The award-winning distillers at Waiwera Spirits know good things take time, which is why the small team crafts their liquor batch by batch, using fresh and all natural local ingredients.
Waiwera Spirits took out the Villa Maria beverage award at last year’s New Zealand Food Awards with their Waiwera Spiced Gold Rum. Egor Petrov, one of the company’s five full time staff, says awards night was a nerve-racking experience. “The last time I was that nervous was on the first date with my girlfriend,” he jokes. “To me, winning that award meant the New Zealand industry, the real professionals of New Zealand hospitality, like it and enjoy it and we’re not the only crazies who love our own product.
”Petrov admits single-batch brewing is an inefficient way to do things but says it’s worth it to produce a superior product. “It produces a very pure alcohol, because we choose when to cut the heads and tails of the spirit.” Unlike continuous methods of distilling, which rely on technology to separate the methylated “heads” and acetone “tails” of a spirit from the pure ethanol “heart,” Waiwera has trained experts on site to make the call. The distiller keeps an eye on the vapour coming from the pots used for distilling, using sight and smell to judge exactly when to cut the batch. The ethanol is then filtered through coconut charcoal to remove further impurities.
“You can never make something natural without a person present,” explains Petrov.
Making alcohol this way can mean one bottle of gin takes as long as a month to create, but the pay-off is in the purity of the product, which can be as high as 96 per cent pure ethanol. And a purer spirit has another benefit, Petrov claims — less-painful hangovers. Not that he is suggesting overindulgence of course; although Petrov maintains Waiwera’s gin, vodka and rum are as pure and natural as possible, alcohol is “still not good for you, obviously”.
The company’s philosophy of all-natural, artisanal production extends to the ingredients, including locally sourced manuka honey and Waiwera water, with which the pure spirit is blended after being distilled. “We also use quite a few fresh ingredients. For example, for the gin and for the vodkas the citrus is fresh when we infuse it,” says Petrov.
He claims Waiwera Spirits is the only New Zealand liquor company to produce the base spirits for their gin and vodka products and one of only two in the country to make their own base for rum. “We make everything at our own distillery, from fermenting the raw ingredients to putting the number on the bottle.
”At around $80 a pop for a bottle of Waiwera’s spirits, details like hand-numbered bottles are nice, but all the boutique touches in the world won’t make the price point worth it if the product is no good. Luckily for Waiwera, dedication to their craft means they truly do have a superior range of products on offer. Their liquors are smooth, subtle and dangerously easy to drink.
You can use Waiwera’s award-winning vodka, gin and rum to create these delicious summer cocktails at home.
Spiced summer cup
This is a classic summer cup and easily built in the glass, which is a bonus when it's too hot to be bothered with the effort of shaking everything together.
45ml Waiwera Spiced Gold Rum
15ml lemon juice
15ml orange and lemongrass syrup (Shott)
Quina-Fina bitter lemon
Build the ingredients over ice in a wine glass. Garnish with lemons, mint and fruit in season.
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The Gifford
This daquiri-style cocktail is sweet, tart and very refreshing; perfect for cutting through the heat of a sunny afternoon.
60ml Waiwera Spiced Silver Rum
15ml manuka honey syrup (1:1 manuka honey mixed with water)
15ml lemon juice
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with mint and lemon.
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Hot Lips
A more savoury cocktail than the Gifford, with a subtle blend of flavours. It's an interesting mix of fruity and floral and the peppery finish gives it an amazing kick.
1 strawberry
45ml Waiwera Peppercello Vodka
20ml manuka honey syrup (1:1 manuka honey mixed with water)
15ml lemon juice
Muddle the strawberry in a cocktail shaker, add the rest of the ingredients, shake with ice and double strain into a cocktail coupe. Garnish with cracked black pepper.
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Kiwi Smash
This cocktail is incredibly light and refreshing, with the basil adding a savoury flavour which balances the aciditiy of the kiwifruit.
3 basil leaves
½ kiwifruit
45ml Mahurangi Gin
15ml manuka honey syrup (1:1 manuka honey mixed with water)
15ml lemon juice
Pinch of salt
Muddle basil and kiwifruit in a cocktail shaker, add the rest of the ingredients and shake with ice, strain into a short glass over ice. Garnish with kiwifruit and basil.
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