Have a drink at Granddad Jack’sGold Coast, Australia

Visiting Granddad Jack’s Distillery on the Gold Coast feels like stumbling into your mate’s shed…if your mate happened to make world-class gin and design moody, industrial-chic interiors. Family-run and fuelled by the legacy of one very hard-arse New Zealander, this distillery has turned storytelling into an art form (and an excellent excuse for day drinking).

You can just stop by for a tipple, but we recommend the distillery tour for an in-depth look at the makers behind the magic.

The tour kicks off with tales of David “Granddad Jack” Goulding - the 1919-born hustler, barber, and bootlegger-in-spirit whose life inspired every bottle here. You’ll hear how the team transformed his adventures into spirits like the juniper-punchy Two Pencils, the herbaceous Greenhouse Gin, and the fiery 65 Miles, named after the distance Jack once biked to find work.

But beyond the shiny stills and copper pipes, there’s a bar that’s dangerously good at keeping you seated. Their cocktail list is extensive - think inventive G&Ts, espresso martinis laced with their own Barbershop Coffee Liqueur, and limited-release creations that rarely last the month. Tastings are casual, the banter’s local, and the pours are generous (the holy trinity of any great distillery).

And it’s all built around community, from open nights and gin-making classes to regular small-batch drops that keep locals hooked. There’s heart, humour and just the right amount of mischief in every nook and cranny (read: make sure you check out the far right hand corner).

Sure, Granddad Jack’s is where seriously good spirits are made. But it’s also where stories are bottled, legends are toasted, and hangovers are earned honestly.