Royal Gin

Rifters Royal Gin — A World Champion Some gins find you. This one found me down a back street in Arrowtown. I was doing a gin tasting at a lovely little bar when one stood out from the rest — clean, confident, utterly distinctive. Googled it. Discovered the distillery cellar door was 100 metres down the road. Well, that settled that. We wandered in and met the wonderful Philip, who walked us through five beautiful gins and a vodka with the not so quiet passion of someone who genuinely loves what they do. I've been a fan ever since — and when Rifters Royal took out Best Navy Gin in the World at the 2025 World Gin Awards, I was absolutely rapt. Completely deserved. So what's in the glass? Navy strength at 57%, but somehow ridiculously smooth. Bright grapefruit on the nose, bold juniper presence, a gentle sweetness from liquorice root and a warming nudge from pink peppercorns. The finish is long and herbaceous with a lovely dry bay leaf note. My 3-in-1 method: Straight — nose it, savour the warmth, feel the juniper hit. On ice — everything softens and opens up. With tonic — East Imperial is my pick If you're ever in Arrowtown, the cellar door is a must. If not, track down a bottle. This is New Zealand craft distilling at its absolute best. Best Navy Gin in the World, 2025 World Gin Awards. Enough said.

My favourite New Zealand gin! Well balanced grapefruit forward with a pink peppercorn finish. Being navy strength means a little bit goes a long way!