As seen in the Observer Food Monthly…

Did someone say sale on New Zealand Gin?

Cardrona Gin - The story:

Creating the finest spirits with pure Alpine water sourced from the heart of Mount Cardrona, from New Zealand’s Southern Alps, and locally foraged seasonal ingredients to produce an unparalleled signature taste. Cardrona Distillery is family-owned and operated. The very best equipment has been sourced from the four corners of the earth, to make exquisite handcrafted Single Malt Whisky, Gin, Vodka and Liqueurs.

Meet the Maker - Desiree Reid-Whitaker:

In early 2011, craftswoman, Desiree Reid-Whitaker, decided to pursue her dream of making a New Zealand single malt whisky that would stand tall on the international stage. She began researching distillation and the crafting of great spirits. The exquisite range of award-winning whiskies, spirits and liqueurs produced at the Cardrona Distillery is the result of many years of study, planning and Research. Desiree travelled widely for two and a half years, learning from many of the world’s masters, including the late Dave Pickerell, former head of Maker’s Mark. Her studies took her back to Scotland and through the United States many times, to garner the technical know-how and marketing insight to build Cardrona Distillery.

In May 2013, Desiree sold her farming business to move to Wanaka, ultimately finding the distillery site at Cardrona. On 23 October 2015, the spirit flowed for the first time and on 5 November, the first cask was laid.

The process - Grain to Glass:

Cardrona does not cut corners. From the barley varietal, the grind of the mill and the size of the mash tun to the temperature of the alpine water, every step of the process is integral to forming the character of the spirit and has been meticulously thought out. The Distillery has designed its craft process around the deep single malt traditions, starting from scratch with malted barley to create a genuine artisan premium spirit, a rarity in the spirits industry. Every aspect of Cardrona’s products is of the highest quality, from the pure Cardrona Valley alpine water, the rich malted barley and the locally foraged ingredients to the hand picked oak casks from Spain and America.

Cardrona spirit starts with the very best of ingredients, water, malted barley and yeast.

The casks - Journey from Gin to bottle:

The heart of the spirit is filled into seasoned oak casks, sourced from the best producers in the world. Ex-Oloroso sherry butts from Jerez in the south of Spain, ex-Bourbon barrels from Kentucky, in the US, and ex-Pinot noir barriques from Central Otago, NZ.

At Cardrona Distillery we take extreme pride in our approach to making spirits and our respect for our raw materials and the land. We have a deep connection to the land and the people that have farmed the land for generations. We are immensely proud of what we’ve created, our distillery is the result of years of research and hard work, resulting in beautifully crafted spirits made from scratch on site.

Our recipes - The perfect Gin cocktail:

Gin & Sage:

Ingredients:

45ml The Source Pure Cardrona Gin

130ml apple juice

Method:

Into a short rocks glass, add gin over ice and top with apple juice.

Garnish with sliced apple, a clapped sage leaf and a sprig of fresh thyme.

Raspberry Cooler:

Ingredients:

40ml The Source Pure Cardrona Gin

20ml Lemon Juice

10ml Sugar Syrup

4 Fresh Raspberries

1 Mint Sprig

Method:

Churn all ingredients together in a tall glass before adding crushed ice and continuing to churn until full. Garnish with fresh raspberries and a mint sprig.