Vendor Profile | Waterhole Mixers

Tell us a bit about Waterhole Mixers

We are an all-Australia, family and veteran owned brand who is passionate about bring people together ‘at the Waterhole’. A waterhole quenches thirst and brings life to everything around it. In nature it brings animals together, in life we bring people together. We love that ‘waterhole’ is colloquial for ‘pub’ because we are all about bringing people together to enjoy each other’s company over a refreshing drink. We also have lots of fun doing it.  We remind others to stop being so serious and to enjoy exactly where we are right now. Our greatest joy is to make people lighten up, laugh, and to forget their worries for a little while.

What made you decide to start your venture?

The company started due to a passionate love for the emerging Australian Gin scene. Phenomenal Australian distillers are using Aussie botanicals to create internationally awarded gins, but what didn’t make sense was mixing these great Australian gins with European flavoured tonics. How does lavender and rosemary pair with lemon myrtle and lilli-pilly, for goodness sake?  Other tonics might be great for standard gins, but they’re not designed for Australia. And so, the idea for Waterhole was borne. We spent month refining the recipes in our kitchen (see attached) ensuring that the final product is designed specifically to pair with spirits that use Australian natives and suit the Australian palette. We then went to commercialise the recipes and concepts. In our process, we used cold extraction technologies to garner the oils from our native ingredients which also means we don’t have to use alcohol in the essences. Native ingredient flavours are delicate, and heat can really impact their flavour, so using cold technology to draw out the oils was critical in our process. We are truly artisan in our approach. Waterhole is family-owned, veteran-owned  and 100% Australian.

Tell us more about what makes your products unique

We use all-natural Australian produce and specifically native ingredients. The aim of our drinks is to make delicious tonics but when these tonics are paired with amazing gins, they are the support act to the superstar. Our mixers about complementing not competing with gins and spirits they’re mixed with but equally about creating new experiences you’ve never had before. We pride ourselves on developing tonic water that is designed for Australian spirits and Australian palettes.

Your top 3 gins:

There are too many amazing craft distillers in Australia to limit to just three.  The industry is really pushing the boundaries of flavour combinations and taking the world by storm. Most of these distilleries are run by families, sometimes with a couple of extra staff. They’re employing locals, growing businesses, pushing boundaries, and getting onto the world stage. It takes a great deal of courage and hard work to achieve what they’re doing. But what we love the most, is the good will and interest they’ve show in support Waterhole. 

What’s next on the horizon for Waterhole Mixers?

At a day-to-day level, we’re so proud to be a part of the Gin Palooza events around the country where people get to meet great distillers and, of course, our great tonics!  In the future we’ll be continuing to develop and celebrate great Australian native ingredients in fun and interesting mixers that brings people together.