Book in for a value-packed experience now.
Book in for a value-packed experience now.
It seems quite likely that at some point in your life, you’ve considered making your own spirits. Same. But without a little expert knowledge, the right gear and a few spare hours, it’s probably always been a little too hard. Until now that is Gold Coasters.
The good folks at Granddad Jack’s Craft Distillery are offering you the opportunity to do exactly that, thanks to a distillery experience that is without a doubt, one of the best things you’ll ever do.
Particularly because at the end of the night, you get to take home a bottle of gin you whipped up with your very own hands, properly and under the supervision of people who know a thing or two about making an exceptional sip. It’s the first of its’ kind on the Gold Coast and led by the most experienced gin distillers our fair city has to offer.
Let’s start from the beginning though because the entire experience is a good time. Granddad Jack’s Craft Distillery has been creating their very own brand of exceptional gin for a few years now and in mid-2019, decided they’d share what they’ve learned with the people (us) and so making your own gin at their Miami space became a new thing.
The experience begins with a tour of the distillery (gin and tonic in hand) where you’ll learn about the man behind it all, Granddad Jack. What entrepreneurial ventures he tried to keep his family farm afloat, the process of building the industrial-style space with ALL recycled materials, how they’ve challenged craft culture and rules in Australian distilling (a thing or two passed down through generations), you’ll also see a few of Granddad Jack’s mementos and the stories behind his love of each.
Luke (Granddad Jack’s great-grandson) will take you through the distilling process and then you’ll take a seat to sample a few different types of gin, including some made right there at the distillery. After that, it’s time for a spot of science.
There are six spots at the bench, each set with a mini 2L copper still and all of the tools you’ll need to create your very own bottle of gin. You’ll be taken through the process and then you get to head over and choose the botanicals that will make up the taste of your gin.
Just a heads up, lemongrass, lemon rind and rosehip are a winning combination but feel free to disregard if you don’t like winning.
You’ll then go through the next critical steps in making the best gin ever, label and wax your bottle, eat some dinner (burgers and nachos, yes please) from Pretty Handsome down the road and then sample each other’s gins to crown the winner of the night.
The entire experience is absolutely value-packed, not only do you get so much knowledge from a team who knows exactly what’s up when it comes to creating epic gins, you also get plenty of drinks throughout the night, dinner, a bottle of gin to take home and maybe a new friend or three.
Not to mention the bragging rights when you get to tell everyone you made your own bottle of gin.
Tickets are $230 each and spots book out super quick so get on that ASAP. You can also purchase a gift voucher for the gin-lover in your life.
LOCATION: 43 Lemana Lane, Miami
WHEN: Wednesday’s at 6pm
Book online here.
STORY SPONSORED BY GRANDDAD JACK’S
Words and photos by Kirra Smith
In what may just be the happiest news of 2018, a gin and whiskey distillery will roll open its doors in a few short weeks and we could not be more into it.
Granddad Jacks Distillery has been in the works for what feels like four years to those of us who love both gin and whiskey a little too much. In reality it’s only been four months but the wait is almost over.
On August 24th, the industrial-style Miami distillery will open for the good folks of the Gold Coast and, it’s certainly a cause to celebrate. Found on Lemana Lane, the distillery has taken up in what used to be a mechanics workshop and the transformation is pure magic.
Father/son team and owners Dave and Luke Ridden (along with the lovely Jess) scoured the Gold Coast in search of iron beams and the like to build a space that fits perfectly in Miami’s backstreets. Steel-inspired high tables with copper stools stretch down the centre of the room and two of the coolest leather couches we’ve ever seen make for a little chill spot at one end (if they go missing forget you read this). A day bed along one wall is lined with colourful cushions and underneath a mural proclaiming ‘too busy for bullshit, too tipsy to care’ and that, friends, is our new life motto.
Above the bar, an exposed brick wall boasts a painted portrait of the man himself, Granddad Jack, whose face peers out over the whole space, keeping an eye on you and your whiskey-fuelled shenanigans. There are wine barrels placed artfully about and the cruisiest of cruisers, decked out in Granddad Jack’s signage, is parked up the back. Oh and the main affair, a huge copper still sits at the back pumping out all the tasty booze. Love you.
So who is this Granddad Jack your new favourite watering hole is named after? Well, he’s a New Zealand born lad whose hard work and sharp mind allowed him to pay a huge family debt singlehandedly at the ripe old age of 14, that’s who. Luke, his great grandson, adopted the same hard working, ‘too busy for bullshit’ attitude and here we are, just a humble beachside city with our very own distillery. What a time.
Granddad Jack’s will sell only their own styles of both gin and whiskey and they’ll have a few varieties of each including what they call a ‘navy strength’ gin that’s 58%. Gimme.
There’ll be no food available on site but, hooray, you can BYO whatever you like so it’ll be a cheese platter and gin party for us thank you very much.
The epic space is also available for events including birthdays, engagement parties and wedding receptions and there was even a secret Sofar Sounds gig there recently. So much room for activities.
Okay we’re done and so very excited. Keep August 24th free, you won’t want to miss this one.
LOCATION: 43 Lemana Lane, Miami
HOURS: 10am until midnight Wednesday to Sunday
Words and photos by Kirra Smith
In one of the biggest glow ups of 2020, hand sanitizer has fast become a hot commodity with approximately zero bottles available in local supermarkets. You know where there are bottles available though? Distilleries. Who would’ve thought our beloved local distributors would come through for us even more than usual?
They have though, with several switching things up to create their very own brand of hand sanitizer to alleviate the stress of mass unavailability world (and indeed Gold Coast) wide.
A big pat on the back to these local brands who have come up with the goods in terms of keeping our hands fresh and clean.
Granddad Jack’s Craft Distillery
The gin and whisky distillery were already serving up the goods when it came to delicious alcoholic beverages and now they’re keeping us free of germs too. The team began creating their own liquid hand and surface sanitizer just this week and they sold out quick smart, such is the demand. They’re releasing the 1L goods online every day at 12pm, as they only have limited numbers, but you can also join the online waiting list. They’re making up to one litre of beautifully scented Lemon Myrtle, Grapefruit & Rose Hip bottles and you know you want that! Get in quick here. May as well add a bottle of delicious gin too…
Tamborine Mountain Distillery
The beloved distillers found up on Tamborine Mountain have also come to the rescue with their new liquid hand sanitizer, with scents of Tea Tree, Eucalyptus and Lavender Essential Oils and ranging from 100ml to 700ml bottles. The bottles are the same as those that their liqueuers are presented in so once you’ve used up all your sanitizer, you can keep the bottle for a lovely little house decoration. Pre-order is open now and you’re also able to pickup from the distillery. Grab yourself some here.
Husk Distillery
Down south a little further, Husk Distillery is doing their part to fill in the gap in the hand sanitizer market with their very own brand of the liquid gold in a lemon myrtle scent. Beautifully branded, the new product is available in a square gin bottle, also perfect for displays once you’re all done with it. The team at Husk have an online ordering system available for delivery and a drive thru pick up service too. You get 200ml for $10 and it’s a limit of three bottles per person for obvious reasons. Pick yours up here.
Wildflower Gin Distilling
A newbie that hasn’t even had the chance to release their new goodness to the public thanks to the virus which we shall not name, have instead launched with hand sanitizer and we are all very grateful for it. Wildflower Gin Distilling are adding their own Wildflower botanicals and the distillers own backyard honey to the mix, making it a little bit more magical than you might expect. Available from April 14th, you can support them here.
See, there is some good in the world.
Words by Kirra Smith
Get in loser, we’re going shopping (and eating, and brewery-hopping, and sight seeing, and exploring street art, and… you get the idea)
Now you might be wondering why we’re throwing around random movie quotes to kick off this list (in our defence there is a Mean Girls line for *every* occasion) – but if suburbs were Mean Girls characters, Miami would for sure be the one to utter this iconic line. Miami has it all, and it knows it. Take one glance at just some of the epic spots we’ve lined up and you’ll soon see why all the other suburbs wish they could be this cool.
It used to be that Granddads were good for stealing our noses and sneaking us butter candy, but in Miami, Granddad Jacks is good for plying us the finest locally distilled spirits, gin making classes, distillery tours and of course and just an all-round cool haunt to sit back with a top notch bevvy and let our mullets run free. These masterful wizards didn’t amass a whopping haul of awards by getting distracted by anything other than distilling, so it’s BYO food too (and surely that means more to spend on the good stuff!). Make sure you try the 65 Miles Gin, recently crowned the Hottest Aussie Gin for a third year in a row!
Where: 45 Lemana Lane, Miami
It would be shell-fish of us not to include Miami Fish Market, as much as we would love to keep this absolute pearl a secret. They hook the Gold Coast up with responsibly sourced, premium seafood from Australia and New Zealand (unlike heading home empty-handed from your holy grail fishing spot). Take some of their freshest and finest home to enjoy, or pull up a stool in their courtyard oyster and sashimi bar for a shuck-tastic time. Now offering a full (fancy-pants) fish and chips menu. Potato scallops and caviar, anyone?
Where: 1/54 Paradise Ave, Miami
The Coast’s OG street food night markets that put Miami on the map as a must-visit destination for foodies and live music lovers alike. The first venue of it’s kind to Miami and perhaps even the Coast, Marketta quickly grew to establish itself as a mainstay among the GC scene, bringing good vibes, live music and great food galore via the eclectic creative and cultural hotspot for over ten years now. Our beloved market brings us all our favourite tastes of the world as well as that same buzzing atmosphere that’s favoured by families especially, for rounding up their rowdy broods for an easy night out that everyone can enjoy.
Where: 23 Hillcrest Pde, Miami
We have a grand idea for ya! Why not take those freshly shucked oysters to-go and hit the picturesque Pizzey Park for a bougie picnic? It’s one of the biggest parks on the coast, a local icon, and a hub for sports, clubs, recreation, and fun times for all ages. There’s an aquatic centre, playgrounds galore, a wheely epic skate park, the Gold Coast’s first and Australia’s largest asphalt pump track and, let’s not forget, the off-leash dog area for our four-legged BFFs. In fact, paw out of five dogs agree that Pizzey is the best park for zoomies on the GC.
Where: 80 Pacific Ave, Miami
One of Miami’s most recent (and appreciated) additions is Bar Monte. This Italian eatery is so good it’s saving us a trip to Rome. They’re bringing the classic trattoria to us, with a modern twist, by blending international influences with fresh, local ingredients. The result is a menu as bold as it is delizioso.
The space is stylish yet inviting, striking the perfect balance between high-end sophistication and relaxed coastal charm. Pasta lovers will swoon over the Rigatoni, Vodka Sauce, Nduja and Stracciatella, and don’t even get us started on the wine list; curated by world-renowned sommelier Andrea Martinisi.
Where: No.3 Mountain View Ave, Miami
It’s no secret us Gold Coasters are quite partial to doing what we can to our put our best #lewks forward, and over the last few years the streets of Miami have also been undergoing somewhat of a glow up themselves (and #spoileralert – there’s no filler to be found here folks). The suburb is at the heart of a thriving GC art and cultural boom, with a bunch of incredible artists transforming the local laneways into a destination in and of themselves. There’s even the Art Roll website dedicated to mapping out the best routes for your own self-led street art tour.
And the event that started the movement, Surface Festival returns at the end of June, set to transform the local footpaths, fence lines, laneways and walls with some art-mazing fresh new works to admire and we’re here. for. it.
Where: Check the Art Roll website for locations
Okay, now it just feels like Miami is showing off and 501 (no kidding) Google reviews can’t be wrong. At first glance those deceptively colourful trademark stairs might look all sunshine and rainbows, but one thing’s for sure – conquer that climb and you will be rewarded with one of the best vantages on the coast. With stunning views of the coastline from Surfers right down to Burleigh, there’s only one thing left to say: How’s. the. serenity. (and maybe a hearty dose of *heavy breathing* depending on how many times you decide to take on those stairs #cardi-no thanks)
Where: At the south end of Miami (you can’t miss it)
If you love a good smash burger (and let’s be real, who doesn’t?), Broken Hearts Burger Club in Miami is calling your name. Born from one guy’s lockdown obsession with nailing the perfect LA-style burger, this cult-favourite joint keeps things simple – and seriously delicious. Choose between a classic or fancy burger, stack it up with one, two, or three patties, and let the molten cheese and house-made pickles do the talking. Throw in some loaded fries, a thick shake, and that retro diner aesthetic, and you’ve got yourself a one-way ticket to burger heaven. #sorrynotsorry
Where: 1934 Gold Coast Highway, Miami
Move over, high-rise hotels – motels of the Gold Coast are getting a makeover, and boy, are they impressing. Exhibit A- The Shores Miami. Nestled just 200 metres from Miami Beach, this 1970s Gold Coast gem has recently undergone a multi-million dollar transformation, blending retro vibes with modern comfort to create its perfect nostalgic charm.
Inside, find bright, modern rooms, orange sun lounges with overhead striped cabanas, a gorgeous pool, lush greenery, and soothing pastel colours. Outside; endless adventure, starting with this list! Staycation, anyone?
Where: 2016 Gold Coast Highway, Miami
There will always be room on the Gold Coast and in our hearts for another coffee roastery (get rid of the servos; we just need coffee). However, by no means is Whyld ‘just another’ coffee bar, channelling the strength of a triple espresso since 2021. That’s what we’re talking about! They promise ‘genuine connection fuelled by bloody good coffee’ and serve it up in a warehouse space/micro-roastery cuter than your grandma’s knitted blankets. Take your organic specialty coffee to go, or take a seat on one of their vintage couches and soak up the good vibes (the recommended take).
Where: 8/43 Hillcrest Parade, Miami
You can’t beat having a neighbourhood bakery (a carb-load close to home), particularly a European-inspired one. An ideal day on a plate for us would look like a warm, buttery fruit Danish for breakfast (washed down with a mighty good coffee), a ham, cheese and pickle baguette sandwich for lunch, followed by a basket full of buttery, flaky pastries for dessert. No veggie in sight! He he.
Where: Shop 5/1934 Gold Coast Highway, Miami
Japanese beer + Japanese street eats = heaven. Therefore, heaven can be found in Miami at the suburbs’ very own Japanese beer bar, Roji Cat. Here, you’ll be transported (at Shinkansen speed) to the neon-lit districts of Tokyo and Osaka, with an interior decorated to resemble their authentic alleyways, down to the signage and lanterns.
What else will you find? Twelve Japanese brews on tap and twenty-four types of sake, for starters! Then there’s the nosh, a curation of elevated Japanese street food that’ll have you sighing ‘oishii’, with every bite. Think Robata Skewers, sweet and spicy Roji Cat Karaage, Gyoza, Sashimi, Miso Corn (love you) and burgers including a Bug Burger with a tempura Moreton Bay Bug, spicy Japanese coleslaw and Kewpie mayo. We’ll take all of that, thank you so much.
Where: 47 Lemana Lane, Miami
It’s almost time to pack away the budgie smugglers and slip into something a little more cosy as we edge closer to the cooler months. Enter UGG Since 1974 – churning out wearable warm hugs for your feet since, well, 1974. Don’t be feeling sheepish if you didn’t know they’ve expanded their range to include a huge selection of colours, styles and options to customise including monogramming (cute!), as well as paw-dorable pet accessories (even cuter!) With factory tours running right out of Miami, the only thing better than supporting locals is treating your tootsies to a cloud-nine experience in the process.
Where: 23 Christine Ave, Miami
Have you worked up a thirst reading this list? Thankfully, we’ve saved everyone’s favourite brewery (yep, we called it) for last- Precinct Brewing Co. Step through their doors and you’ll be welcomed into one sleek space; all white with high ceilings, wooden beams, a couple more murals and some massive brew kettles in the background of it all. You can see why people say it’s the place to beer! Don’t forget to grab one of the tasty pizzas coming from the onsite kitchen, too…
Where: 17 Christine Ave, Miami
Words by Chelsea Ipsen
