It’s 2pm on an overcast Thursday and the Wild Brumby is packed. Rain and wind on the alpine peaks mean poor ski conditions and many skiers  have fled the slopes to stay inside.

Wild Brumby Distillery and Cafe

What better way to warm up than in this cosy, funky Schnapps distillery which doubles as a cafe/restaurant?
Set up a few years ago by Brad Spalding and his wife Monika, Wild Brumby is situated  eleven kilometres from Jindabyne, NSW,  in a valley on the Alpine Way, a 100Km stretch of road which winds its way through spectacular scenery.
The valley lies just beneath the snowline and is full of wild brumbies, kangaroos, emus, parrots and kookaburras. It’s also home to a diverse mix of eco-friendly and up-market accommodation and an excellent restaurant.
As soon as you enter the Wild Brumby park, you become aware of a unique sense of style which makes spectacular use of the stark khaki and brown colours of the landscape – and which successfully marries Austrian and Aussie influences.  Man-made ponds, expertly polished boulders and rusty sculpture balls greet the eye.
The path leading to the distillery is studded with stylish rusted outdoor lights and not far from the front door is a life-size sculpted wild brumby.
All this before you’ve even tasted Brad’s schnapps and Monika’s Austrian food. A former ski instructor, Brad learnt the art of distilling schnapps in Austria, and now makes a wide variety of flavours to exacting European standards, from high quality Australian fruit.   Flavours include organic raspberry (grown on their property), Peach (fabulous with champagne), Pink Lady, Butterscotch (sweet and very popular), Mango, Pear William (fantastic), Peppermint and Sour Apple.  Flavouring are subtle yet unmistakeable.  Never having drunk Schnapps, I became an instant convert.  Last year, he added kosciuszko vodka 101 to the list. Brad is a likeable and eccentric character who occasionally dons a wig and plays Austrian folk songs on the accordion for guests.
Monika runs the kitchen and her presence can be felt in every nook and cranny.  We tried the soup of the day (cauliflower), the veal schnitzel, served with potato salad,  and Kassler (pan fried loin of smoked pork) served with sauerkraut and rustic mashed potatoes.  All delicious and just the thing to cheer you up on a cold bleak day, washed down with a glass of ‘Benz Zee Knees’ wine and a shot glass of Brad’s Schnapps.