From avocado beer and hemp beer, to chilli cider and even quandong gin — Australian brewers and distillers are putting themselves and local growers on the map by adding 'specialty ingredients' to their beverages.

One of the most recent businesses to join the trend is Perth-based company Whipper Snapper, who is brewing Australia's first quinoa whiskey.

The boutique business began brewing the unique spirit a couple of years ago in very small batches of 100 bottles a year.

But brewer Tim Hoskin said now, due to its popularity, they had upscaled production and were set to release their first commercial scale batch of 1,000 bottles next year.

"The first 100 bottles sold out in a week," he said.

"The biggest thing that we wanted to do was bring through all that beautiful, nutty, earthiness through to the final whiskey because it's a flavour you don't get in other grains."

The whiskey is made entirely from Western Australian local grain.

Mr Hoskin said unlike other quinoa whiskey, made in the Unites States, their spirit was majority-quinoa.

He said the quinoa whiskey was a chance to stand out and put local produce on the map.

"Everything we try and do is looking for unique flavours and local grain so it just fit the bill perfectly," he said.

He said even though its popularity could demand even more production, the cost of quinoa — which is about five times the price of corn — is limiting it expanding further.

Putting farmers on the map

The quinoa is sourced from WA farmers. ( Eliza Wood: ABC Rural )

The unique whiskey does not just have benefits for the distillery either.

Ashley Weise, who farms in Highbury, 200 km south-east of Perth, and supplies the quinoa, said it helped with marketing as well.

"It's all about the story and the fact that we're local growers and we're taking it right through to the shelf," he said.

President of the Australian Distillers Association Stuart Gregor agreed, saying it also applied to other distillers or brewers adding 'special ingredients'.

"If [these ingredients] become commercially farmed then it gives farmers an opportunity for another crop," he said.

We know that most farming communities need to think about diversification and this may [help that] — if we grow the Australian spirits industry.

He said for more established crops, like avocado, it also diversified the market they could go to.

'Special ingredients' a trend

The quinoa whiskey joins an extensive list of Australian craft beverages making their name in the market by adding a 'special ingredient'.

Mr Gregor said it was necessary with the increasing amount of distilleries in Australia.

"The fact is there are now 120-odd distilleries in Australian and five or six years ago there was probably thirty," he said.

"It's important for the distilleries that they have something a little bit different and something that grabs people's attention."

As for the next trending ingredient, Tim Hoskin flagged the use of spelt for their business and Stuart McGregor said bush foods were becoming increasingly popular.