The Story of Agave Australis

Agave Australis is Australian agave spirit, grown and distilled at Mt Uncle Distillery in Walkamin on the Atherton Tablelands. This is how it started.

Where it started

Mark Watkins, our founder and distiller, saw a kinship between the volcanic country of the Atherton Tablelands and the agave country of Jalisco. He brought blue agave into Australia and planted it here. Agave Australis is what came of it: agave grown in Queensland volcanic soil, roasted, fermented and distilled on the same property.

In the roasting pit

Agave is not a crop you plant in spring and cut in autumn, and the method that follows is not quick either. When a plant is ready the heart goes into a pit lined with volcanic rock and roasts slowly over fire. Roasting is what turns the plant's starch into sugar that can be fermented, and it is where the cooked agave character comes from. Everything after that happens on the same property: the plants, the roasting pit and the still are all here.

Why it is not called tequila

Tequila is a protected name. It can only be made in specific regions of Mexico under Mexican rules, so a spirit made from blue agave grown in Far North Queensland is Australian agave spirit and nothing else. That is not a technicality we work around. It is the point. This is what agave does in North Queensland soil, roasted over North Queensland rock.

The three expressions

Silver is unaged and bright, with fresh agave, soft citrus and a clean mineral finish. It is the margarita bottle. Rested spends time in American oak and carries honeyed sweetness, vanilla and light spice alongside the agave. Aged spends two years in oak and comes back with dark chocolate and dried fruit, and it is best poured neat.

Eight medals across the three expressions

Agave Australis has taken eight medals across the three expressions, judged at the International Wine and Spirit Competition and the London Spirits Competition in 2024 and 2025. The breakdown for each expression is on the Agave Australis page.

On the backbar

Agave Australis went to the bar trade in early 2022 and has been poured in some of Australia's most respected bars and restaurants since.

Where to find it

Taste the range at the cellar door in Walkamin, see all three expressions on the Agave Australis page, or order from the online shop.

The cellar door is at 1819 Chewko Road, Walkamin, about an hour from Cairns, up the range and onto the Atherton Tablelands. It is open daily 10am to 6pm, closed public holidays. A guided tasting is $20 per person with sessions at 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm and 5pm, and walk-ins are welcome for a standard visit. All three expressions also ship within Australia at a flat rate.

If you are choosing a date, what's on at the distillery lists the live music and events coming up.

Common questions

Is Agave Australis tequila?

No. Tequila is a protected Mexican name. Agave Australis is Australian agave spirit, made from blue agave grown at Walkamin on the Atherton Tablelands.

Which agave is it made from?

Blue agave, brought into Australia by Mark Watkins and planted on the property at Walkamin.

Where can I taste it?

At the Mt Uncle cellar door in Walkamin, open daily 10am to 6pm, closed public holidays. A guided tasting is $20 a guest, and no booking is needed for a standard visit.

Can I buy it online?

Yes, through the Mt Uncle shop, with flat rate shipping within Australia.

Since this was written, Agave Australis has grown its own home. Start with our guide, Australian agave spirit, explained, or go deeper at agaveaustralis.com.