Backwoods Distilling Co: The high country whisky built on evenings, weekends and Australian grain

Where it started

Backwoods started the way the best distilleries often do - in a shed, still working day jobs and with a lot to figure out. Leigh was teaching high school and Bree was working in communications and marketing, which meant production happened in the evenings and on weekends, whenever time allowed.

“Everything was manual - mashing, fermenting, distilling, cleaning - and a lot of it was learning as we went. There wasn’t much separation between life and work at that point.”

Both had spent time away from the High Country before deciding to return. Coming back to Yackandandah specifically wasn't accidental. "It came down to lifestyle and connection to place. Yackandandah has a strong community, along with a pace and environment that suits how we want to live and work." 

They approached Backwoods as a business from the beginning, not a hobby they'd eventually professionalise. The shift, as they describe it, wasn't from passion project to real enterprise - it was from uncertainty to confidence. As people started buying, returning and telling others, the shape of what they were building became clearer.

Grain-first approach

Backwoods makes rye whisky and single malt, built entirely from Australian-grown grain - specifically heritage rye, wheat and barley sourced from the nearby Riverina.

“If we’re claiming to represent a place, the ingredients need to come from that place. We feel so proud and passionate about using Australian grains and helping tell the story of local farmers and maltsters.”

Australian rye delivers a spice character noticeably different from imported grain - brighter, more assertive, with natural variability between seasons that creates challenges but ultimately adds character. More recently, they've begun working with organic and under-modified malts from a sustainable farmer, a relationship that's been as educational as it has been practical.

What they're chasing in the glass is structure and balance. "Bold grain flavour, particularly from the heritage grains we use, and a softer, rounded texture."

An Australian cellar, by design

Every cask Backwoods uses has previously held an Australian wine or spirit. Reclaimed fortified wine casks, Shiraz barrels, Muscat, and, most distinctively, rare Red Gum timber casks coopered in the Barossa. 

Australian casks unlock flavour territory that imported wood simply can't. Shiraz brings fruit and richness with a distinctly local register. The Red Gum casks sit in a category of their own - a genuinely Australian maturation story that very few distilleries are telling. "There's still a lot of potential in how those two elements interact," they say of the ongoing work between heritage grains and Australian cask types.

The distillery as community asset

The Backwoods cellar door is deliberately unshowy. The stills are there to be seen, as the context helps visitors understand what goes into each bottle, though the barrels themselves are stored off-site. What matters to Leigh and Bree is that people feel comfortable engaging at whatever level suits them, whether that means digging into the process or simply finding somewhere good to have a drink. 

In a town like Yackandandah, a distillery also carries weight for the people who live there. "Many of our local customers take real pride in having the distillery to share with visitors", and contributing to the region's growing reputation as a destination is something both founders take seriously.

The work has been noticed. Backwoods has been named Champion Victorian Distiller in 2024, won Best Single Malt Whisky at the Australian Distilled Spirits Awards twice - the only distillery to do so - and their rye has taken the Category Award at the World Whiskies Awards on two separate occasions. For a first visit, start with the rye. It tells you most of what you need to know.

Website: https://backwoodsdistilling.com.au/

Address: 6 Turntable Lane, Yackandandah, Victoria 3749