Reefton Distillery c0.

Little Biddy West Coast Botanical

Dry Gin, which launched in late 2018, is a true West Coast success story. It combines the region's untainted fresh water with a host of botanicals found high in the hills around Reefton. These plants – toatoa, tarata, rimu and douglas fir, along with more traditional gin flavours such as juniper and cassia – are extracted through the alchemy of distillation to create a uniquely local drop. It's like the spirit equivalent of a walk through dense West Coast bush; fresh, pure and a little bit rugged.

It's a truly local affair. Twins Nigel and Steffan McKay have lived their whole lives in Reefton and when Reefton Distilling Co. was looking for botanicals to use in Little Biddy gin, the McKays drew on their vast knowledge of the local flora to find the ingredients.

They also knew where to find the right water sources, cutting their way along forgotten tracks.

“Little Biddy captures the rawness of fresh rain in the forest,” distiller Nick Secker says proudly. Its stablemates – two ultra-premium gins with slightly different botanical profiles and higher alcohol contents, a Wild Rain vodka and a range of seasonal fruit-infused liqueurs – will in time be joined by whisky. It's an impressive line-up for a business that's just over two years old, especially considering that its founder rarely drinks. “I never used to drink,” laughs Reefton Distilling Co. managing director Patsy Bass. “I still can't drink spirits straight, but I do have the odd gin and tonic now.” Patsy's desire to create a distillery was driven by a deep love of her home town. “Even though we left here when I was young and moved to Christchurch, Reefton is in my DNA.” 10 Smith Street, Reefton. (03) 732 7083, reeftondistillingco.com