Why shouldn’t the best place in the world have a few spirits to match? Four blokes, an empty shed, a lot of memories and a bit too much sun. Sunshine & Sons was born — like a lot of things on the coast — out of a bit of nostalgia, a why-not attitude and a few lucky coincidences.
Sunshine & Sons is everything you love about our little part of the world and everything we love about great spirits. Pot-distilled in the hinterland rainforest, our spirits evoke all the promise and the memory — the allure and the warmth of Queensland’s beautiful subtropical coast. The best thing is someone else has done all the hard work — just let The Coast Spirit shine.
As well as being passionate about producing beautiful Spirits, we focus on preserving the beautiful environment in which we have the privilege to live and work in. Absolutely no harm to our people and our planet.
Our home and Distillery is located in lush Sunshine Coast hinterland rainforest, neighbouring and just a short drive from Queensland’s iconic and much loved Big Pineapple. It is here that we create and share our Sunshine & Sons range of spirts.
Maria and Sarah, our imposing and elegant 6,000 and 2,500 litre Tasmanian artisan pot stills were comissioned in January 2020 to Head Distiller, Adam Chapman‘s proprietary design and specifications. Hand-made in Tasmania from the finest German copper, they‘ve been
meticulously designed to create stunning and complex flavour profiles – an integral element of our vision to let The Coast Spirit shine.
It’s both tradition and good luck to name stills in much the same way naming ships started over a thousand years ago, when sailors named vessels after gods, goddesses or saints hoping to bring good fortune to their travels.
Sarah, our beautiful 2,500 litre spirit still, is named in homage to the beautiful wife of James Costar and mother of their four children.
With no expense spared skilled Tasmanian artisans have lovingly handcrafted Sarah from Australian copper ore milled to a standard of purity only possible in Germany.
Commissioned on Australia Day of 2020 Head Distiller Adam Chapman’s proprietary design and specifications are an integral element of our vision and determination to let The Coast Spirit shine.
Maria, our imposing and elegant 6,000 litre wash still is a sight to see as you enter our Distillery Door.
Amongst the very largest pot stills on mainland Australia her dimensions and scale are seemingly at odds with the exquisite and delicate nature of the low wines she produces.
A state of the art steam heat exchanger ensures sustainable energy efficient heating of the fermented wash as our vision of distilling spirits to equal the world’s best takes shape, with a consequent noise and hum that is hypnotic.
Named in honour of Maria Amour, the mother of James Costar, after many months of shaping and construction Maria travelled by ship across Bass Strait in December 2019. A fitting link to the pre-eminent mode of transport during Maria’s lifetime.
Head Distiller Adam is at the very centre of our shared vision to produce fine spirits that surprise and delight. With an extensive 35 year International career and qualifications in wine making and spirits production & education Adam’s approach to the creation of beautiful drinks combines centuries old traditions with modern science.
* Excludes selected product lines - Noosa Festival of Surfing, Kherson Liberation Gin, Patron’s Peace Vodka, The Generals Gin, Greenslander Gin & Woodfordia Dry Gin
