Other fine spirits

The Roku Japanese gin from Suntory distillers is distilled using botanicals harvested throught the four seasons including sencha tea, gyokuro tea, sansho pepper, yuzu peel, and the famous sakura cherry blossom. The style is nicely balanced between the herbal, floral and spicy notes of the botanicals.

Family owned Cardrona Distillery uses 100% malted barley to produce their The Source gin and is distilled in their very own copper pot & column stills, along with traditional and local Cardrona botanicals; juniper, coriander seed, angelica root, lemon and orange zest. This gives it a classical backbone and the use of seasonal rose hip, first brought to the valley by the Chinese imparts an addtional unique character as well as giving it a certain terroir.

Distilled in a column still at an undisclosed distillery in Trinidad, this 18 year old selection comes from Wm. Cadenhead, Scotland's oldest independent bottler, famous for their Scotch and Rum selections since 1842. Tasting notes describe notes of marshmallow, tropical fruit juice and golden syrup, with a herbal, minty and honeyed flavour.

Named after the distillers tendency to work until the twelfth hour. This award winning New Zealand gin boasts makrut (kaffir lime) encapsulating the classic London dry style; crisp, clean aromatics. Refreshing on a hot day, best served with a slice of cucumber and your favourite tonic of choice.     

Crafted from a marriage of fruity Barbadian, full-bodied Guyanese and vibrant Jamaican rums, the Black Tot gets its name from the ration of rum issued daily to sailors of the Royal Navy. This is a rich and complex rum, offering flavours of golden syrup, exotic tropical fruits and a leathery hint. A note of coffee and chocolatey mocha comes through on the palate, with butter toffee and oaky spice. A lingering note of roasted bananas comes through on the finish, ending this rich, fruity and slightly funky rum. A fantastic sipping style or one to enjoy as the star ingredient in cocktails.

Caorunn (pronounced 'ka-roon') hails from Balmenach distillery in Speyside and is flavoured with Scottish botanicals including dandelion, rowan berry, heather and coul blush apple. It is fresh, floral, citrusy, slightly spicy and very aromatic with a clean, crisp, full bodied character.

Produced at The Shed distillery, Drunshanbo gin is produced by distilling 8 different botanicals and vapour infusing grapefruit, chinese lemon, lime alongside its unique use of 'gunpowder' tea.

Bottled at what is known as Navy Strength, the Edinburgh Gin Cannonball comes in at 100 proof, or 57.2% ABV. Alongside this higher bottling strength, twice as much juniper is used compared to their standard offering, imparting a striking kick of the quintessential gin note.

This gin has Edinburgh Gin classic London dry gin as the base and has bright and refreshing Rhubarb and Ginger boanticals. The palate has juniper notes which are balanced by a sharp tang with a pop of citrus and spices. The finish compliments the palate with smooth and rounded gentle spice.

This high quality spiced rum is thought to be one of the best on the market. Delicious on its own but the cocktail possibilities are endless. Notes of Cola Cube lollies, sweet spices, gingerbread, Christmas cake and marmalade.

This famous rum liqueur is made at the Foursquare distillery in Barbados, combining sugar cane alcohol which is married with lime, almond and cloves. It is the ingredient in a number of classic cocktails, but remains difficult to source here in New Zealand.

This is an Indain gin is Stranger and Sons, distilled in Goa. Botnaitcals include pepper, lemon and coriander. Refreshing citrus peel and Gondhoraj limes are also used to give an uplifting note to the gin.

All the way from Islay, Scotland, an island famous for peaty single malt whisky, this gin is made at the Bruichladdich distillery. It contains no less than 31 botanicals, of which 22 are native to the Southern Hebridean island itself. A dry style gin with plenty citrus flavours, floral notes and fresh spices.

This special gin from Cardrona Distillery is bottled once a year. The gin has spent some time in a Felton Road Pinot Noir seasoned oak cask. There are notes of orange peel, apricot and lemon sorbet. The finish has notes of malt biscuits.

This gin is from Tobermory distillery on the Ilse of Mull in Scotland. The nose has juniper, citrus, and a hint of malt. The palate has gentle notes of sweet orange and lemon, which develops into notes of gentle herbs and spices and a creamy mouth feel. The finish carries through the citrus notes, which are long and lingering. The botanicals used include juniper, elderflower, orange peel and tea.