Blending Botanicals at Wolf Lane Distillery
- BELLBRY LODGE
- Sep 13, 2025
- 3 min read
Some laneways whisper secrets: Wolf Lane sings them. Tucked among street art and hidden corners of Cairns, you’ll find a distillery where copper stills gleam, glasses clink softly and botanicals perfume the air. It’s a place that feels both vibrant and unhurried - an invitation to linger.
Gin Masterclasses at Wolf Lane
The pace of the city falls away once you step inside Wolf Lane. There’s a gentle rhythm here: the pour of a measure, the clink of glass, the distiller’s voice weaving stories of juniper and rainforest spice. Their Gin Masterclasses aren’t hurried demonstrations but shared journeys - an afternoon spent learning, tasting and creating.
“Here, gin is crafted, layered and coaxed into being...”
You begin with the botanicals, each one introduced like an old friend: lemon myrtle with its bright, zesty lift; pepper-berry with a hint of warmth; finger lime sparking sharp citrus notes. Guided sip by sip, you explore how flavours balance and dance together, until eventually your own blend emerges - unique, personal, bottled for you to carry home.
“Sometimes the most memorable souvenirs aren’t found —they’re crafted...”
For those who prefer to gather a circle of friends, Wolf Lane opens its doors for private masterclasses too. Ten or more around the table, laughter and conversation flowing as freely as the gin, it becomes as much a celebration as a lesson. Knowledge is shared generously, with tastes of Wolf Lane’s core spirits along the way, each paired with tonic or soda to reveal its true character.
It is, above all, an experience designed to be savoured - slow, social, and deeply rooted in place.
The Flavours of the Tropics
To taste Wolf Lane’s gins is to taste Tropical North Queensland itself.
Their Tropical Gin is bright and citrus-forward, infused with ruby grapefruit, mango and finger lime. It’s a summer gin that feels like sunshine in a glass - fresh, balanced and the spirit that began their journey.
The Davidson Plum Gin is something deeper, richer. Months of steeping transform the locally grown plums into a spirit with the colour of sunset and the flavour of jammy fruit, stewed rhubarb and a whisper of orange. Earthy, bold, and unforgettable.
Then there is the Navy Strength Gin. Strong, unapologetic, yet impossibly smooth, it carries the punch of heavy juniper and finger lime, softened by macadamia and fresh grapefruit. At 116 proof, it nods to tradition while still carrying the tropics at its heart.
“Every sip feels tethered to place, a reminder that Tropical North Queensland’s richness can be distilled as well as explored.”
Image credits: @wolflanedistillery
An Afternoon to Savour
For Bellbry Lodge guests, a visit to Wolf Lane Distillery pairs beautifully with a stay devoted to slowing down. Spend an afternoon in Cairns discovering the art of gin, then return to the Lodge with your bespoke bottle in hand, glass glinting with your own creation.
Because gin tastes best when it carries a story - and this one begins in a laneway filled with colour, laughter and copper stills.
Join the Next Masterclass
The next Gin Blending Masterclass takes place on Saturday, 18 October 2025, from 2–4pm. Tickets are $89 per person - a unique chance to blend, taste and bottle your very own creation.
Wolf Lane Distillery
28-30 Abbott Street, Cairns
