional New South Wales town of Orange, a 3.5-hour drive west of Sydney, is renowned for its world-class wineries, but there’s gin, beer and cider to be sampled as well.
Brewed to perfection
Based at the foothills of Mount Canobolas, Badlands Brewery has been creating its full-flavoured premium beers since 2010. Appealing to those who prefer their beer to be unfiltered and free of preservatives and additives, the brewery’s range is made the traditional way, with malted wheat and barley, water, yeast and hops. Each Easter and again during winter the team releases its award-winning Malekula Dark beer, a chocolate, rum and vanilla-spiced dark ale.
Head just out of town to the cellar door, which forms part of local food and wine hub The Agrestic Grocer. The bar here has six Badlands beers on tap and constantly rotates the selection on offer.
Distilling the goodness
Established in 2017, Jones & Smith Distillery is a family-owned craft distillery situated between Orange and the small towns of Spring Hill and Millthorpe. The distillery offers five diverse, limited-edition gin varieties in its Epoch range — Signature Dry Gin, Cherry Gin, Navy Gin and Sloe Gin — all crafted in a copper pot still.
The distillery is has new products in the works, with a whiskey barrelled in oak for future release. Brandy and eau-de-vie are also on the agenda, as is a cellar door. In the meantime, you can pick up Jones & Smith gin at several Orange outlets and free local delivery is offered with online purchases.
Badlands Brewery, Orange Credit: Destination NSW
Badlands Brewery, Orange.
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Badlands Brewery, Orange Credit: Destination NSW
Badlands Brewery, Orange.
Take the taste test
When Parrot Distilling Co was established in 2018, the goal was to create a world-class product from start to finish in Orange, taking full advantage of the region’s volcanic soils and rich fruit orchards.
Always expanding, the range includes seven gins that have a distinct Australian flavour while paying homage to the Orange region, along with all the gins and distillers that have come before. The revamped classic Dry Gin is made with 17 botanicals and includes hints of apple, vanilla, mixed herbs and juniper — the ingredient at the heart of each gin in the range. The Uncaged OP Gin is a bold gin with subtle tones of grapefruit and mandarin, plus a delicate trace of cinnamon.
Come taste the range for yourself from Wednesday to Sunday at The Aviary, the distillery’s onsite gin-tasting bar in town, with ‘Gintails’ served on Saturdays and Sundays from 4pm.
Steeped in tradition
As the first company in the Orange region to produce its own cider, using estate-grown heritage cider fruit, Small Acres Cyder has set the standard. Its multi-award-winning range includes delicious apple and pear ciders, made in small batches using traditional techniques. There are also two non-alcohol varieties produced under the company’s Golden Knot label — Sparkling Apple & Pear and Sparkling Apple & Cherry.
You can taste the ciders at the Small Acres Cyder cellar door in Borenore, a 20-minute drive from Orange. If you’re short on time but keen to sample the range, order a ‘Takeaway tasting flight and picnic’, which includes three 100ml ciders matched with cheese from Second Mouse Cheese Co, Fresh Fodder dip, locally made bread and crackers.
Small Acres Cyder, Orange Credit: Destination NSW
Farmer and his cattle dog at Small Acres Cyder, Orange.
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Small Acres Cyder, Orange Credit: Destination NSW
Farmer and his cattle dog at Small Acres Cyder, Orange.
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Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, CorowaCredit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying a visit to Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, Corowa.
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Feast on the riches of one of Australia’s most important food bowls on a road trip through the Murray, named after the mighty river that flows through this southwest area of New South Wales. Float down the river on a historic paddlesteamer wine cruise, stop by farm gates to sample incredible fresh produce, and dine at chic restaurants and bars in this unique culinary playground.
Take the back roads for gourmet treats
Head off the beaten path along The Backroads Trail, a 250km driving route that passes through the small pastoral towns of Barham, Moama, Mathoura and Deniliquin on the upper reaches of the Murray River. Sink your teeth into fresh olives, avocados, free-range pork, honey and citrus fruit from farm gates along its loops and trails, and taste the region’s wines at vineyards such as Restdown Wines. While you’re at this winery, venture out along the Restdown Wetland Walk to encounter Aboriginal cooking hearths and an old sheep camp.
Cruise along to The Old School Winery & Meadery in Womboota to pick up wine, pottery and honey mead. Or seek out Ivy Joyce in Barham to indulge in a warm space, offering local produce from farms for a truly paddock to plate experience in the heart of Murray River country. For more snacks and meaty fare such as British-style pork pies and sausages, head to Pacdon Park’s factory shop in Moama.
You can work up an appetite as you build your own itinerary on the theme of food, paddocks and produce, and find suggested routes and maps to Murray River farm gates, at the Echuca Moama Visitor Centre.
Wine and dine along the river
Embark on a wine tour by water in Moama, where the first steamboats made their way up the Murray in 1853. Take a Murray River Paddlesteamers Wharf to Winery Cruise from the town to Morrisons Riverview Winery for a leisurely lunch. Or drive along the river, stopping in at Three Black Sheep for risotto and woodfired pizzas, and tasting crisp dry whites and full-flavoured reds at St Anne’s Vineyards, where you can nibble on a cheese platter overlooking a scenic lake.
Head east along the riverside roads to rest and recharge in the town of Tocumwal, known for its riverside beaches, golf courses, glider flying and iconic Big Murray Cod statue. Start the following day with a solid foundation of breakfast pizza (topped with bacon, eggs and a hash brown) at The Old Bank and indulge in a scoop of ice-cream or sorbet from Tocumwal Ice Creamery – flavours include rocky road, green apple or macadamia. If you’re in town on a Saturday, pick up honey, fruit, vegetables, olive oil, dressings and other condiments made by local producers at the Tocumwal Foreshore Markets.
Continue your odyssey along the river to Corowa, the birthplace of Australian Federation. Immerse in the town’s rich turn-of-the-20th-century colonial heritage as you make your way to the former 1920s flour mill housing Corowa Distilling Co. Here you can book a whisky tasting and behind-the-scenes tour and buy locally made chocolates and sweets from sister shop Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory. Work off an indulgent afternoon with a walk along the river before settling into the stylish Circa 1936 hotel, which is housed in an Art Deco former bank on the main street of Corowa.
Celebrate regional ingredients in Albury
From Corowa, follow the Riverina Highway eastward to the city of Albury, a food, wine and culture hub. Taste how seasonality and locality are expressed at The Proprietor, a former butcher shop turned cafe offering brunch treats such as fruit toast with Beechworth honey and whipped ricotta, and banana waffles with Gundowring vanilla ice-cream. Or try the all-day breakfast offering at Mr Benedict, from cheesy bacon waffle with popcorn chicken to one of its signature eggs benedicts, including one with cider-braised ham hock.
At The River Deck restaurant, local ingredients are celebrated alongside stunning river views, and dishes may include chicken Caesar salad with Milawa eggs or beef brisket braised in coffee by Albury roaster The Brothers Cup. At tiny and elegant Bistro Selle, complement warm Gooramadda olives with a buttery Australian chardonnay and fresh market fish. Yardbird offers a bold-flavoured menu featuring dishes like scorched Albacore tuna, along with meats grilled in a Spanish woodfired oven.
In between meals, stroll along the Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk and take in the contemporary artworks by Aboriginal artists that line the Wagirra Trail. Meander through the Murray Art Museum Albury’s contemporary photographic collection, Aboriginal art and works by renowned Australian artist Sir Russell Drysdale. Afterwards, order lunch or dinner at the museum’s excellent Canvas Eatery – try the saltbush lamb rump or one of their Neapolitan-style pizzas.
The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota Credit: Destination NSW
Couple taste tasting mead at The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota
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The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota Credit: Destination NSW
Couple taste tasting mead at The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota
Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available from Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama.
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Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available from Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama.
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, Corowa Credit: Destination NSW
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate located in a 1920âs old flour mill in Corowa.
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Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, Corowa Credit: Destination NSW
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate located in a 1920âs old flour mill in Corowa.
Canvas Eatery, Albury Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available at Canvas Eatery in Albury.
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Canvas Eatery, Albury Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available at Canvas Eatery in Albury.