Hastings Distillers

On Heretaunga Street East, concealed behind impressive wooden doors, is the Hastings Distillers’ tasting room, a place you need to visit without delay. 

Opened in December 2019, Hastings Distillers is New Zealand’s only producer of certified organic artisan spirits and liqueurs. Co-founder Kate has a background in winemaking, and it was while on holiday in Portugal, as she was drinking a gin and tonic, that the seed was planted for a change up, and an idea was born. This is combined with a long-time love and interest in the herbal properties of botanicals. 

Hastings Distillers produces six different gins and liqueurs, all created from the purest organic and biodynamic botanicals, pure plant alcohol and living water. Only the very finest ingredients are used in their products, sourcing rare and exotic spices from family friends in France to ensuring that all the citrus they use is from Hawke’s Bay-certified organic growers. Working with nature to produce the best spirits they can. 

The tasting room is a thing of interior decor beauty, with deep navy-coloured walls, plush turquoise velvet bench seating, high ceilings and bar space that is quite unlike anything you may have seen before. In the afternoons until 5pm, you can visit and do a tasting flight, learning about the different variations they have produced. 

They are also keen to introduce the European concept of having an aperitif, a drink and maybe a light snack before dinner, a chance to catch up with friends, even if it’s just for an hour. They have a succinct food menu made up of the perfect bites to accompany their gins and liqueurs. As for the drinks, you can try them served with tonic or soda water or branch out with one of their expertly-made cocktails. 

No matter what you choose to try at the tasting room, visiting Hastings Distillers is a truly unique experience.