Raising Spirits with Sunshine and Sons
John Caruso discovers how Nil Desperandum is making headlines and lighting up the night.
It’s been a golden run for the team behind Sunshine & Sons spirits and Nil Desperandum Rum scooping an extraordinary haul at the Royal Queensland Distilled Spirits Awards. The 100% pure Australian Certified Organic rum brought home the titles of Champion Rum, Champion Queensland Spirit, Champion Spirit for The Vintner’s Barrel with a staggering 10 medals leading to the ultimate accolade of being named Champion Queensland Distillery!
This, on the back of more medals at the Melbourne Royal Australian International Spirits Awards, including yet another gold for the Botanical Rum. For co-founder and Chief Imagineer Matt Hobson, the trophies aren’t just a nod from the industry, they’re proof that a Queensland distillery can stand alongside the best in the world.
“We’ve always wanted to showcase Queensland sugarcane, nurtured by Queensland rain and sunshine, in an elevated expression of rum,” Matt says.
“Australians love rum, but traditionally, the styles produced here haven’t always resonated internationally. We wanted to change that, no shortcuts, no compromises, just world-class rum made here in the Woombye rainforest.”
Nil Desperandum was the name of Woombye’s first pub from 1871 and also comes from the Latin phrase meaning ‘nothing to despair’ or ‘no worries’ in modern Australian.
Head Distiller Adam Chapman, a former winemaker of 35 years, brings both tradition and innovation to the stills. Wild fermentation captures the character of the distillery’s hinterland home, while careful barrel ageing brings depth and complexity. The Vintner’s Barrel, which claimed the top honours this year, is matured in red wine barrels, a subtle homage to Adam’s background.
While the awards prove Nil Desperandum’s credentials, Matt is just as animated when talking about Rum Fire, the distillery’s annual celebration of Queensland Rum Day. If you haven’t been, imagine this: a towering bonfire built from green waste, ignited against the night sky with live music, great food, family-friendly entertainment, and, of course, rum!
Queensland Rum Day itself traces back to a turbulent chapter in our colonial history, the Rum Rebellion of 1808, when a dispute over the control of the rum trade sparked Australia’s only military coup. Today, the day is reclaimed as a celebration of our rum-making heritage and the people who are driving it. For the Nil Desperandum team, Rum Fire is more than just a party – it’s a family-friendly experience.
“We want families, rum lovers, and the simply curious to come together, enjoy the great outdoors, and feel connected to what we do here,” Matt says.
This year’s Rum Fire promises to be bigger than ever, with face painting and activities for kids, food stalls, live entertainment, and a bar pouring and selling not only rum, but a selection of the distillery’s other award-winning Sunshine & Sons spirits.
If Rum Fire is the party, then the Rum Consortium is the after-dinner toast, rare, refined, and unforgettable. The concept is simple but groundbreaking: one bottle, a blend contributed to by some of Queensland’s most respected rum makers – Bundaberg Rum, Beenleigh Rum, Kalki Moon, Nil Desperandum – and for 2025 a top-secret guest distillery. The 2024 release sold out after the inaugural consortium took the rum world by surprise; the 2025 edition, to be unveiled at Rum Fire, will do the same.
“Each distillery contributes something unique,” Matt explains. “It’s not just about the liquid in the bottle; it’s about Queensland’s rum industry working together to create something special.”
While awards shine a spotlight on the spirits, Matt believes that true success is built on more than what’s in the glass.
“We are experience-led,” he says. “From the moment you arrive, we want you to be part of our story, to meet our people, and understand the care and creativity behind every drop.”
The 1871 Club shows the commitment to excellence and inclusion with members receiving five limited-edition rum releases per year, pre-orders on bonus releases, and access to events and discounted merchandise that’s sure to please the most discerning afficionado. The latest release – The Mezcal Barrel is crafted from wild native yeasts and organic molasses and aged for four years and seven months in a single Mezcal barrel emptied of Mexican sherry.
Label personalisation on its core range provides a unique personal or corporate gift and the commitment to connection is evident in the tours Matt and co-founder Michael Conrad personally lead. Visitors are guided through the stillhouse, the ageing barrels, and the craft that goes into each release. It’s this blend of storytelling and skill that sets Nil Desperandum and Sunshine & Sons apart, and perhaps why the judges keep voting their way.
With awards pouring in, Rum Fire and the next Rum Consortium on its way, it’s clear that the team at Nil Desperandum have no worries about putting Queensland rum firmly on the map!
RUM FIRE 2025
Saturday 25 October from 1pm.
104 Nambour Connection Rd, Woombye.
Huge bonfire, live music, food trucks and entertainment for the kids. Tastings and sales from participating distilleries and a limited-edition Queensland Rum Day release. Tickets from $40 (early bird), under-18 free. Includes entry + a drink on arrival. BYO picnic blanket or camping chairs. Scan the QR code for tickets.
