One of the West Coast region’s fastest-growing businesses, Reefton Distilling Co. are continuing to make a name for themselves and their hometown through their international award-winning small-batch distilled spirits.
Last weekend saw this relative newcomer to the spirits industry, achieve one of the highest accolades at this year’s New Zealand Spirits Awards Ceremony. Their Wild Rain Vodka was proclaimed a double Champion Trophy Winner and awarded the trophy for Best New Zealand Vodka in Category, together with the trophy for Best Overall Vodka in Category.
This year’s awards ceremony saw close to 200 members of the spirits industry gather together at The Hilton, in Auckland to celebrate the best local and international spirits in New Zealand.
“This is an enormous endorsement of the hard work and commitment from our team over the last 2.5 years, as they strive to keep Reefton and the West Coast at the forefront of Spirits in New Zealand, and now the world,” commented Reefton Distilling Co. Founder and Chief Executive Patsy Bass.
“If there had been an award for the loudest whoops of delight for any trophy announcement, the Reefton tables would have taken that too.”
Standing with the Best
This award is an incredible achievement, especially when up against stiff competition from both well-known New Zealand and International Vodka brands.
On announcing the trophies, the panel of judges complimented Wild Rain Vodka for ‘having a lovely soft mouthfeel, while being a clean, very well-structured product - absolutely fantastic’.
This double Champion Trophy Win comes hot on the heels of a Double Gold Medal achieved for Wild Rain Vodka earlier in May. This is just one of five medals achieved by Reefton Distilling Co. for their products in this year’s NZ Spirits Awards. Other medals won include Silver for Little Biddy Gin – Pink, Little Biddy Gin – Cask Aged (Bourbon) and Reefton Distilling Co. Tayberry Liqueur with Reefton Distilling Co. Blueberry Liqueur achieving Bronze.
Medals (Double-gold, gold, silver, bronze) are awarded on individual merit for each category as judged by a panel of national and international industry experts.
Having attained an impressive line-up of 33 awards over the past 32 months, including a platinum medal and Consumers’ Choice Award at the prestigious international 2021 SIP Awards, this West Coast business is one to watch.
