distilleries <\/a>typically make about 2000 bottles per batch, with a run of 100 considered \u201csmall\u201d.<\/p>\nUnlike many distilleries, which buy in base ethanol and then add botanicals, Martel and Hrdina make their own base alcohol using barley sourced from Canterbury.<\/p>\n
The process takes four to six weeks in total \u2013 fermenting, quadruple distilling, and resting the spirit for weeks to allow added botanicals, such as saffron, lemons, grapefruit, limes, or NZ\u2019s own lemonades (all sourced fresh) to fully integrate. The result is a gin that enthusiasts say tastes distinctively different from mass-produced brands.<\/p>\n
The name itself carries a personal story. Martel is a vicar\u2019s son and the brand reflects that heritage. <\/p>\n
What began as a hobby during the Covid lockdown has grown into a fully licensed business, though still a \u201chobby business\u201d at heart.<\/p>\n
Hrdina, originally from Switzerland, first suggested they try making gin after they noticed the growing popularity of the spirit overseas.<\/p>\n
Martel, 62, a software sales manager, and Hrdina, 55, a diabetes midwife, began experimenting at home with distilling. <\/p>\n
Their small-scale approach has remained deliberate. \u201cFrom day one, we wanted to have a really high-quality product,\u201d Martel said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve invested in top-end equipment, but that means we can only make small amounts.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"A]()
A tiny caravan is all that’s needed to serve visitors a sample of the some of Australasia’s winning gin. Photo \/ Supplied <\/p>\n
Northlanders and visitors can see the process up close. Whang\u0101rei District Council has granted The Vicar\u2019s Son a licence to open for gin tastings and distillery tours every Sunday from noon-5pm, until May 2026.<\/p>\n
The price of the product, $134 a bottle, reflects the craftsmanship, the couple said. Although The Vicar\u2019s Son might be at the premium end of the market, customers keep coming back. Martel said he knows many of them by name, with repeat orders from people who appreciate the difference in taste and the story behind the product.<\/p>\n
And there\u2019s more to come \u2013 a whisky they call The Monk, which they\u2019ll release this month if it meets their standards. It\u2019s been ageing for the past two years \u2013 half of that time in Auckland and 12 months in Mangapai.<\/p>\n
The whisky has been maturing in a 20-litre cask, far smaller than the 500-litre barrels typically used, the couple said. <\/p>\n
The smaller-sized cask accelerates the ageing process \u2013 two years in it is the equivalent to a decade in a larger one.<\/p>\n
The couple have been tasting the whisky as it matures and said it\u2019s nearly ready. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe think it\u2019s going to be a real winner,\u201d Martel said. \u201cIt tastes fantastic.\u201d <\/p>\n
Only 35 bottles will be produced, with special labels and packaging to mark the occasion.<\/p>\n
For Martel and Hrdina, the dream doesn\u2019t stop at gin and whisky. <\/p>\n
They hope one day to grow their own juniper (an ingredient in gin) on their 5ha property and are keeping a close eye on trials under way in New Zealand to establish the plant locally. <\/p>\n
For now, though, they\u2019re content with their new Northland lifestyle, their tiny batches of spirits, their loyal customers and the chance to share their passion with more visitors.<\/p>\n
Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years\u2019 experience in journalism, most of which she spent reporting on the courts in Gisborne and on the East Coast.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There\u2019s been a boon in commercial distilleries in New Zealand in the past five to 10 years. Where…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":148797,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[99505,15892,138,99503,2944,16099,111,139,1067,69,66468,22639,99504,223,44263,99502,18457,102,377],"class_list":["post-148796","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-anywhere","tag-boutique","tag-business","tag-distillery","tag-inside","tag-kind","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-northland","tag-nz","tag-smallest","tag-son","tag-spirits","tag-the","tag-tiny","tag-vicars","tag-winning","tag-with","tag-world"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148796","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=148796"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148796\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/148797"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=148796"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=148796"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=148796"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}