Down in Bellambi, Wiradjuri man Mitch Lowrie has started something pretty special with his small distillery, Dharawal Distilling Co. He kicked it off in 2023, and instead of just making spirits the usual way, he’s bringing in local Aboriginal foragers to collect native plants from Dharawal Country to use in his gin and vodka. Mitch grew up on Dharawal Country and has worked with mob for years, so he wanted this business to actually support community, not just talk about it. He says what makes his spirits different is that every ingredient comes with a story — something from Country, something gathered by mob, something real. It wasn’t easy at the start. Mitch said he messed up more batches than he got right. But the hard work paid off, because now his spirits are in about 30 pubs and bars across Sydney and the Illawarra, and some places even have it as their go-to pour. They’ve been approved for duty-free in Queensland too, and he’s even talking with Qantas. The bottles look deadly as well, with artwork from Aboriginal artists. One of the latest was for NAIDOC Week, using a piece called Ngaramura by artist Kane Wright. Mitch’s big dream is to one day open the distillery up for people to visit, walk on Country, see how everything’s made, and even go foraging themselves. The team is also popping up at food festivals, and Mitch is looking at making spritz-style drinks like strawberry gum vodka with soda or lemon myrtle cello. At the end of the day, he says it’s not just about selling alcohol — it’s about showing how Aboriginal knowledge and culture can take its place in modern industries, and making sure mob have opportunities every step of the way.