A star Air Force officer’s mission to open a craft distillery after serving 35 years in the military proves it’s never too late to change direction in life.
Andrew Lancaster’s journey to opening Twelve and a Half Acres Distillery in the hills of the Sunshine Coast hinterland is one of transition.
The former combat veteran said deciding to do something totally different was scary but now it was paying off.
“I was eager for a total change from my past military life, one that provided unique and complex challenges, yet could draw upon past skill sets,” he said.
“I joined the Royal Navy (RN) as helicopter aircrew straight from school at 18, having previously worked on farms in the UK,” he said.
“In the RN I flew on helicopters and FW (fixed-wing) aircraft … I had a blast.”
After leaving the RN, he flew to Australia for the first time to join the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
“My time with the RAAF was very adventurous with a lot of time spent with the Army on operations,” he said.
“I reached flag rank of one-star.”
During his service he held six command positions, flew on multiple types of aircraft, was deployed on multiple operations, received medals and, as a mountaineer, climbed and skied in multiple countries.
“I was exceptionally lucky,” he said.
“But the military was not just about accolades and achievements. It tested my mettle and taught me the invaluable life lessons of commitment, loyalty, humility, dedication and tenacity.
“These experiences also taught me the value of hard work, initiative and time management.”
However, he said he became worn out.
“I was absolutely institutionalised,” he said.
“It’s taken me nearly two years to essentially decompress from the intensity of military life, and I still have some way to go for sure,” he said.
“The challenge is to channel energy into something else, and my Twelve and a Half Acres gin is a very positive new venture.
“It’s a real adventure and it’s what I needed – to do something completely different.”
He said there were many parallels with his new venture and his military career.
“The distilling industry and distilling is about is about checks, it’s about processes, it’s about procedures, and that’s exactly what my military career has all been about,” he said.
His distilling journey began in November 2021 when he started a course on planning and opening a distillery with The Distillers Institute. Then in March 2022 he attended the Old Kempton Distillery School in Tasmania.
He also completed an internship at Sunshine & Sons under head distiller Adam Chapman with the support of owners Matthew Hobson and Michael Conrad.
“I have been very lucky to have the support of Adam Chapman, an award-winning Australian distiller and distilling educator, to guide me throughout this journey,” he said.
“The support I have had has been invaluable and has led me to the point that we were all happy to go to market.
“Adam opened my eyes as to what made a distiller good and what was required to be an outstanding distiller. I am very grateful for his support.”
Mr Lancaster said the backing from the local community had been overwhelming since officially launching the business last month.
“I’m a little bit blown away to be perfectly honest,” he said.
“When I was looking at getting out of the military two years ago, this was just a thought bubble.
“Then to get to this point, where people are tasting the gin and saying ‘oh wow, that’s great’ and seeing their reaction – it all feels worthwhile and so rewarding.
“I’ve been to local markets so far at Maleny, Montville and Witta, and I’m hoping to get to Mapleton. Business is also going well online.
“Spicers up in Montville has just taken my Montville Dry Gin as their house pour. That was the start of what’s been like a whirlwind since opening.”
His dream is to be sustainable, while producing quality product that people really enjoy.
“I’m not interested in being a huge distillery, just a bloody good one that cares about what it does and the community,” he said.
“I’m passionate about producing the best product possible with native, local and my own ingredients in an ecologically sustainable manner – and being an integral part of the community.
“I’d like people to be inspired and see that you can change direction in life at any stage – you can do something different.”
The close connection to the 12-and-a-half acres he owns in Hunchy resulted in the name of his distillery.
“I want to replant native trees and I’ve just joined Care for Wildlife. My goal is to leave the 12-and-a-half acres in a better state than when I bought the property,” he said.
“My main vision is to be self-sustaining – I use rainwater, solar electric to power the stills and grow as many of the botanicals as possible on my property.
“I source lemon myrtle leaves and wormwood from my property so far.
“I want the business to be locally known, respected and supported through a mutual relationship. I would like to support local community events, as well as the local veteran community.”
For more information visit Twelve and a Half Acres Distillery.
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