Micro Distilling – Herrick Creek Distillery

Micro Distilling

Micro. Craft. Nano. Artisan. There's lots of words and they all describe basically the same thing. 
Small batch with quality and flavour in mind - That's what micro distilling means to us. What's the difference between Micro and Craft distilling? Not much. Both words mean that we're dedicated to making quality, unique spirits. 

Have you ever had Jack Daniels or Glenfiddich? That's basically the opposite of Craft or Micro whisky. If you're in New Zealand and have bought overseas spirits at some point, you've probably had more than your share of "big whisky." I love a glass of whisky, no matter where it's from, but there's something special about a local product knowing that someone really passionate is behind that glass - I'd rather taste that hard work and passion any day. 

Micro distilling isn't about finding the cheapest ingredients and the fastest process, it's about finding the right ingredients and the right process that suites your dream. We've seen our share of shortcuts we could take but we'd rather spend the money on good ingredients and take the time to make the drink right. 

We distill everything on a small still and in small batches. Our New Zealand products are all made in Christchurch and distilled at our very small headquarters. In other parts of the world, governments actually have put a definition to Commercial/Micro/Nano distilleries based on yearly output. By those definitions, we are Nano!

One great aspect of being small is that we can experiment a lot, and that is what Craft distilling in general is really good at. It means we can try different woods for ageing, grains for mashing, botanicals for steeping, and it means we can think outside the box even more. 

One thing we really wanted to make sure of was that, on top of our fully New Zealand made lineup, we could make spirits influenced by the world! That means using NZ and international grains or even importing single barrels of spirits for our "Explorer Series." This series will be weird, it will be wildly varied, but most of all we hope it tastes good and brings people together. Stay tuned.

Micro distilling also means that we can adapt, change, and grow the way we see fit. That means crafting profiles that our customers want and taking as much feedback as possible to do so. 

As craft spirits grow in New Zealand, we hope to live up to what other distilleries have offered up and to work together and push forward on what New Zealand spirits truly are. It's about forming a community of likeminded businesses and individuals who want to see this industry grow within New Zealand and around the world. We can't wait to help with those conversations and see where New Zealand spirits goes.

We hope you enjoy our products when they are finally ready and that you'll let us know what you think!