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- By Kerry Lee
This weekend, locals will be getting into the spirit of things while raising a glass for the diggers on Anzac Day at Pokeno Whisky’s distillery.
New Zealand’s largest single malt distillery has invited guests to join a free tour sampling a tipple (or several) and enjoying a sausage sizzle along the way.
While the company’s founder Matt Johns says the tour was not intended to be a commemoration, the timing is ideal.
“Obviously, Anzac Day is the day we remember the incredible effort made by our servicepeople, but we’re just putting this tour on for the people in our local community to come along and enjoy what we have to offer.”
While the tour itself is free, whisky lovers can opt to indulge in the hour-long, $50 Tutored Tasting Experience, which gives visitors a chance to sample whiskies that aren’t widely available.
Pokeno Whisky was founded in 2017 by a group of whisky enthusiasts. Part of a growing movement interested in craft spirits, the team set out to create premium single malt using locally sourced ingredients. The result is internationally competitive whisky blended only with New Zealand character.
While the company sources its barley from the South Island, Pokeno was the ideal spot for the distillery for a number of reasons.
“Water is extremely important and, due to its volcanic past, in Pokeno we have access to pure, natural spring water from an aquifer below us. It’s rich in iron and manganese which is great for distilling. Also, because we’re in a valley, the high levels of humidity are fantastic for rapid maturation of our whisky.”
Proximity to transport routes between the ports at Tauranga and Auckland is also proving beneficial to this local business.
For more information, or to enquire about the distillery’s tours, visit pokenowhisky.com.
