Mike and Beth Churcher with their gin distillery. Photo / Donna Russell
Mike and Beth Churcher tick all the boxes for the definition of a cottage industry in their rural backyard at Ngunguru, east of Whangarei.
Their Papaka Road Gin Distillery bubbles away in a cottage behind their house, flavoured by fruits and botanicals gathered from the gardens of friends and neighbours as well as sourced from horticulture businesses such as Maungatapere Berries.
The couple has been working on the gin business for the past six years, fitting it in with their busy lifestyle as parents of three young children and demanding jobs.
Beth is a part-time teacher at Pompallier College and Mike works at Marsden Point oil refinery. That is all about to change as Mike is scheduled to lose his job when the refinery shuts down next year.
His background as a marine engineer has proved unexpectedly useful in the gin business.
The entire distillery, which resembles a sci-fi Dalek robot out of Dr Who, has been fully customised by Mike. More used to maintaining the motors of huge superyachts around the world, Mike used his engineering knowledge to build the still and tanks.
The alcohol is passed through the distillery process three times, with fruit and botanicals added and the byproduct of methanol used to mix in with petrol to power their vehicle.
Beth said building relationships with local orchardists and horticulturists was an important aspect.
"Right from the start, that was always part of our business plan."
The exclusive Solberries from Maungatapere Berries are paired with butterfly pea flowers to create a bright purple gin that they have named Flutterby Gin.
"We knew as soon as we tasted them that the flavours would work perfectly together," she said.
"We make our gins to work in with the seasonal produce available."
With raspberries now in season, the red berries are used in another popular flavour which has a blush of pink colour.
Local lemons and limes are used in the brand's Classic gin, which won a bronze medal in the New Zealand Spirits Awards this year.
"It was a real confirmation for use that we are on the right track," Mike said.
The Barrel Aged gin is aged in second-hand French oak wine barrels from wineries in the Hawke's Bay to extract the lingering wine flavours and tannins from within. Mike said the ageing process needed a minimum of four months before the flavours started to meld into the gin.
"It becomes more mellow with age."
Damson plums from Whakapara have also been used, which resulted in a reddish gin liqueur.
Mike and Beth settled on creating gin when they witnessed the popularity of different flavoured gins when they worked on superyachts in Europe and the Mediterranean.
Mike worked in the engine room and Beth was a stewardess.
"Gin consumption was going nuts in Europe and America and we could see that trend would probably end up here as well," Beth said.
The response from locals had been encouraging, with calls from outlets wanting to stock their products.
"We've been absolutely flat out trying to keep up with the demand from locals and we are being careful not to go too big too quickly. We are trying to grow organically," Mike said.
While legally they could brew other spirits such as vodka, they have chosen to concentrate on gin "as we are having so much fun with it".
A shelf in the distillery holds small bottles of the experiments that may make it into production one day.
Botanicals used included juniper berries, coriander pods, cardamom, cassia bark and lemon and limes, plus a few other mysterious roots and herbs which give the gin its rounded, smooth flavour.
Beth said she really enjoyed the creative process.
"We are still brimming with ideas for new flavours."