New Zealand craftswoman Desiree Whitaker, nee Reid, decided in 2011 to pursue her dream of making a New Zealand single malt whisky that would stand tall on the international stage.
Fast forward ten years and Desiree and husband Ash are now putting the Cardrona Distillery on the world map for spirits, with awards for The Source Gin, which won Gold at the New York World spirits & wine awards and Winner of Best NZ Single Malt under 12 years at the World Whisky Awards in 2020.
An escorted tour of the distillery, just 40 minutes from Cross Hill, is a must for any food and beverage lover. Choose from the Classic Tour: over 75 minutes you will discover the secrets to Cardrona’s artisan spirits, starting with their water source, malted barley and yeast, before tasting the wares with a tutored spirit tasting of Cardrona spirits. The Cardrona Family Reserve Tour is a truly immersive food and distillery experience.
This exclusive experience will further your whisky tasting skills, while providing you with deep insight into Whisky maturation. You will be hosted by a passionate, expert member of the distillery team and focus deeply upon warehousing and maturation. You will have the special privilege of tasting spirit directly from cask, and then selecting and personally hand-filling your own exclusive bottle of single cask Cardrona Single Malt Whisky, from a choice of three exceptional casks preselected from their stocks. You will explore the impact temperature, foods and texture have on the Whisky drinking experience and we recommend adding on lunch too.