In high spirits: Herrick Creek Distillery
The words “moonshine” and “bootlegging” conjure up images of illegal stills in the Central Otago goldfields, and the clandestine distribution of distilled alcohol.
There is however nothing clandestine or illicit about the award-winning “Moonshine” that Tom Finn (pictured) creates at the Herrick Creek Distillery.
Tom’s great-grandfather was a true bootlegger in Canada, so distilling runs in his veins. When Tom immigrated to New Zealand from the home of the maple leaf, he found home distilling is legal, and decided to try his hand using corn grain as his basic ingredient; quite distinctive for New Zealand. It proved successful and after three years of working out of his garage, Tom moved into a bigger production space.
Now the distillery produces small-batch bourbon, whisky, rum, and moonshine, giving a unique Kiwi twist to North American spirits. “We take pride in our artisanal approach to distilling,” says Tom. “I am an ideas man and I like nothing better than experimenting with different craft flavours, especially for the moonshine. We’ve created Apple Pie Moonshine, and cinnamon, peach, cherry, maple cream, and feijoa varieties.”
You can purchase Herrick Creek’s moonshine and other spirits including gin, through the website or at the Christchurch Farmers’ Market.
