Making our gin
Our distillery is nestled in the bush, down a gravel drive, off a single lane road, in the Reikorangi Valley, Kapiti Coast, Aotearoa New Zealand. It's the place where New Zealand's trail-blazing craft brewery, Tuatara, was born and so there's a real sense of 'something in the air' around the place. Spiritual even.
We capture rainwater - hundreds of thousands of litres - on site which we charcoal filter for the production of our gin - it creates an unmistakably pure taste experience. We distill in an eight plate fractionating still using local produce wherever we possibly can.
The rest is secret...
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Reikorangi Triple Distilled Dry Gin
This is the gin that started it all and which won us our very first medal. It has since gone on to win many more.
The secret to the flavour profile of this gin starts with the distinctive yeast we use in fermentation (yes, it's secret) and the charcoal filtered rainwater. The botanicals are the same as those you will find in a traditional London Dry Gin - with the addition of manuka which gives the gin a leafy earthiness.
However, we play some of the ingredients a little differently. We add whole citrus to the column of the still where their sugars and oils are gently extracted by the vapourising alcohol and there is a little more licorice & cinnamon creating a sweet spicey finish.
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Damson Plum
 & Blackberry
We were always intrigued by the idea of a traditional Sloe Gin but of course Sloe berries don't grow in the southern hemisphere and you need fresh berries, not dried, to make Sloe Gin.
So this is our take on a classic.
In February each year, thanks to some awesome locals, we pick a tonne of Damson Plums from kiwi backyards. The plums are macerated for 2 months in a dry gin styled specifically for this liqueur, developing sour cherry like tones. The addition of blackberries and of course the citrus and spices, fill the background creating a truly characterful liqueur.
Great for cocktails!
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Reikorangi Rhubarb & Raspberry Gin
Western Harvest is a family owned farm on the Kapiti Coast, where the second and third generation produce a crop of rhubarb the size of which you can barely imagine. And it's beautiful rhubarb. The tartness of the rhubarb and the sweetness of the raspberry combine to create a gin with great flavour but maintaining a true dry gin finish.
We start by distilling a dry gin with a little less spice and a little extra orris root for floral sweetness. We macerate raspberries in the gin for a month, strain, and add the juice we press from the rhubarb. We enjoy drinking with Fever Tree Aromatic Tonic, a slice of lime and bruised mint.
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Black Barn Syrah Barrel Aged Gin
When we decided to create a barrel aged gin, the first call was what sort of barrel? We worked with the winemakers at Black Barn in Hawkes Bay who are famous for their silky Syrah. Their knowledge led us to some tightly grained and medium toasted French oak used in the production of their Syrah.
Back in the distillery we fill the barrels with our triple distilled dry gin and let nature take it’s course. The result is an exquisite dry gin with a vibrant fruit nose and a hint of toffee and cinnamon. We love it straight up on the rocks!
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Lewis Farms Strawberry Gin
Made as an ode to Christmas and the kiwi summer, this gin has a punnet of strawberries in every litre. The berries are grown on a family farm in Levin run by the second and third generation of the Lewis family who have farmed the same land since 1934. They honestly grow the most delicious strawberries we’ve ever eaten!
This is a citrus forward gin with a distinct strawberry nose and flavour but without a lot of the sweetness that seems to be pervasive in most ‘pink’ gins. A great cocktail gin and perfect as a Fruit Cup.
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Wakame Seaweed Dry Gin
After tasting a variety of local seaweeds the choice of Wakame was unanimous. Our seaweed is gathered from the Wellington and Wairarapa coasts by licensed seaweed gatherer and expert Leah Bramley. She’s a legend!
The initial aroma is juniper forward, fresh and sweet. On the palate you’ll taste the refreshing-ness of the citrus, then a sweetness and a sweet salty finish. You will definitely experience a sense of the wild ocean.
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