Craft distillery calls for Aussies to ‘Drink Less, But Better’

Gold Coast distillery Grandad Jack’s is urging customers to ‘Drink Less, But Better’ in an effort to encourage an appreciation of quality over quantity drinking.

David Ridden, Founder and CEO of Grandad Jack’s, said his goal is to educate consumers about the complex flavours of quality spirits, helping Australians realise it’s possible to have a good time while drinking less.

“At Granddad Jack’s, we’re all about the quality, so much so that we’re flipping the script on the industry norm and telling Aussies to savour the flavours of the quality spirits we produce,” he said. 

Launching on the Gold Coast in 2018, Ridden was initially inspired to create a craft distillery dedicated to his late grandfather’s love of Whiskey. 

“When we started the business, which was, in fact, the Gold Coast’s first craft distillery, we knew we wanted to challenge the status quo,” said Ridden, who is also President of the Queensland Distillers Association.

Along with his son Luke, who left his career as a mechanic to join the venture, the Riddens wanted to share a bit of their family story with the local community. 

“Five years ago, we began this passion project with just the two of us wanting to share our family story. Now, we’re an established Queensland brand with 18 staff across our two locations, Miami on the Gold Coast and Albion in Brisbane, and brand ambassadors who represent us globally,” said Ridden.

The father-and-son duo have gone from strength to strength with a year-on-year growth rate of more than 40 per cent and a swag of medals to boot. 

Now the head distiller at Grandad Jack’s, Luke Ridden has established himself as something of a young gun in the industry, producing Australia’s top-rated gin as judged by the 2023 Ginuary Competition.

“While respectful of the craft of distilling, Luke is what you might call a disruptor when it comes to flavour combinations. He is renowned for bringing a youthful, modern freshness to his recipes and is always innovating and experimenting with new carefully crafted gins,” said Ridden.

Not content to rest on their laurels, Grandad Jack’s has secured export partnerships in six countries and will shortly open a bar in Newcastle, NSW, with another in Singapore to follow later this year. 

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