EST. 2001 · ATHERTON TABLELANDS
A family distillery at Walkamin
Rum, gin, agave spirit and whisky, all made on the one property.
Our Story Begins Here
Mt Uncle Distillery was founded in 2001 on the Atherton Tablelands. Volcanic soil, tropical climate and clean spring water create the ideal conditions for building flavour from the ground up.
We are a house of spirits driven by process. Every decision from fermentation through to the final cut is made with intent. It is how we capture the character of this region and translate it into the glass.
Today the distillery is home to five spirit houses: FNQ Rum Co., Botanic Australis, Agave Australis, Watkins Whisky Co. and Sexycat.
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Mark Watkins, founder and head distiller
Mt Uncle has been his work from the start.
His approach is simple. Build flavour early. Make disciplined decisions in the still. Let time do its job.
Mark was also responsible for bringing Blue Weber agave into Australia, laying the foundation for a category that did not exist here. That same mindset continues to shape everything we do.
“I didn’t build this to follow rules. I built it to make the spirits I wanted to drink.”
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The Mt Uncle Way
How the spirits are made
Everything starts with raw material.
North Queensland sugarcane syrup, estate-grown agave, Queensland barley and botanicals, some of them native, form the base of our spirits. They define how flavour is built.
Fermentation is where that flavour begins. Distillation is where it is refined, on Helga, our 1500L Arnold Holstein copper pot still. Every cut is deliberate.
Maturation is treated as a variable. In a tropical environment, time behaves differently. We manage that intensity through cask selection, fill strength and warehouse conditions.
The result is a range of spirits that are structured, expressive and grounded in place.
From the agave rows to the roasting pit
Agave Australis starts in our own rows of blue agave, grown at altitude on the Tablelands.
At harvest the hearts of the plants are slow roasted in a volcanic rock pit, then fermented and copper pot distilled.
Silver is bottled unaged. Rested and Aged spend time in American oak.
International awards
Our work has been recognised at the highest level, including:
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2024, World Rum Awards, World’s Best Sugarcane Spirit, FNQ Rum Co. Platinum Cane Spirit
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2021, World Rum Awards, World’s Best Pot Still, FNQ Rum Co. Iridium 5yr Dark Rum
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2021, London Spirits Competition, Gin of the Year and Best in Show by Country (Australia), Botanic Australis Navy Strength Gin
These are not marketing lines. They are third party proof under global scrutiny.
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Meet The Family
Each house has its own page and its own range. Start with the spirit you already drink.
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Six Australian gins, each built on its own selection of botanicals worked around juniper. Made to hold their own in a proper serve.
Cane spirit and rum from North Queensland sugarcane syrup. Fermented and distilled on site, with the rums aged in the tropics for depth and intensity.
Australian agave spirit from our own blue agave. Silver for a margarita, Rested and Aged for sipping.
Come and taste it at the source
The Distillery Door in Walkamin is where everything comes together.
Walk in for a drink, or book a guided tasting of four pours chosen from our rum, agave spirit and gin. It is a working distillery, not a showroom.
Visit us
Mt Uncle Distillery
1819 Chewko Road, Walkamin QLD 4872
Opening hours
Open daily 10am to 6pm, closed public holidays
An easy drive from Cairns, Mareeba and Atherton.
