Given that proud Wiradjuri woman Clair Ryder is allergic to alcohol, starting up her own gin distillery was brave and risky move.

"I didn't drink until I started the distillery and I had less than a quarter of a shot of gin and was instantly Ill, because it turns out some people are allergic to alcohol," she told the Indigenous Business Review, (a National Indigenous Times publication).

"So, I can have about three drops of gin a day, from the distillers I'm blending, or I put myself in hospital."

The 36-year-old said she decided to start up On Country Craft Distillery two years ago after noticing that some of the gin brands with Indigenous artwork slapped on them were not Indigenous-owned businesses.

The former social worker was also shocked to discover some of the distillers were using native ingredients without getting permission from the Traditional Owners.

She was also stunned to unearth that there were no distilleries 100 per cent owned and managed by First Nations women.

"On one level, I'm super proud that we've been able to break through and be the first, but on the other hand, I'm disappointed because I thought we were doing a better job than that," she said.

"While there are some amazing people who work in the distilling industry, unfortunately, it came to my attention that there were some people who were overharvesting bush tucker.

"They were taking sacred plants without permission from the local community or even trying to talk to the local community."

Ms Ryder sat down with Traditional Owners and sought their blessing on how to harvest ingredients ethically and sustainably.

But she soon came up against one major hurdle: she didn't know how to distil gin.

"So, I went down to the University of Adelaide and completed their distillation course," she said.

"Before that, I got myself a chemistry tutor who I am eternally grateful for and will continue to spend the rest of my life apologising to.

"It's been a massive learning curve, and a lot of businesses will say that everything's perfect, but for me, it's been a series of comic disasters that we keep pushing through."

The Townsville local soon started blending her traditional knowledge with modern science and innovative distilling using ethically sourced ingredients.

She said the Queensland-based company abided by strict rules when it comes to harvesting fruits and plants.

"At the moment we're making a fig gin using these beautiful native figs down at the local soccer park," she said.

"If there are figs on the ground, it means they've been enough for other birds and all the other animals. It also means that the seeds are there and being propagated, and we won't have issues."

Ms Ryder said each of the labels features a native Australian bird because she felt the feathered creatures were a key part of the local ecosystem by spreading seeds.

Some of the more popular products in the past were called Budgerigar Dry Gin, Peppermint Parrot Gin, and 'Bin Chicken' Gin, named after the Ibis.

But now and then, one of the gin names ruffles a few feathers.

"My mum spent some time at the distillery, and she wanted to develop her own gin, which she called Gay Kookaburra," she laughed.

"And to make it even worse, the key ingredients were old man salt bush and finger lime.

"So that was a solid month of hate mail from people who were homophobic and racist."

The First Nations entrepreneur said not only has she had to deal with the challenges of being the only woman in a male-dominated industry, but also the prejudices of an Indigenous person running a distillery.

"Some people have issues with a First Nations person being involved in alcohol, because they assume that it's unsafe and that I'll just be a complete drunkard," she said.

"But thankfully due to my allergy, I can reassure them that it is not the case. But we do get hate mail periodically because of that."

Ms Ryder is passionate about giving back to her community, especially First Nations women's groups.

Part of the company's profits also goes towards environmental conservation on Country through the sponsorship of organisations like the Gudjuda Rangers group.

"We work closely with Aunty Lynn Munn's women's group, who runs an amazing group that is designed to give women different life skills," she said.

"She works with people who are from difficult backgrounds, so people with histories of domestic violence, with disability, and some members who have very low levels of literacy or no literacy.

"While the women are there, they're yarning, and they're building connections, and they're healing, and they're developing the confidence to seek help and get out of the challenging situations they might be in."

Ms Ryder hopes she has paved the way for more First Nations women to get into distilling.

"I want to see more people in this industry because it's a lot of fun," she said. "It lets you work on country. And you get to live out your Harry Potter potions-making dreams coming true."