Thomson Whisky (&Gin)

We started Thomson Whisky the same way you’d start a band. We got together and just started tinkering. It was never about taking over the world, or playing Wembley, but about giving it a go, creating the best spirit we could afford to and sharing our journey with anyone who liked whisky. We wanted to give New Zealanders a whisky they could be proud of, with a sharp brand on top. Our bottlings reflect who we are, because we’re small enough to do it how we like it. As we grow these qualities remain.

We love what we do; making craft whisky for the modern enthusiast. Artisan. Premium. Progressive.

After a few years mucking about on a home still and learning as much as we could about whisky (mainly by thorough investigation of the flavour) we began the Thomson Whisky project as Independent Bottlers. We got hold of a few barrels of aged single malt from Willowbank Distillery, Dunedin, carefully selected to our personal tastes, to launch under the Thomson name. We figured if it didn’t sell we’d drink it ourselves. We didn’t get that lucky. Two barrels, a unique bottle, a business card, and Thomson Whisky came to life. We started telling people about our whisky, and sharing a drink with friends, then bartenders, and shops and people traveling overseas…and our project started firing.

A few years down the road and things have changed a lot. With a new distillery in operation we now blend whiskies and distill single malt. Using a hand-beaten copper pot still, just three ingredients form the basis of the whisky we distill; quality malted barley, pure water, yeast. Aged in a range of casks including ex-bourbon barrels, NZ red wine casks and some miniatures, our whiskies are growing handsome with age.

By traditional methods for contemporary ends – it’s all about a passion for the spirit, creativity, and respect for the process.

We’re inspired by music, design, craft beer, artefacts, mysteries, family and spirits. As one of only a few commercial distilleries in New Zealand we’re proud to be contributing to the craft distilling movement in our country.